Otis Sandsjö, known for his physical, yet melancholic style of playing, has in recent years grown to become one of the most sought after saxophonists on the European progressive jazz circuit. Born 1987 in the Swedish west coastal town Gothenburg and raised by his actress mother and ad-man/punk musician father, Sandsjö started playing a home built drum kit as a 6-year-old. From there, he figured out circular breathing on the saxophone a few years later and traveled to the Balkans with 16 to study the roman folk music tradition. 2011 saw his relocation to Berlin where he found a musical home leading to the formation of long standing trio “Speak Low” with Lucia Cadotsch and Petter Eldh, and the spacial freedom of the trio became an radical artistic catalyzer for Otis saxophone playing.
In 2018 Sandsjö and his sonic big brother Eldh collectively created Otis first solo release “Y-OTIS” which also became their first release on Helsinki’s We Jazz Records. The album was a forward-reaching, multilayered collection of eight originals penned by Sandsjö, produced by Sandsjö and Eldh, and performed together with Elias Stemeseder and Tilo Weber. A form of “liquid jazz”, born in an era where the understanding of jazz as a musical language has evolved way beyond the concept of the previous “modern.” Informed by hip-hop and electronic music, “Y-OTIS” is pure jazz in that the quartet stays true to its constant mission of creating a new form of musical communication. Sandjö’s circular sax riffs, the album’s rich production touch, and the chopped-up jazz form creates a musical concept which stays melodic and beat-laden while being “free” right to the edge of avant-garde. It’s as if the music is sampling itself, constantly keeping ahead of the curve in the musical lineage of jazz.
2019 Sandsjö/Eldh continued working together on the debut album of KOMA SAXO and in 2020 they deepened their vision of genre-bending “liquid jazz” of tomorrow with “Y-OTIS 2.” The core group now includes Dan Nicholls on keys and Tilo Weber on drums, and also featured on the album are Swedish jazz greats Jonas Kullhammar and Per “Texas” Johansson, cellist Lucy Railton and trumpeter Ruhi-Deniz Erdogan.
Diving deeper into “Y-OTIS 2”, you’ll find details and ideas galore. The album is an inviting and inspiring audio mosaic, which links back into previous Sandsjö/Eldh collaborations. The result is a balanced album which quenches your thirst while making you more thirsty in the process. In other words, the many micro moods and sonic levels herein invite repeated listening, while the underlying rhythmic approach is informed as much by hip hop and electronica as by jazz, making the music approachable in a very natural way. In Fall 2020 Speak Low returns with their eagerly-awaited second album ”Speak Low II” featuring guest artists Kit Downes on Hammond organ and Lucy Railton on cello.
