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The Leaning in Underground: Taking Over

A couple of years ago, Amsterdam-based guitarist Linus Eppinger sent me his delightful debut album Leaning In, featuring Nicolai Daneck, Doug Weiss and Jorge Rossy, I loved that album but somehow the review never got written. Now, in 2024 Eppinger returns with The Leaning In Underground and their album Taking Over.


With Daneck once more on piano, the quartet also includes Ties Laarakker (bass) and Peter Primus Frisch (drums) on the recording from Kasper Frenkel’s Electric Monkey studio in Zaandam, near Amsterdam.

A charming collection of standards such as Love for Sale, The Girl from Ipanema, Sunny and Wave, the album also contains four originals, composed by the entire band in an example of collaboration. A gorgeous version of One Hundred Ways is one of those tracks that Eppinger’s cool guitar sound was made for.

You get the sense of the fun this band must be having when you listen to their Sorry for the Fridge I Bought - a quirky homage to The Surrey with the Fringe on Top that is actually a perfect example of Eppinger’s guitar interaction with Daneck’s piano, as well as Laarakker’s bebop bass, all nicely underwritten and supported by Frosch’s drums, with a very understated drum solo.

Take a listen to Taking Over to hear some driving, laidback and ultra, ultra cool jazz.
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