The Incomparable Fiddler – Svend Asmussen 100 Years

 

The first CD features early 1937-1944 recordings, where Asmussen finally decided on music as his occupation for life and began gaining international recognition with his elegant swing and refined arrangements.
The second CD features 1953 and 1958 recordings from Hamburg, where Asmussen’s profound musicality and jazz skillfulness shine.
On CD3, Asmussen collaborates with violinist colleague Stephane Grappelli, and their different phrasings compliment each other. We also find previously unreleased tracks from a 1985 Paris session with the Georges Arvanitas Trio, a complement to the critically acclaimed “Embraceable” concert CD from the same occasion.
On CD4, Asmussen and American legend Stuff Smith play a concert together in Copenhagen, the two clearly enjoying each other’s company.
CD5 features the renowned 1996 concert “Fit as a Fiddle”, where Asmussen masterfully combines the insistent energy of his youth with the experience and musical grandeur he has gained from a lifetime of playing.
On the DVD, Asmussen plays a lively 1986 concert in Copenhagen’s famous Jazzhus Montmartre with prominent musicians such as bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and pianist Kenny Drew.