Top Dog Snorre Kirk

• 1 Working the Night Shift 03:55
• 2 Top Dog 04:15
• 3 On Late Nights 04:29
• 4 Bring Me Home 03:32
• 5 Showtime 04:08
• 6 Meditations In Blue 03:47
• 7 Swing Point 02:31
• 8 Easy Roller 04:54
• 9 Yesteryear 04:19
• 10 Boogie Rider 02:30
• Total Runtime 38:20

Info for Top Dog

Ten years ago, in 2012, drummer and composer Snorre Kirk released his first album under his own name: BLUES MODERNISM. One might have assumed that a drummer's debut album would be all about showcasing his instrument, a purely flashy artefact. Snorre Kirk was, and still is, different in this respect. His inspiration is undoubtedly rooted in the cradle of jazz. From there a fresh and swinging music has emerged. He draws on the sounds created by legends such as Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus and leaves plenty of space for his playing partners. BLUES MODERNISM was named "Album of the Year" in Jazz Special, the leading Danish jazz magazine... On his new album, TOP DOG, we have a new element and a slight change in instrumentation compared to Snorre's previous recordings. The influence of Ellington is still present, but another great composer, arranger and musician has been integrated into the band's sound as a second cardinal point: Count Basie... The obvious parallel between Snorre Kirk's new sound on TOP DOG and Basie's band is the addition of a guitar player. A little history: 85 years ago, in 1937, Basie discovered guitarist Freddie Green, who would become an indispensable part of his bands for the next 50 years.

After skyrocketing onto the European Jazz Scene as a sideman with some of the finest names on the Scandinavian jazz scene today, as well as working with prominent international names such as Diane Schuur, Eric Reed and Stephen Riley, recent years have seen inter-scandinavian drummer Snorre Kirk emerging as a full-fledged artist and composer in his own right.


With Blues Modernism, the hugely successful 2012 debut outing from Snorre Kirk, awarded with the prestigious JazzSpecial Award in Denmark for "Album of the Year", as well as receiving two nominations in the Danish Grammy Awards, the drummer got an opportunity to showcase his remarkable qualities as a composer and as a bandleader. With his subsequent outings, Europa from 2015, Drummer & Composer from 2017 and BEAT from 2018, followed by performances at prominent international festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, Pori Jazz Festival, and even the Kansas City Art of Swing Festival, Snorre Kirk has further cemented his position as one of Europe’s fastest rising jazz stars.

With the release of Tangerine Rhapsody, presenting an eclectic mix of exotic rhythms and vivid, colourful compositions, Snorre Kirk has realized his most personal and ambitious project to date.

Mads Kjølby Olesen, guitar
Magnus Hjorth, piano
Stephen Riley, tenor saxophone (tracks 1-5, 7, 10)
Michael Blicher, tenor and alto saxophone (tracks 1, 4, 8, 9)
Anders Krogh Fjeldsted, double bass
Snorre Kirk, drums

Snorre Kirk
After skyrocketing onto the European Jazz Scene as a sideman with some of the finest names on the Scandinavian jazz scene today, as well as working with prominent international names such as Diane Schuur, Eric Reed and Stephen Riley, recent years have seen inter-scandinavian drummer Snorre Kirk emerging as a full-fledged artist and composer in his own right.

With Blues Modernism, the hugely successful 2012 debut outing from Snorre Kirk, that was subsequently awarded with the prestigious JazzSpecial Award in Denmark for "Album of the Year", as well as receiving two nominations in the Danish Grammy Awards, the drummer got an opportunity to showcase his remarkable qualities as a composer and as a bandleader. With the long-awaited 2015 release of his sophomore album,Europa, Snorre Kirk further cemented his position as one of Europe’s fastest rising jazz stars, with subsequent performances at prominent international festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, Pori Jazz Festival, and even the Kansas City Art of Swing Festival.

With Drummer & Composer, set for a March 2017 release, and containing a nine-movement suite written for an extended septet-format, Snorre Kirk has realized his most ambitious project to date.

This album contains no booklet.