Shapeshifter album on a solid 180gr black vinyl LP.
Studio album (vinyl/streaming) released March 28th 2025.
 
Aarhus Jazz Orchestra proudly presents their new album SHAPESHIFTER, releasing 28th of March, created in collaboration with British pianist and producer Bill Laurance. This album showcases an expanded version of the leading big band, offering new and varied music tailored to the orchestra. The music spans a wide range within the fusion genre, from intensely orchestrated rhythmic interplay to open atmospheric soundscapes, inspired by artists like Snarky Puppy, Ben Wendel, and the Brecker Brothers.
 
SHAPESHIFTER unfolds the shared musical visions through forward-looking big band arrangements based on compositions by Aarhus Jazz Orchestra’s tenor saxophonist and composer Michael Bladt.
 
The musical ambitions of the album are further enhanced by contributions from musicians known from the rising danish neo-soul groups Abekejser and Clapper, as well as Polish/German percussionist Bodek Janke. Janke’s extraordinary talent has led to collaborations with prominent musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma, Snarky Puppy, Bill Evans, Bobo Stenson, Gilad Hekselman, and more. He brings global drumming traditions to the album with his unique playing style on drums, Indian tabla, and various percussion instruments.
 
Aarhus Jazz Orchestra is an award-winning big band from Denmark, known for their open and curious approach to music and their ability to push the boundaries of big band music. The orchestra featu-
res some of the best musicians on the Danish jazz scene and has received multiple awards at the Danish Music Awards Jazz.
 
SHAPESHIFTER is a brilliant display of tightly interlocked rhythms, powerful brass, full-bodied synthesizers, catchy melodies, and dramatic arrangements, created in collaboration with Laurance’s unique approach to the fusion genre.