Miss Otis Regrets
LP Storyville SLP-413
I have much respect for the Danish traditional jazz. On the sleeve of this LP it says: ”Denmark became after England, for unknown reasons, the country where the trad jazz became best rooted. It didn’t become just Mickey Mouse music, but was instead played with a warm heart and an understanding that the style had qualities that still could be used as a starting point for personal expression. You’ll find it among other places here with Henrik Johansen, who is the title person of the album.”
Henrik played clarinet and made his debut in a jazz climate where you had to more or less fight against the modern musicians if you went back to the roots to get inspiration from Johnny Dodds and other pioneers.
Since this happened before my time (in music), most of the guys are unknown to me. I have played with banjo man Per Krogh once when he became a second or third substitute with Peruna Jazzmen and he still had a very good beat, resulting in one of the best gigs I did with that band. I hope that he is still around like bass player Jens Sølund who is here on Facebook telling anecdotes and showing fabulous photos from his long career.