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Stefan Pasborg

One of the most personal and versatile young European drummers / bandleaders – from groove to abstract!

Three time Danish Music Awards-winner and ”Gudman Award-winner” STEFAN PASBORG is a highly energetic drummer from the melting pot of Copenhagen, and after getting a snare drum, a cymbal and a high-hat at the age of three from renowned jazz drummer Alex Riel, he has developed into a very personal musician on the European jazz scene.

He has performed and recorded with musicians like: John Tchicai, Marc Ducret, Ellery Eskelin, Tomasz Stanko, Ray Anderson, Tim Berne, Palle Danielsson, Anders Jormin, Miroslav Vitous, Michael Formanek, Carsten Dahl, Jesper Zeuthen, Alex Riel, Dawda Jobarteh, Mikko Innanen, Liudas Mockunas, Kjetil Møster, Lotte Anker and Peter Friis Nielsen among others….And has toured the most of Europe and in USA, Canada, Africa and Asia – in more than 30 countries, on 5 continents, from Shanghai to Vancouver, from Monte-Carlo to Moscow, from Varanger to Casablanca, and from New York to São Paulo – both as a leader and as a sideman.

He is the founding member of successful bands like: Ibrahim Electric, Pasborgs Odessa XL, Toxikum, Firebirds, Free Moby Dick, Delirium … Besides his many bands and projects, he also performs solo-concerts regularly.

At Danish Music Awards 2004 he was voted ʻNew jazz-name of The Yearʼ…and his release ʻToxikumʼ was voted ʻJazz Discovery of the Yearʼ. His first release as a leader – TriplePoint (ILK 2007) – was selected into worldwide TOP 5 ‘Best Debut Albums of 2007’ by the American magazine The New York City Jazz Record, and his release ‘Pasborg Odessa X-tra Large’ received a ‘’grammy’’ at Danish Music Awards 2011.

He is the founding member of the record label and collective ILK Music. During 2011 Stefan Pasborg was chosen to be Artist-in-Residence at Copenhagen Jazzhouse, and in 2012 the national Danish television (DR) showed 5 documentary programs about him and his bands / projects.

Pasborg has won prices like f.ex. the Soloist-prize at ‘16th European Jazz Contest 1997’ in Germany, the 1st Prize at ‘5th European Tournament of Improvised Music 2001’ in France, ‘Jazznytprisen 2012’ in Denmark…Gudman Prisen 2017…and has received grants for artistic work from among others: Danish Arts Foundations, Danish Musicians Union, Norden, KODA, DJBFA.

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13
Album Review

Mikko Innanen / Cedric Piromalli / Stefan Pasborg: Can You Hear It?

Read "Can You Hear It?" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


In the world of jazz, where the unexpected often becomes the standard, the sophomore album from the international trio of Mikko Innanen, Stefan Pasborg and Cédric Piromall, aptly named Can You Hear It?, plays like a delightful curveball that even seasoned jazz aficionados didn't see coming. This album is to conventional jazz what a saxophone solo is to a quiet library--utterly captivating and wonderfully out of place. Imagine if the Hammond organ got bored of its usual gigs ...

3
Radio & Podcasts

Stravisnky, Satie, Purcell for Jazzheads + Symphonic jazz

Read "Stravisnky, Satie, Purcell for Jazzheads + Symphonic jazz" reviewed by Ludovico Granvassu


Spurred by a number of recent albums, this week's edition of Mondo Jazz focuses on projects that blur the lines between jazz music and classical music. This segment's playlist features inspired and open interpretations of works by Igor Stravinsky, Erik Satie, Henry Purcell as well as recent jazz compositions that are rooted in the classical canon. Happy listening! PlaylistBen Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Stefan Pasborg feat. Blood Sweet Drum+Bass ...

2
Album Review

Mikko Innanen / Cedric Piromalli / Stefan Pasborg: This Is It

Read "This Is It" reviewed by Mark Corroto


When a Finn, a Dane, and a Frenchman take on the organ trio genre expect it to be funky and supercool. And This is It is just that. This new group pivots around Cedric Piromalli's Hammond organ in ways you might expect if you are a fan of the Blue Note 1960s sounds of Big John Patton and Larry Young. Then again This is It also flirts with a combination of go-go boots, prog rock, and some future shock.

6
Multiple Reviews

Stefan Pasborg: A Drummer’s World of Vinyl

Read "Stefan Pasborg: A Drummer’s World of Vinyl" reviewed by Jakob Baekgaard


Danish drummer Stefan Pasborg has never been afraid of throwing himself into ambitious experiments. He released the acclaimed triple album Triplepoint (ILK Music, 2007), has played a six-hour concert with his organ funk trio Ibrahim Electric, and translated the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky's universe into atmospheric jazz rock on the album The Firebirds (ILK Music, 2015). Like his mentor, Danish drum icon Alex Riel, Pasborg, Pasborg has a gift for hearing rhythms, and has played since Riel ...

Album Review

Stefan Pasborg: The Firebirds

Read "The Firebirds" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro


Il quarantenne batterista danese Stefan Pasborg, un carnet di collaborazioni veramente cospicuo e brillante, è l'artefice di questo ambizioso progetto discografico che consiste nella rilettura di due dei massimi capolavori stravinskyani, L'uccello di fuoco (1910) e La sagra della primavera (1913), integrati (ultimo pezzo) da un ulteriore balletto del 1948 opera di Khachaturian. La trasfigurazione per trio del tutto appare però, a conti fatti, un po' troppo cospicua, ma è comunque il livello globale della musica proposta, ...

160
Album Review

Stefan Pasborg & Liudas Mockunas: Toxicum

Read "Toxicum" reviewed by John Kelman


Toxicum means poison, and that's about as good a description as any of this band and its music. More traditional musical ideas are perverted by a modern creative music bent that makes for an ambitious concept, and even more audacious listening; to call this album challenging would be an understatement. Percussionist Stefan Pasborg is a young Dane who has, in the past several years, studied with artists including Joey Baron, Jim Black and Daniel Humair--and given his ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Can You Hear It?

Clean Feed Records
2023

buy

This Is It

Clean Feed Records
2021

buy

The Firebirds

ILK Music
2015

buy

Live

Stunt Records/Sundance Music
2013

buy

Triplepoint

Creative Sources
2007

buy

Toxicum

ILK Music
2004

buy

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