Joe Bonner - Impressions of Copenhagen (Theresa/Evidence/Pure Pleasure, 1981)

This post is by Dan

Joe Bonner (p, chimes, arr); Paul Warburton (b); J. Thomas Tilton (d, producer); Gary Olson (tb); Eddie Shu (tr); Holly Hofmann (fl); Carol Garrett (vla); Carol Michalowski (vn); Peggy Sullivan (vn); Beverly Woolery (vc)

Recorded 1981

Joe Bonner was not as prolific as many of his contemporaries, but he developed a style of his own. He created a ringing sound out of the piano, and many of his compositions feel to me like movie themes. He told stories through his music and created a couple of the best albums of the decade: Impressions of Copenhagen and the masterful Suite for Chocolate (featured later in this blog). 

Impressions of Copenhagen has only one trio track and five others with a larger ensemble. Bonner wrote the arrangements and composed four of the five tunes on the album. The ensemble never overwhelms the basic trio, but their presence aids the unfolding of Bonner's stories. The opening title track makes an immediate impression by the inclusion of Bonner's chimes (orchestral bells) along with the full ensemble. "I'll Say No This Time" is the best illustration of movie-theme storytelling on the album, although the title track is the most memorable.

Bonner's connection to Copenhagen is explained in the liner notes as a "geographical benefit" of an environment in which foreign artists receive acceptance. At the time of his Danish experience, I also made some extended trips to Copenhagen and experienced similar treatment. American jazz artists struggling for acceptance in the United States have often found safe harbors in European cities, and Copenhagen was often their favored location.

In 2021, Impressions of Copenhagen was selected by the Pure Pleasure label for its audiophile reissue program. I own the original vinyl release on Theresa and have previously owned the Evidence CD. Whatever the format, the album's unique portrait of a special place at a special time earns its selection as one of my favorite albums of the 1980s.

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