CD review: Tini Thomsen – Horses & Cranes 2021: Video, CD cover

A good piece of rocking jazz, miles away from an academic approach but with a good shot of euphoric guitar and down-to-earth energy instead.

Here the band “Tini Thomsen MaxSax” brings it’s own nuanced, powerfully stylistic sophistication. “Just moving up a gear,” says Tini Thomsen. One woman and one saxophone – a match made in heaven!

”Just moving up a gear,” says Tini Thomsen. One woman and one saxophone – a match made in heaven! In the hands of Katharina ”Tini” Thomsen, the baritone saxophone – a rather massive, heavy instrument, after all – attains a sonic beauty definitely worth listening to.

The spectrum ranges from robust, resounding rhythms to versatile melody parts and fast-paced, earthy solos and – occasionally! – on to excursions into the more tender and balladesque. Considering that the instrument is a rarity among male musicians, the combination, Thomsen & ”Bari” holds membership – both nationally and internationally – to a small and exclusive group of such ”duos”.

It is even more fortunate that, in Nigel Hitchcock on alto saxophone, she has found the perfect counterpart not only musically, but privately as well.”

1. Funky Dragon
2. Horses & Cranes
3. Miserable Mushroom Guy
4. Blue Eye
5. Birds
6. Song for Molly
7. Ants
8. Georgia
9. Snooty Kitten

Tini Thomsen– baritone sax, and comprises,
Tom Trapp– guitar,
Mark Haanstra– bass,
Joost Kroon– drums and Nigel Hitchcock – alto saxophone