Description
Two of the most distinctive voices on the contemporary Danish jazz scene, chromatic harmonica player Mathias Heise and guitarist Pelle von Bulow, join forces on Repertoire, a duo album built on interplay, shared intuition, and a carefully selected body of songs spanning jazz standards, soul, pop, and contemporary material. Working as equals in a stripped-down duo setting, the two musicians treat each piece as a flexible framework for improvisation rather than a fixed arrangement. The music unfolds in real time through dialogue, contrast, and a finely tuned sense of balance between structure and freedom.
The repertoire draws from a wide range of jazz and pop standards. It includes "So Tender" by Keith Jarrett, "Besame Mucho" by Consuelo Velazquez, and "Beatrice" by Sam Rivers. From the pop and soul canon, the album features "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder, "Rock with You" by Rod Temperton, popularised by Michael Jackson, and "One Day I'll Fly Away", alongside "Angel Zoo" by Danish band Phlake.
Mathias Heise has established himself internationally as one of the most original voices on the chromatic harmonica. In 2013, he won the Chromatic Harmonica World Championship, followed by the Danish Crown Prince Couple's Stardust Award in 2016 and the Ben Webster Prize in 2017. He was the first musician admitted to the Rhythmic Music Conservatory with chromatic harmonica as his main instrument, and has since released a series of critically acclaimed albums, including his 2023 Storyville quintet album, Mouth Games.
Guitarist Pelle von Bulow is an established figure on the Danish jazz scene. Pelle von Bulow is the son of acclaimed alto saxophonist Christina von Bulow, and represents a younger generation of Danish jazz guitarists rooted in both tradition and contemporary expression.
Repertoire shows how contemporary jazz continues to evolve through a new generation of musicians.