From Jazzspecial December 2006

Kim Bock Quartet

SECRETS

Kim Bock is Danish but has for the better part of his career resided in New York and is here on this his debut recording exclusively surrounding himself with American musicians. Bock has found his way to a musical expression with international format and the high ambitions are met along way. The piano-less quartet explore, except for Bocks own compositions, the modal universe – in a music which to a high degree insists and exists on its own terms and conditions. The two horn players are working well together. They both possess a well developed sound and encompass great range. Their dialogues develop with dynamic, intuition and intensity in the setting of a competent rhythmic foundation. The spaciousness of the modal form is utilized to create fabulating, imaginative mood saturated passages, which contains its own angular beauty. This is not an immediately accessible release but if you accept the premises though and give the record the mental setting it deserves, you’ll be rewarded in excess with great listening experiences. After having listened a couple of times through you’ll soon be more familiar with the sonic universe of this group.

Jørn Skovsgaard

SteepleChase SCCD 31603 / GDC. KB (ts / ss / b-cl), David Smtih (tp / flh), Adam Armstrong (b), Peter Retzlaff (d), Denmark 2006.