Svend Asmussen is an eminent jazz violinist; but he is also a showman, a musical pioneer and a fascinating composer. As he celebrates his 100th birthday on February 28, 2017, Storyville Records has decided to present a fresh exploration of Svend Asmussen’s musical production throughout the years. The first disc features early 1937-1944 recordings, where Asmussen finally decided on music as his occupation for life and began gaining international recognition with his elegant swing and refined arrangements. The second disc features 1953 and 1958 recordings from Hamburg, where Asmussen’s profound musicality and jazz skillfulness shine. On disc 3, Asmussen collaborates with violinist colleague Stephane Grappelli, and their different phrasings compliment each other. We also find previously unreleased tracks from a 1985 Paris session with the Georges Arvanitas Trio, a complement to the critically acclaimed “Embraceable” concert album from the same occasion. On disc 4, Asmussen and American legend Stuff Smith play a concert together in Copenhagen, the two clearly enjoying each other’s company. CD5 features the renowned 1996 concert “Fit as a Fiddle”, where Asmussen masterfully combines the insistent energy of his youth with the experience and musical grandeur he has gained from a lifetime of playing. On the DVD, Asmussen plays a lively 1986 concert in Copenhagen’s famous Jazzhus Montmartre with prominent musicians such as bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and pianist Kenny Drew. ”The music exudes a wealth of creativity and curiosity as well, and I dare say that one day it will be established that Svend Asmussen’s solos are not merely constructions built over a series of chords, but wonderfully linked garlands of melody - even at the most frantic tempos,” writes music critic and Svend Asmussen biographer Kjeld Frandsen. ”In short, Svend Asmussen is a phenomenon. Not just because he has lived for a hundred years, but primarily for the intense and variegated way he has filled these many years.” “Svend Asmussen is light, precise, and yet profound; a consummate entertainer, a creative thinker, and an artist. And that combination is rare!” - Finnish jazz violinist, Ari Poutianinen, Jazz Special
