Award winning, internationally acclaimed composers, Christine Jensen and Maggi Olin releases Transatlantic Conversation project. In December 2013 Swedish composer and pianist Maggi Olin combined forces with Canadian composer and saxophonist Christine Jensen in starting up an 11-piece jazz ensemble, based in Sweden. They debuted a set worth of commissions featuring Swedish vocalist Sofie Norling, who has previously made waves with her unique vocal styles with the progressive jazz group David’s Angels with Maggi. They co-wrote this album worth of music after a break from touring their previous recordings (Artistshare) with their jazz quintet Nordic Connect. They went on to produce a live recording with P2 Sveriges Radio (Swedish Public Radio), entitled “Transatlantic Conversations’. This album captures the spirit of Maggi and Christine’s unique styles as composers, arrangers, and performers, as well as presenting in their new roles as lyricists. On this recording, caught live in concert hall in Sweden, the band delivers an excellent performance, with excitement and love radiating from the tracks. Lush, stimulating ensemble passages and deep, blistering solos, with a painting, searing, hard-swinging rhythm section. This is amazing music. Jensen and Olin have captured the spirit of their muses in this live recording. They are equally projecting their muses Monk, Ellington, and Mingus, while intermingling grooves from progressive rock, and melodies from classical and folk music. Transatlantic’s concert of premieres December 2013 at Fasching Jazz Club in Stockholm received stellar reviews, including one from the prominent Swedish press culture reporter Ingrid Strömdahl. She summarized the concert, noting that ‘the voice melts in the band, and the sound is very organic from the orchestrations of Maggi and Christine. The future of the project will be amazing.’ Jensen is excited for this ensemble’s sound to cross the Atlantic, as both her and Olin are inspired to premiere a new set of works specifically composed for an 11-piece ensemble based in Montreal. They will head into production in spring 2016. There will be a Canada/US album launch, as well as a debut of a new set of works featuring jazz musicians from Jensen’s Canadian-based Juno-Award winning jazz orchestra, including Olin on piano. Credits: Maggi Olin piano Christine Jensen alto/soprano sax Sofie Norling vocal Fredrik Lindborg tenor/baritone sax Henrik Frisk tenorsax/bassclarinet Karin Hammar & Christine Carlsson trombones Fredrik Norén trumpet Torben Waldorff guitar Mattias Welin bass Daniel Fredriksson drums