JazzNights 20

JazzNights has presented some great piano - drums - bass trios - the traditional, even stereotypal jazz trio. This time we step out of the usual format: hold that bass, add trumpeter/flugelhornist/leader Ingrid Jensen. It is not surprising that Ms. Jensen has often had to deal with stereotypes. As she said a while ago on NPR, directly addressing the subject, "When you look like I look -- a blond, white chick from Canada -- you're not supposed to sound the way I sound." Well, as you will hear, she sounds just great: edgy and strong on trumpet, a little mellower on flugelhorn, but always full of melody, invention, and creative rhythmic and harmonic ideas.

For someone still young, she's had an incredibly busy life, including not only the intercontinental touring incumbent on any leading jazz musician, but teaching stints in both this country and in Europe, an Artist-in-Residence gig in Berlin, and an eventual - obligatory? - return to New York. She's a graduate both of Boston's Berklee College of Music, and of the Mingus Big Band, that great incubator of talent. Currently, she teaches at Baltimore's Peabody School, and tours with Maria Schneider's Orchestra, one the hottest groups, if not the hottest group around. Of course, she plays in small groups as well, including her own Project O, which we will hear in March. I caught an excellent set last April at Kitano by one of her groups which included pianist Geoff Keezer, drummer Jon Wikan, bassist Matt Clohesy, and the brilliant young Norwegian guitarist, Lage Lund (by the way, there are many good young guitarists around these days, but don't miss this one if you get the chance - he is the real deal!)

Ms. Jensen has absorbed her musical ancestors, Miles, Woody, Clifford, and, I'd say from a recent hearing, Art Farmer and even Rex Stewart. She's got an absolutely beautiful tone in her open horn work, never, ever sounding harsh but instead full, fat, and just flat out beautiful. Muted, she avoids being squeaky or thin, retaining color and thickness in her sound. And there is always her wonderful imagination.

Here is what the great Clark Terry had to say about her: "Ingrid Jensen is a marvelous trumpeter...I'm proud to refer to her as a protégé of mine...and she's a nice lady too."

Not a bad combination!

Her recent CD's have been very well received. "Vernal Fields" (ENJA ENJ 9013) won four stars from Downbeat, as well as a Juno, and her first CD for ArtistShare, "At Sea" (A50039) was rated by Paul de Barros as one of the ten best of 2006. You can hear a couple of tracks from "At Sea" by following the link on our website.