What A Day
Snorre Kirk and Joe Webb
On Collaboration
by Howard Lawes
Danish drummer Snorre Kirk has most often visited the UK during the periodic "Sounds of Denmark" events at Pizza Express showcasing Danish jazz. His releases on Stunt Records have received good, but not rave reviews, so it might come as a surprise to some that his previous album, Top Dog (2023), was Number 1 in the USA according to Jazz Week and over the 52 week period to date was the third most popular album with 4282 radio plays.
His music, reminiscent of classic American smooth jazz and swing, no doubt causes jazz critics sleepless nights as they endeavour to identify the inspiration for Kirk's original compositions. Born in Norway but based in Denmark, Snorre Kirk's debut album, Blues Modernism (2012), was "Jazz Album of the Year" in Denmark and received two nominations for Danish Grammy awards. Kirk's bands are usually homegrown with non-Scandinavian guest performers but for his latest album, What A Day (2024) he has recruited three members of the gone but not forgotten Kansas Smitty's House Band that did so much to popularise the sound of 1920s and 1930s jazz with the modern audience in London.
Snorre Kirk met reedsman Giacomo Smith, leader of Kansas Smitty's in London, who then introduced him to pianist Joe Webb, and immediately Kirk recognised two like-minded musicians. Kirk says "I have worked with many amazing musicians but rarely have I experienced the feeling of shared vision and connection as clearly as with Giacomo and Joe". Bassist and previous Snorre Kirk collaborator, Anders Fjelsted, completes the quartet but ex-Kansas Smitty's guitarist, Alexander 'Honey' Boulton guests on three tracks and plays a similar role to that of Freddie Green in Count Basie's bands.
​
What A Day is Snorre Kirk's eighth album as leader and the quartet is his smallest band yet. However his feeling is that "the smaller group offers much more freedom, which I enjoy". Kirk takes a dim view of those that categorise jazz into sub-genres, and he says "Regardless of labels you can develop music and make it your own if you approach it honestly and with the right intentions". Snorre Kirk's music has garnered a large audience; his compositions are appreciated for their timelessness and quality, harking back to the classic jazz of yesteryear that never grows old. Tracks on the album include the up tempo bebop style Palagio Shout, Fontainbleu, One For The Road which sounds like a classic blues but in 8 bars rather than 12 and Blues Beat which features a bass solo and Django style guitar.
​
Here is the band playing The Blues (not on the What A Day album):
Via Zoom, Joe Webb talked about being part of Snorre Kirk's quartet, recording the new album and some of his own projects. Joe has been part of Snorre Kirk's European Quartet for a while and has toured in Europe with the band visiting Bremen in Germany, the Riverboat Festival in Silkeborg, Denmark, Paris, where they played out on the street and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. It has all been great fun and while Snorre and Giacomo seem more concerned about the cut of their suits, Joe and bass player Anders Fjeldsted are more interested in football. Joe says he rarely listens to his recordings and has probably only heard What A Day once, he is much happier playing live and looking ahead to future projects, but here is the band with Opening Night from the What A Day album:
Joe's sideman role, rather than bandleader, in Snorre Kirk's band is more unusual these days although he does play piano on Zara McFarlane's latest album, Sweet Whispers (2024), celebrating the life of Sarah Vaughan and Damian Lewis's Mission Creep Live (2024). Since signing for Edition Records in 2023 Joe has released Collblanc (2024) and SET (2024), which are both EPs, followed by the album Hamstrings and Hurricanes (2024). Collblanc, is a part of Barcelona that is closest to Nou Camp, the home of FC Barcelona, and until 2021, where Joe and his Dad used to watch their hero, Lionel Messi play football. Joe has happy memories of his visits to Barcelona and hanging out in the Bar Marsella, a legendary watering hole for Picasso, Hemingway and Woody Allen. The album SET draws its inspiration from the chaotic beauty of a theatre's set after the show when everyone has gone home, a scene that Joe must know well as live performance is his lifeblood. Joe's busy schedule combines regular gigs at Green Note and 28-50 By Night in London with frequent visits to Europe. The launch of Hamstrings and Hurricanes during the EFG London Jazz Festival heralds the start of a new tour of Europe and the UK. Joe explains that the strange name for the album illustrates, once again, something of an obsession with Lionel Messi who injured his hamstring while playing for his new club, Inter Miami, in a city very much at risk from hurricanes. Joe was born in Swansea and some of the tracks on the album have titles in Welsh, including one, Hiraeth, which means 'Homesick'. Joe has spent more time in Wales recently and has very fond memories of his early life there, including playing at Swansea Jazz Club when he was still at school. Another track is an affectionate tribute to his grandparents.
While primarily a jazz pianist Joe's inspirations are eclectic, ranging from great jazz pianists such as Duke Ellington and Oscar Petersen to '90s rock bands such as Nirvana, who are celebrated with a track on SET. He frequently collaborates with ex-Kansas Smitty's leader, Giacomo Smith while his band members, Will Sach on double bass and Sam Jesson on drums have been playing with him for a long time. Previous collaborators have included guitarist Rob Luft, drummer Corrie Dick and saxophonist Joe Wright who Joe Webb refers to as 'a genius'. Another musician that Joe is completely in awe of is the drummer Shaney Forbes, with whom he collaborated on a project celebrating the singer and pianist Blossom Dearie.
​
Returning to the collaboration on What A Day, here is a video of the band playingh A Thing Like That from the album:
Joe's career prospects in the UK and in Europe with Snorre Kirk look very bright. If What A Day does as well in America as Kirk's previous album, Top Dog, Joe may well end up watching his beloved Messi in Miami as well.
​
What A Day is available here, and here is another track, Honey:
​
2024.12