What the critics say
Reviews
Niels Overgård (jazznyt.blogspot.dk) about ‘Dawn’
…Jacob Roved does not try to prove anything to anyone. He is confident about himself and the music, and his thorough compositions successfully communicate a clear direction and vision. If you long for a calm, contemporary jazz release, which knows its roots and tradition, look no further. I give Dawn a strong recommendation.
Read the full review here (in Danish):
http://jazznyt.blogspot.com/2022/09/jacob-roved-quintet-dawn-amp-records.html
Jacek Brun (jazz-fun.de) about ‘Dawn’
It’s an album full of good contemporary jazz. The great thing about Jacob Roved is that the music never strays from artistic beauty, not down the path of revolutionary exploration or challenge. Everything here has a background, a logical foundation of emotion and musical eloquence.
Read the review here (in German):
Jos Demol (jazzhalo.be) about ‘Dawn’
…this album is a delicate moment with a judicious title: between the moment of dream and awakening, “Dawn” is a beautiful moment between dream and reality, on a slow and harmonious impulse: «Breeze », « Shadow Motion », « Prelude » and the finale « A Short Moment » perfectly draw the contours of an atmospheric music very pleasant to listen to.
Read the review here (in French):
https://www.jazzhalo.be/reviews/cdlpk7-reviews/various/jazz-pour-ne-pas-perdre-le-nord/https://www.jazzhalo.be/reviews/cdlpk7-reviews/various/jazz-pour-ne-pas-perdre-le-nord/
George Harris (jazzweekly.com) about ‘Remembering Billy Strayhorn’
…Ruocco’s clarinet usage was a stroke of genius, as it melds wonderfully on the snappy “Johnny Come Lately” and glows on the dreamy “A Flower is A Lonesome Thing”…. Roved himself is sleek on the brushes during the chamber-sounding “Lotus Blossom” and gives a clever Latin tinge to the usually somber “Chelsea Bridge.” Even more surprising, and pleasantly so, is the extroverted read of “Day Dream” with a ¾ pulse a perfect vehicle for the horns. Strays would give a salute here.
Niels Overgård (jazznyt.blogspot.dk) om ‘Remembering Billy Strayhorn’
Det er for så vidt rimeligt lige til. Billy Strayhorn ville være fyldt 100 år d. 29. november og skal selvfølgelig hyldes. Han lavede nogle af jazzens største kompositioner til Duke Ellingtons orkester. Han var en enspænder, der havde det bedst alene ved flygelet, hvor han lavede sine udødelige kompositioner. Albummet åbner med et af jazzens allerstørste numre. Take the A Train, som Duke Ellingtons orkester fast havde på repertoiret som åbningsnummer. Det er trommeslageren Jacob Roved der har samlet en kvintet med amerikaneren John Ruocco på klarinet og saxofon, Thomas Fryland på trompet og arrangement, Rasmus Ehlers på piano og Jesper Bodilsen på bas – han afløses på pladens sidste tre numre af Jakob Roland. Det er 10 numre fra en komponist, der så jazzen som den sorte mands sofistikerede kunstform.
Kvintetten spiller vildt tight som det høres på Johnny come lately, hvor Fryland spiller sin karakteristiske skarpe trompet. Det lader Ruocco sig ikke gå på af. Han har en mere krøllet og afslappet tilgang til sagerne og giver et sundt modspil til de rimeligt tjekkede arrangementer. Numre som Lotus Blossom, Chelsea Bridge, A Flower is a lovesome thing og Something to live for leveres, så det emmer af jazzhistorie. Jacob Roved styrer sikkert alle bådene i havn. Han er en old school stilist, der fra trommerne får skabt et personligt og flot statement. Billy Strayhorn hyldes på passende vis. Det er jazz af den helt klassiske slags spillet med respekt og noget på hjerte.
