PRE-ORDER: Mathias Heise "Repertoire" LP

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.

At it's core, Repertoire reflects the long-standing musical familiarity between Heise and von Bulow. 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, popularized by Michael Jackson, and One Day I'll Fly Away, alongside Angel Zoo by Danish band Phlake. Further repertoire threads include Velas, written by the great Brazilian composer and singer Ivan Lins. Always and Forever is part of the broader soul repertoire associated with Heatwave. The album closes with Bluesette, one of the defining compositions in the jazz harmonica tradition, also by Toots Thielemans, and a natural reference point for Heise's instrument. 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. Heise is a true virtuoso with a harmonic curiosity and stylistic openness. He can play anything! Guitarist Pelle von Bulow is an established figure on the Danish jazz scene. He is one of a generation of guitarists who are inspired by the legacy of Doug Raney, who lived in Copenhagen. Pelle von Bulow is also a virtuoso and has, among others, incorporated influences from legends such as George Benson as well as the Brazilian jazz guitar tradition. Coming from a family with a strong jazz tradition, 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.

street date 10/2/2026