Recap of Niels' first tour of Denmark in 10 years
It is 18 days since Niels’ tour across Denmark ended, and during these difficult times, it could not have been more fulfilling to meet all the amazing fans, venues, and school students. We feel very lucky to have been able to successfully play more than 40 concerts all over Denmark. From local intimate venues in Struer and Marienlyst in Helsingør to major sold-out shows in Musikkens Hus, Aalborg, and Musikhuset in Århus - it has been an enriching experience and leaves us hungry for more. We cannot wait to see what 2021 brings for Niels. Thank you to all the venues for an amazing collaboration and to all the audiences who came out to support the culture and music. Below is a personal letter from Niels from when the trio drove from their last show in Aalborg back home:
My Danish tour has just ended, the trio and I played our final show last night at Musikkens Hus in Aalborg, a beautiful venue in a wonderful city that I have played many times in the past and with numerous fond memories. The show sold out in advance many months ago and it couldn’t have been a better way to end a tour. And as a cherry on the pie, my former bassist Morten Ramsbøl was the one who introduced us before we went on stage. He was in my trio from 2008 to early 2011 and he now directs the jazz programming at Musikkens Hus. It was great to see him again.
Touring around Denmark for the first time in a decade has been great (gotta find time to do this more often in the future!). We did a total of 20 regular concerts, but in addition, we also did 20 school concerts and it was just wonderful to meet up with lots of new young folks across the country and play some music for them and give them some insight on jazz and improvisation.
But first and foremost, it has been a great thrill to play so many shows in a row with Tobias Dall and Niclas Bardeleben. They have now been members of my trio for respectively 5 and 10 years. You can only imagine how young they were, especially Niclas, when they first joined!.
It has been an amazing journey to watch them grow and evolve over the years, from a state of just ultra-talented newcomers to now real personalities, incredible instrumentalists, and world class musicians. It is gratifying to know that the future of the music is in good hands with such great players in the generation after me.
Heading home now, with a smile on my face, and getting ready for new beginnings. Thank you to everyone who took part in making this tour happen, not least in spite of the challenges caused by the pandemic. All your efforts have been most impressive and greatly appreciated!
Sincerely yours,
Niels Lan Doky
Driving home from Aalborg to Helsingør
October 25th, 2020
In the meantime, Niels will be playing with legendary drummer Billy Cobham at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art on December 4th and he has just released an early Christmas gift the original Christmas song to lead you into the Christmas spirit, “The Christmas Gift of Love”, where he is been accompanied by several players from the Niels Lan Doky International Jazz Collective.