OLIVIER ANTUNES
Genres: Hard Bop, Post-Fusion Contemporary, Post Bop • France

Olivier Antunes, born in Paris in 1973 and grew up in Denmark, is arguably the premier jazz pianist from that country. His three albums from the Japanese label, Marshmallow Records, have firmly established him in my mind as the most lyrical and imaginative pianist of the Bill Evans school. In this relatively early recording (originally released in 2003), Antunes is backed by two legendary Danish musicians: bassist Mads Vinding who became a star on Duke Jordan's Flight to Denmark and drummer Alex Riel who has played with Ben Webster, Bill Evans, Dexter Gordon and more recently with Jan Lundgren.