The oddly named A PLANE TO CATCH is a Danish music collective made up right now of Andreas Toftemark | Saxophone, Rolfe Thofte | Trumpet, Mads Nørgaard | Guitar, Anton Langebæk | Bass and David Besiakov | Drums. They came together in Copenhagen during the pandemic to celebrate their mutual love of soul, jazz and afrobeat and they resolved that when they could, they’d create some new music that celebrated all that had been lost during the dark days of covid… fun, joy, community , youthful abandon, travel and movement – so we’re guessing that the last two on the list inspired the band’s name!
Whatever, the quintet have been busy recording in (we’re told) a “graffiti-smudged artist’s space in an old industrial facility in Copenhagen’s outskirts”. However, the music that they’ve crafted is far from dark and grimy. The music on their new album is a proper celebration – typified by the album’s title track, ‘Moko Jumbie’. Moko Jumbie, we’ve learned, derives from a mythical character in Afro-Caribbean folklore. During carnival season masked Moko Jumbies can be seen dancing on stilts in colourful garments, towering over the crowds. Part gods, part healers, part ghosts, and most importantly: moving expressions of freedom and the perfect mascot for this celebratory album. Sonically the track is bold and brassy, fusing West African music traditions and Western funk and soul. It’s a proper trunk-mover that builds and builds over its six minutes plus length.
Elsewhere, ‘Shoot’ is looser and funkier, ‘Tommy Trouble’ is a touch darker, the joyful ‘Lingon Grove’ evokes the spirt of Hugh Masekela, while the derivation of ‘Shake Your B’ has to be ‘Watermelon Man’, but dip in anywhere and try to stop your foot tapping and/or your head nodding.
A PLANE TO CATCH; Moko Jumbie is out now via Denmark’s , April Records,
