Lis Wessberg, In the Wake of Blue, Jazz Album on Audio CD

Some jazz albums put instrumental interplay at the center, others draw you in through songs and lyrics. In the Wake of Blue brings those approaches together in a personal, song-driven album by Danish trombonist and composer Lis Wessberg.

The music explores transience, love, and transformation, using images of the sea, tides, clouds, mist, and birds to give those themes a vivid emotional setting.

Wessberg’s warm, airy trombone and vocalist Veronika Rud’s clear, vulnerable delivery unfold as a dialogue. On Audio CD, the album offers a physical format for listeners building a music collection or settling in for a complete album listen.

Tech summary

In the Wake of Blue develops Wessberg’s songwriting while keeping her distinctive instrumental voice at the heart of the music. Rather than treating the trombone as background accompaniment, the arrangements let it mirror and extend the vocal lines. Voice and brass sometimes move closely together, then separate and reconnect, giving the songs a changing interplay of tone and melody.

Piano and keys from Steen Rasmussen, bass from Lennart Ginman, and drums from Jeppe Gram form a responsive, understated foundation. Live Strings appear on two tracks, adding depth and resonance to those arrangements. The result is an ensemble-led sound with room for lyrics, melody, and texture to share the focus.

Usage tips

This album suits a listening session where you can follow the exchange between voice and trombone as well as the supporting parts. Its song-driven format makes it approachable for listeners drawn to jazz through melody and vocals, while the instrumental conversation gives close listeners another layer to follow. For a physical music library, its Audio CD format is a straightforward way to add Wessberg’s latest songwriting direction to a CD collection.

The track listing includes “The Promise,” “In the Wake of Blue,” “When Birds Flock,” “The Endless Thread,” “The Quiet Edge,” and “Shadows in Bloom.” The nature imagery across the album works as an emotional frame: the songs move through uncertainty and loss toward openness, connection, and renewal. That arc gives the record a clear thread without reducing its songs to a single mood.

Everyday use

For a quiet evening listen, start with the title track and continue through the listed songs to hear how the album’s themes and ensemble sound unfold. It also fits a jazz playlist or a collection focused on contemporary vocal jazz, especially when you want both a singer’s presence and a prominent instrumental voice. Compared with a purely instrumental jazz recording, this album gives lyrics and vocal phrasing an equal role, compared with a singer-led set, Wessberg’s trombone remains an active partner in the musical conversation.

Practical questions

Who performs the vocals? Veronika Rud is central to the album’s sound. Her voice interacts with Wessberg’s trombone, sometimes moving in close unison and at other points taking a different line before the two reconnect.

What instruments shape the ensemble? Wessberg plays trombone, with Steen Rasmussen on piano and keys, Lennart Ginman on bass, and Jeppe Gram on drums. A string quartet, Live Strings, appears on two tracks.

What themes does the album explore? The songs consider transience, love, and transformation. Images such as sea, tides, clouds, mist, and birds serve as emotional anchors as the music moves from uncertainty and loss toward connection and renewal.

Is it worth it?

For listeners who want contemporary jazz with both a strong instrumental identity and a song-centered approach, In the Wake of Blue brings those elements together in a coherent album. Its vocal-and-trombone dialogue, understated core ensemble, and selective string-quartet arrangements make it a fitting addition for a focused listen or a physical CD collection centered on expressive jazz songwriting.