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Pianist and composer
Kasper Villaume has been called one of the greatest piano talents in Danish jazz. His rhythmic drive and elegant touch, influenced by the jazz traditions of the 1950s and 1960s, have won him approval among both audiences and critics.
Villaume graduated from the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in 1999, and studied with Kenny Werner and Ellis Marsalis, amongst others. Since then he has played and recorded with some of the top names in Danish jazz, as well as foreign stars such as Benny Golson, Chris Potter, Jeff 'Tain' Watts, and in particular the Copenhagen-based musicians Bob Rockwell and Ed Thigpen.
A modern traditionalist
In contrast to many other young musicians who seek to explore the limits of jazz, Villaume has displayed his awareness of tradition from the beginning. However, this position as a 'modern traditionalist' has in no way inhibited his popularity or his creativity. On the contrary, his music has been characterised by a swinging and spell-binding approach to jazz, whether as leader of his own trio, or with the award-winning Kasper Villaume Quartet.
"Energy and expressiveness are the two things I value most. I see myself as a musician who plays for an audience, and I feel a great need to communicate the energy of the music. That is one thing in which I have succeeded."
For Villaume, the interplay with the audience is what gives the music its meaning: this is where he restores the energy contained by his music. He also manages to convey this live energy in his recordings.
This quality has made him a recognised and valued sideman. He has for example toured in Japan, played on several records with the Bob Rockwell Quartet, and has had a close partnership with former Oscar Peterson drummer Ed Thigpen. These musical acquaintances have helped to shape him as a musician.
"Ed Thigpen has meant a lot to me, both personally and as a musician. With him, I don't need to talk so much about the music, because he was one of the people who helped to invent the language I have studied so closely. He is a veritable gold mine for me."
International breakthrough
In 2005 one of Villaume's greatest dreams came true when he recorded the album "Hands" in New York with a star-studded quartet that included saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Chris Minh Doky and drummer Ali Jackson.
"It felt fantastically good right from the start. My roots and the areas I had concentrated on were the same ones as the others had worked with. It was as though we had played together many times before. We just recorded for one day, and that was that."
The energy and enthusiasm evident on "Hands" reflects Villaume’s current position as a musician. The reviews were uniformly good, both in Denmark and in the rest of the world, and Villaume was awarded the Jazz Special prize for Danish Jazz Release of the Year 2006, the Palæ Bar prize, and an award from the music committee of the Danish Arts Foundation.
However, Villaume's success with Hands has not gone to his head. He is a young pianist who not only has both feet planted solidly in the jazz tradition, but also manages to be completely himself.
By Kaspar Thormod
Published 2007
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