Joe Lovano Quartet
Tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano scores highly when the jazz critics choose their favourites. Together with his first-class quartet, he occupies the Kongsberg cinema on Saturday 4 July.
It was in the last critics poll of the jazz magazine Downbeat that Joe Lovano topped the 'Tenor saxophone' category - with a good margin to giants like Sonny Rollins and Wayne Shorter. Lovano is undoubtedly the foremost tenorist in international jazz in the generation between Joshua Redman and Sonny Rollins.
Joe Lovano is an easy musician to like. With his large-toned, rhythmic and expressive playing, he appeals to large groups of listeners. He always expresses himself with impressive authority, regardless of the musical context in which he appears. He has been inspired by many different musicians, both the veterans from the 1940s and 50s and more modern musicians. His style today is an attractive alloy of impulses from Ben Webster, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman.
Joe Lovano's career has been a steady march towards ever greater recognition and popularity. He was noticed in the great orchestras of Woody Herman and Mel Lewis, he knocked down some marked markers in the modern history of jazz with his collaboration with guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Paul Motion, and he has firmly established himself as a band leader and first-class soloist. After having the rising star Esperanza Spalding in the band for a period, he is now betting on bassist Linda Oh, also well placed in Downbeat's critics poll.
Joe Lovano (saxophones), Lawrence Fields (piano), Linda Oh (bass), Joey Baron (drums)
