Göteborgs Konserthus Jazz from darkness to light: Benjamin Koppel

Danish saxophone player Benjamin Koppel’s album Story of Mankind is an outcry at the state of the world and its injustices. Hear a supergroup perform jazz sounds that inspire hope and reflection.

How should anger and concern about the similarities of the war in Ukraine to World War I be channelled? For Danish saxophone player Benjamin Koppel, the answer was “Story of Mankind – A Requiem”, a multi-part work performed to video, which shows that hope can be found in music and art.

If Story of Mankind – A Requiem is based on humankind’s painful ability to repeat past mistakes, it simultaneously points out the path from darkness to light. With text by French poet Guillaume Apollinaire, it grows into a thought-provoking work of art.

Benjamin Koppel is joined by a group of hand-selected musicians, such as singer Frederikke Vedel, cellist Henrik Dam Thomsen, bassist Scott Colley and pianist Søren Møller. Also featured are Canadian trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and American drum star Peter Erskine from Weather Report and Steps Ahead.

Together, they make Story of Mankind – A Requiem a deeply meaningful experience in every sense.