Malene Mortensen
Viften, Rødovre
4. October 2003
 
 

I admit that jazz is not my favorite music style. But there's something special about Malene Mortensen. Having listened to a couple of her versions of jazz standards in the media, I bought her album. Rather difficult to get, as it was sold out at several of the record dealers, I asked for it. This tells something about that Niels Lan Doky was right, when he spotted this talented 20 year old girl and offered her to co-operate on a jazz album with the very bass player himself, NHØP and drummer Alex Riel.
I'm so old that I have seen Alex Riel playing the drums at Savage Rose's debut concert in the Falconer Theatre in 1968, and have photographed Malene's late mother, Karen Mortensen, when she played drums in all-girl band, Hos Anna in the early 1970's.

If you liked the album, you will love Malene live. She has improved so much since the recording sessions, that you shouldn't believe this intense jazz-feeling, coming from a young girl at that age. She was surprisingly confident at stage, making small spoken intros prior to each song.
She really went deep into the performance of each song, and often she sang with her eyes closed. I promised myself to give the jazz genre another chance after being convinced of its qualities after listening to Malene's performance and also Lan Doky's divine piano playing.

After the show, I went into the dressing room to have my album signed and I had a brief talk with Alex about his old Savage Rose days and I expressed my enthusiasm for the songs to Lan Doky and Malene.
Niels Lan Doky's father, Thai Doky, contacted me in the hall, and he told me about Niels' childhood, interest in music, education and career. A very interesting conversation.

Unfortunately the light at the venuw was not the best for a photo session, so maybe the colours are a little strange sometimes due to a lot of work on the computer. But I hope that the following images catch a little of the jazz mood present.

 

The Set List:

01. Sunday Afternoon
02. Spacey
03. Paradise
04. Nothing Like The Sun
05. Evensong
06. Just Another Day
07. Lifetime Relationship
08. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Way
09. You're Everything
- - Intermission: --

10. How Can I Help You Say Goodbye
11. World In My Hand
12. Aarestrup I Marts
13. My Prince In A Fairytale
14. Nature Boy
15. Torn In Two
16. Keep On Going
- - Encore: --
17. Somewhere Up In Heaven


The Band:
Malene Mortensen: vo
Niels Lan Doky: p
Jesper Bodilsen: ac.b
Alex Riel: dm

 

Photographs by Eric Klitgaard © 2003

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set list with comments of Part 1 of the concert
Niels Lan Doky's father, Thai Doky backstage
Set list with comments of Part 2 of the concert

 

 
Album cover signed by Malene, Niels Lan Doky & Alex Riel
  Album insert signed by bass player Jesper Bodilsen

 

Photographs by Eric Klitgaard © 2003

 

BACK TO MAIN