You Live And You Learn

Description

Danish pianist, composer and improviser Rasmus Sorensen has established himself as one of the most distinctive young voices in contemporary jazz, winning the Danish Music Award for Musician of the Year in 2024 and the Ben Webster Award in 2025. On You Live and You Learn, he moves beyond the piano trio format that has shaped much of his work, bringing together 16 compositions through an expanded ensemble and a more detailed, production-led approach to recording. Born and raised in northern Denmark, Sorensen moved to New York in 2018 after studying at Skurups Folkhogskola in Sweden and receiving a full-tuition scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music. During his time there, he was mentored by musicians including Buster Williams, Phil Markowitz, Stefon Harris, Dayna Stephens, John Riley and Ingrid Jensen, while establishing himself on the New York jazz scene and performing at venues including The Jazz Gallery, Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, Smalls and Mezzrow. He began releasing his own music in 2022, with his 2024 album Balancing Act earning him the Danish Music Award for Musician of the Year. The origins of You Live and You Learn stretch back six years, as Sorensen accumulated voice memos, videos, scores and handwritten notes containing ideas that no longer fitted comfortably within his long-beloved trio setup. From this archive, he selected 16 compositions and considered which instrumentation would best bring each one to life. The album features some of his favourite Scandinavian musicians and closest friends, including drummer Steinar Heide Bo, double bassist Jon Henriksson, electric bassist Matthias Petri, flautist Oilly Wallace, guitarist Pelle von Bulow, trumpeter Ari Bragi Karason and chromatic harmonica player Mathias Heise. At the heart of the album is Sorensen's questioning of familiar ideas around composition, form, melody and improvisation. Having spent years working within jazz, he describes You Live and You Learn as a conscious move away from the need to prove himself within the expectations of the genre, instead embracing the freedom to explore other musical territories.

Description

Danish pianist, composer and improviser Rasmus Sorensen has established himself as one of the most distinctive young voices in contemporary jazz, winning the Danish Music Award for Musician of the Year in 2024 and the Ben Webster Award in 2025. On You Live and You Learn, he moves beyond the piano trio format that has shaped much of his work, bringing together 16 compositions through an expanded ensemble and a more detailed, production-led approach to recording. Born and raised in northern Denmark, Sorensen moved to New York in 2018 after studying at Skurups Folkhogskola in Sweden and receiving a full-tuition scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music. During his time there, he was mentored by musicians including Buster Williams, Phil Markowitz, Stefon Harris, Dayna Stephens, John Riley and Ingrid Jensen, while establishing himself on the New York jazz scene and performing at venues including The Jazz Gallery, Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, Smalls and Mezzrow. He began releasing his own music in 2022, with his 2024 album Balancing Act earning him the Danish Music Award for Musician of the Year. The origins of You Live and You Learn stretch back six years, as Sorensen accumulated voice memos, videos, scores and handwritten notes containing ideas that no longer fitted comfortably within his long-beloved trio setup. From this archive, he selected 16 compositions and considered which instrumentation would best bring each one to life. The album features some of his favourite Scandinavian musicians and closest friends, including drummer Steinar Heide Bo, double bassist Jon Henriksson, electric bassist Matthias Petri, flautist Oilly Wallace, guitarist Pelle von Bulow, trumpeter Ari Bragi Karason and chromatic harmonica player Mathias Heise. At the heart of the album is Sorensen's questioning of familiar ideas around composition, form, melody and improvisation. Having spent years working within jazz, he describes You Live and You Learn as a conscious move away from the need to prove himself within the expectations of the genre, instead embracing the freedom to explore other musical territories.