I am pleased to share with you one of the most pleasant surprises of 2021, one of the most comforting musical discoveries, representing, in my opinion, the ideal way of manifestation of a contemporary artist, regardless of the genre approached. I am happy for the artist who enriches an already complex language, ennobled by other great personalities, through his personal contribution, defined by style and class. When you take classical jazz and offer it to the contemporary scene through your own songs with fresh sound - admirable detail and perfectly preserved tradition - when you use the technology of a good studio to play what jazz offers in unaltered form for more than 100 years, it means that you have become an authentic artist, who altruistically plays the truth and deserves an important place on stage.

The surprise is called Snorre Kirk, a Norwegian drummer who performs in Denmark and who has released some wonderful albums independently, after establishing himself on the European stage as an accompanist for some of the most resonant names of the Scandinavian school. Perfect jazz records, signed by an exceptional artist, instrumentalist and full-time composer. Starting with the huge success of his debut in 2012, Snorre Kirk amazes us with the accuracy with which he plays American jazz with Scandinavian rigor and personal warmth. Rarely have I heard a more elegant swing and such a balanced, nuanced relationship between instruments.

Inspiration and good taste in such a familiar musical area, a very beaten path by the greatest, qualities that make me repeat the word "elegance" in every phrase. In 2021, appears the album'Going Up', which is the second one in collaboration with the American saxophonist Stephen Riley, with whom he associated due to the common intentions, in the spirit of the Ellington order, Basie's intuition and the swing that remains in the essence of jazz. Although it sounds normal, the musical works are entirely written by Snorre Kirk, and the way of interpretation has been intensively studied and is reproduced in detail by all the musicians. A sound developed in ten years, evoking a musical story that began a century ago. Today we listen almost entirely to this swing masterclass, with Snorre Kirk, Stephen Riley, Magnus Hjort and Anders Fjeldsted. Going Up!