ERLING KRONER QUINTET

- the NOW!

l-r: Henrik Simonsen Erling Kroner Jesper Bodilsen
Pernille Bévort Kurt Larsen 1998
photo ©Gorm Valentin
with Pablo Ziegler JAZZVISITS 2001
Ziegler Kroner Bévort Schelin Larsen Simonsen

©Steen Madsen live at Jazzhus Dexter

©Poul Christensen - live at Holbæk Jazzclub

Pablo Ziegler
live at the JAZZPAR EVENT 1998
Dino Saluzzi at Jazzpar
EKQ with Saluzzi & Sinesi at Jazzpar 1998
EK PB & Saluzzi at Jazzpar
DINO SALUZZI
Larsen Kroner Bévort Simonsen Bodilsen Saluzzi Sinesi
Kroner - Bévort - Saluzzi

The EKQ was premiered in January of 1996 at the Sofies Kælder in Copenhagen, it was a dream come true. It was dubbed Erling Kroner 'Dream' Quintet in a newspaper article by charismatic leader of the Sunday afternoon concerts at Sofies', the late Jack Lind. The name stuck, so henceforward the new EKQ has been known as the ERLING KRONER DREAM QUINTET. And we have been going ever since. The repertoire is from my ever expanding book. The inspirations from Mingus, Piazzolla, Bley, Ayler, Duke, Jobim, Saluzzi, Dolphy still are very evident, and the mixture of Afro-American and Latin-American musics prevails.
The EKQ has played Denmark and Sweden at clubs and festivals (Musikhuset Århus 1996, Copenhagen JazzHouse 1996/98, Copenhagen Jazz Festival 1996/98, Det Kgl. Haveselskabs Have, Mejeriet Lund Sweden 1997 to mention but a few). ahi va el negro JazzparThe EKQ has two records out, as of this writing, the CD "ahí va el negro" from the JAZZPAR PRIZE concerts of April 1998, where we appeared as the Danish contingent with Argentine soloists bandoneon player Dino Saluzzi and guitar player Quique Sinesi opposite American prize winner Jim Hall. It was released December 1998 on the Storyville label. Danish Radio- and TV covered the event and a TV-special of the Kroner-Saluzzi collaboration was broadcasted in the Spring and in the Fall. A new CD, 'Tromboníssimo', of original music with the EKQ, with special guest Quique Sinesi on guitar and charango on two titles, was recorded on April 27 and 28 at Jesper Lundgaard's Loft Studio for the Music Mecca label, released August 1999 alongside 'Un tango para Erling', a 1991 recording from Buenos Aires, Argentina with Kroner, Sinesi, Horacio López (d), Matías González (b), Gustavo Toker & Julio Pane (bando), Litto Nebbia (exec. producer, p. synth,) originally recorded for Nebbia's Discos Melopea label. The two latest CD's were presented to the public at the Borges in Memoriam celebrations on August 24, 1999, where the EKQ also performed. October 11-14 the EKQ appeared 4 nights in a row at the new contemporary jazz venue at 'Paradise Jazz' / Vognporten in Huset, Copenhagen, with Klavs Hovman on bass subbin' for Bodilsen and with Quique Sinesi as guest for two nights. Later the same month (23rd) at Pakhusscenen, Nyk. Sjælland. Early 2000 did not see the EKQ performing until April because of other engagements (Bévort going to Canada and LarsenDGI-byen 2000 doing a Theatre gig whilst Bodilsen was busy touring with Katrine Madsen, Ed Thigpen and others). April 4 the EKQ performed at Jazzin' Ribe. June 9 the quintet appeared at Sysseltinget in Hjørring and played at DGI-byen and Sabines Cafeteria during Copenhagen Jazz Festival in July. Fall 2000 appearances: October 4 Paradise Jazz/Vognporten, Copenhagen, November 16 at Jazzbar Bent J., Århus, 17th at Huset, Hasserisgade, Ålborg and 18th at Copenhagen JazzHouse. January 27, 2001 the EKQ appeared at Paletten, Viborg as their only performance because of Larsen's theatre-gig until July 11 during the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, when the quintet played a vigorous concert at Sabines Cafeteria. Late September/early October appearances at Copenhagen JazzHouse, Jazzhus Dexter, Holbæk Jazzklub and Baltoppen in a series of JazzVisits-concerts with ex-Piazzolla-ite, Argentine piano-great Pablo Ziegler guesting and Swedish bass player Göran Schelin subbing for Bodilsen. October 31 the EKQ (w/Bodilsen) played Jazz 6000 in Kolding.
February 7, 2002 Toldkammeret in Elsinore presented the EKQ with Christina von Bülow subbing for Bévort and Kim Thomsen for Simonsen. March 13 & 14 Paradise Jazz presented Erling Kroner Theme Week with the original EKQ (13th) and Erling Kroner & Ensemble NEW (14th). July 10th the EKQ was back at Sabines Cafeteria for the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, and they visited Sabines again on September 21. December 4 & 5 the quintet did a double-date of Tango & Jazz at Paradise Jazz/Vognporten.
First gig in 2003 was a concert at Toldkammeret in Elsinore with Klavs Hovman subbing for Bodilsen on March 20. The EKQ opened this years jazz festival at Sabines Cafeteria Friday 4th and also appeared at Paradise Jazz Café Sunday 6th. Another version of the EKQ, the Erling Kroner Special Dream Quintet with Ed Epstein (saxes), Kurt Larsen (accordion), Göran Schelin (bass) and Lars Beijbom (drums) played the Hven Jazz festival on the minute island in the Øresound between Denmark and Sweden.
The Special Dream Quintet opened 2004 at Marta's Café in Lund, Sweden, on the initiative of Ed Epstein, on January 17, and the original Dream Quintet played Templet in Lyngby on January 29. Both events to great acclaim from enthusiastic capacity crowds in the two smallish places. April 23 the EKQ w/Klavs Hovman on bass, played 3 hour-long concerts at Ingrid Jespersens Gymnasieskole. May 5 & 6 Paradise Jazz Café presented two evenings of Erling Kroner small groups, the Epstein-Kroner Bari-Bone Connection (Ed Epstein-bari/sop, Kroner-tb, Kasper Villaume-p, Klavs Hovman-b and Dennis Drud-d) and the EKQ, again with Klavs Hovman on bass. July 6 during the Copenhagen Jazz Festival the EKQ played their regular gig at Sabines Cafeteria 17-19:30 with Bodilsen back on bass, and Paradise Jazz Café 23-01 (with Hovman) the EKQ was augmented by Argentine bandoneón player Marcelo Nisinman in a blast of a concert with the double-bellows of Kurt Larsen-acc & Nisinman-bando.
NOTHING happened in 2005 except for a single gig at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival at the Palæ Bar in a drummer-less version. The regular gig at Sabines Cafeteria didn't happen because the joint closed down its jazz concerts and was sold later that year. Simultaneously Kroner had been extremely busy with the new EKNMO, leaving him no time for the quintet.
The EKQ appeared in a new version late 2006 (November 29 at Paradise Jazz/HUSET and 30 at Toldkammeret, Elsinore), still with Pernille Bévort and Kurt Larsen, but a new rhythm section consisting of Graig Earle on bass and Dennis Drud on drums.
In 2009, upon the inception of the Kroner Malling Larsen Trio, Eva Malling took over the bass-chair, and a new, revitalized EKQ took form, with gigs at the International Trombone Festival in Århus June 25 and further gigs over the summer.
Page updated June, 2009