Quatre Trois Deux Un (CD)

The Danish saxophonist Benjamin Koppel has invited the legendary French drummer Daniel Humair into the musical tension field on his new jazz album QUATRE, TROIS, DEUX, UN.

The music is inspired by the visual artist Poul Pedersen, also known as "Bogstavtyven" (The Letter Thief), who is famous for his playful approach to numbers and letters. We recognize countdowns from rocket launches, explosions, and other events whose outcomes are uncertain. We count down to the unexpected, whether it marks a beginning, a new start, or the absolute dissolution.

Within this dynamic tension, Benjamin Koppel has composed ten musical pieces that explore the dimensions of countdowns. The CD, which carries the French title QUATRE, TROIS, DEUX, UN, consists of ten compositions divided into four quartet pieces, three trio pieces, two duets, and a single solo piece. The number of musicians gradually decreases as the musical journey of the album progresses.

The album is yet another fruitful result of the Franco-Danish collaboration that has been evolving over the past seven years between Daniel Humair and Benjamin Koppel. Koppel's longstanding musical work in France and beyond led to him being awarded the prestigious French order Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture in the summer of 2011, granting him the title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.