Den danske basklarinettist, Jonas Frølund, er det, pladeselskabet kalder ”a rising star”. Meget betegnende (for hans alder) er Solo Alone and More hans første album i eget navn, men ikke desto mindre – små fem kvarter med sofistikeret vellyd; en rejse gennem værker, der ikke alle har været skrevet til basklarinet, men som alle fremstår velvalgte og fokuseret forløst – selv om de favner vidt. Næsten al materialet er skrevet indenfor de sidste hundrede år – med to undtagelser: et soloparti fra Richard Wagners Tristan und Isolde (skrevet i 1859) og Igor Stravinskys Tre stykker for soloklarinet (skrevet i 1919). Udover de nævnte komponister, passerer Frølund gennem stykker af Carl Nielsen, Bent Sørensen, Mette Nielsen, Olivier Messian, Gunnar Berg, Poul Ruders og Simon Steen-Andersen. Med andre ord: Det her er moderne, klassisk musik. Og ja, Frølund gør en særdeles god figur. Han anslår en distinkt, sikker tone; udviser et distinkt, sikker talent for instrumentet og dets sensitivitet og styrke; og så formår han at kuratere og sammensætte et program, hvor det ene stykke suverænt kaster lys på det andet og omvendt. Valget af repertoire er ikke overraskende, eftersom Frølund er optaget af den nye, mere eksperimenterende form for klassisk musik. At sætte dén overfor nogle af klarinet-litteraturens ikoniske værker er dog vovet – men det virker. Stærkest står efter min mening, Frølunds graciøst mesterlige udgave af Olivier Messiaens Abime des oiseaux fra Quatour pour la Fin du Temps. Men også hans udgave af Simon Steen-Andersens De Profundis – hvorpå han i øvrigt multitasker og bruger slagtøj – er ekstraordinær. Talentet, der er medstifter af kvintetten, V Coloris, og førsteklarinettist i DR UnderholdningsOrkestret, gør sig godt som solist. Ivan Rod, August 11th 2023
**** / Our Recordings / 74 min.

Google Translation:
The Danish bass clarinetist, Jonas Frølund, is what the record company calls "a rising star". Very significant (for his age), Solo Alone and More is his first album under his own name, but nevertheless – a little five minutes with sophisticated sound; a journey through works that have not all been written for the bass clarinet, but which all appear well-chosen and focused and resolved – even if they are wide-ranging. Almost all the material was written within the last hundred years - with two exceptions: a solo part from Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde (written in 1859) and Igor Stravinsky's Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet (written in 1919). In addition to the mentioned composers, Frølund passes through pieces by Carl Nielsen, Bent Sørensen, Mette Nielsen, Olivier Messian, Gunnar Berg, Poul Ruders and Simon Steen-Andersen. In other words: This is modern, classical music. And yes, Frølund makes a very good figure. He strikes a distinct, confident tone; displays a distinct, assured talent for the instrument and its sensitivity and strength; and then he manages to curate and put together a program where one piece superbly shines light on the other and vice versa. The choice of repertoire is not surprising, since Frølund is preoccupied with the new, more experimental form of classical music. Putting it against some of the iconic works of clarinet literature is daring - but it works. The strongest, in my opinion, is Frølund's gracefully masterful version of Olivier Messiaen's Abime des oiseaux from Quatour pour la Fin du Temps. But also his version of Simon Steen-Andersen's De Profundis – on which he also multitasks and uses percussion – is extraordinary. The talent, who is co-founder of the quintet, V Coloris, and first clarinetist in the DR Entertainment Orchestra, does well as a soloist.

**** / Our Recordings / 74 min.