Over the years, Grammy Award-winning American sax player Joe Lovano and Danish sax player Benjamin Koppel have developed a strong creative kinship resulting in original compositions and concerts. Find the music on their joined release The Mezzo Sax Encounter.Itall started back in 2007, wheninstrument builder Peter Jessen of Copenhagen woodwind retailer I.K. Gottfried invented the unique mezzo saxophone tuned in G for Benjamin Koppel. It didn’t take long before Joe Lovano heard the instrument and ordered one for himself. This lighted the fuseof the creatively explosiveMezzo Sax Encounter-project, within which Joe Lovano and Benjamin Koppel joinforces in exploring new musical terrain with this unique saxophone.Following successful performances at the Copenhagen-based Summer Jazz Festival in 2013, Benjamin Koppel and Joe Lovano decided to record The Mezzo Sax Encounterin close collaborationwith an amazing rhythm section; Kenny Werner on piano, Scott Colley on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums –musicians, withwhom Benjamin Koppel is collaboratingwith on an ongoing basis. All musicians in the ensemble contributed to developing the sound of this very special encounter and this recording contains new compositionsby Benjamin Koppel, Joe Lovano and Kenny Werner
