Jens Christian Kwella and John Stowell — “The Room”
(Review translated from the Dutch; original text HERE)
"This album brings together two seasoned and highly respected jazz guitarists. Danish guitarist Jens Christian Kwella and American guitarist John Stowell have performed as a duo on several occasions over the past fifteen years, yet there is still something remarkably fresh—and, unsurprisingly, masterful—about both their individual playing and their musical interaction, as showcased on The Room.
“Seven of the album's nine tracks are original compositions by the duo, while the remaining two are jazz standards: Antônio Carlos Jobim's Brigas, Nunca Mais and Jimmy Van Heusen's It Could Happen to You. Jobim's classic, in particular, is delivered with exceptional interplay and sensitivity. Even so, it is the original material—and the way these compositions are brought to life—that stands out as the album's greatest achievement.
“Considering that the entire album was recorded in a single day, without overdubs or subsequent editing, the performance is all the more impressive. Kwella and Stowell are genuinely virtuosic instrumentalists, but what makes The Room so compelling is the sense of ease and confidence that permeates every track. Nothing feels forced. Everything is delivered with warmth, sparkle, and an effortless sense of musical generosity.
“The Room is, without question, an album that comes highly recommended."
— Ivan Rod (journalist, reporter, author, and editor)
Recent albums…
John Stowell and Norbert Dömling—
“Body and Soul”
“Stowell’s guitar fireworks danced around Dömling’s precise bass foundations—at once fluid and powerful…. Their musical communication seemed almost telepathic; every note was a dialogue, and every phrase a collaboratively crafted work of art."”
— Concert review, Main Post (2024)
Scenes — “Variable Clouds”
“Timeless post bop… on this swinging live set at the Town Hall in Seattle Washington. The entire band sounds like they're both inspired and rejuvenated by the end of the COVID lockdown, with everyone sounding celebratory in delivery.”
— George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
John Stowell/Dave Glenn & the Hawčaptak Quartet — “Violin Memory”
“The separately recorded string pieces now serve as interludes that punctuate the sequence of the duo numbers. This expands the sound spectrum of this fascinating music, which constantly oscillates between jazz and classical.”
— Georg Modestin, Jazz ’N’More
Yunmi Kang and John Stowell —
“A Timless Place”
“Yunmi and John’s performance takes us into an entirely different realm of expression—bending time, breaking away from it, painting sound in color and texture.”
— Frank Kohn, Cadence Magazine
CDs and DVDs
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