Repertoire Mathias Heise & Pelle von Bülow

• 1 Overjoyed 04:42
• 2 Angel Zoo 03:34
• 3 Beatrice 03:48
• 4 Velas 06:58
• 5 One Day I'll Fly Away 05:20
• 6 So Tender 04:38
• 7 Besame Mucho 04:00
• 8 Rock with You 04:38
• 9 Always and Forever 04:32
• 10 Bluesette 03:31
• Total Runtime 45:41

Info for Repertoire

Two of the most distinctive voices on the contemporary Danish jazz scene, chromatic harmonica player Mathias Heise and guitarist Pelle von Bülow, join forces on Repertoire, a duo album built on interplay, shared intuition, and a carefully selected body of songs spanning jazz standards, soul, pop, and contemporary material.

At its core, Repertoire reflects the long-standing musical familiarity between Heise and von Bülow. Working as equals in a stripped-down duo setting, the two musicians treat each piece as a flexible framework for improvisation rather than a fixed arrangement. The music unfolds in real time through dialogue, contrast, and a finely tuned sense of balance between structure and freedom.

The repertoire draws from a wide range of jazz and pop standards. It includes So Tender by Keith Jarrett, Bésame Mucho by Consuelo Velázquez, and Beatrice by Sam Rivers. From the pop and soul canon, the album features Overjoyed by Stevie Wonder, Rock with You by Rod Temperton, popularized by Michael Jackson, and One Day I’ll Fly Away, alongside Angel Zoo by Danish band Phlake.

Further repertoire threads include Velas, written by the great Brazilian composer and singer Ivan Lins. Always and Forever is part of the broader soul repertoire associated with Heatwave. The album closes with Bluesette, one of the defining compositions in the jazz harmonica tradition, also by Toots Thielemans, and a natural reference point for Heise’s instrument.

Mathias Heise has established himself internationally as one of the most original voices on the chromatic harmonica. In 2013, he won the Chromatic Harmonica World Championship, followed by the Danish Crown Prince Couple’s Stardust Award in 2016 and the Ben Webster Prize in 2017. He was the first musician admitted to the Rhythmic Music Conservatory with chromatic harmonica as his main instrument, and has since released a series of critically acclaimed albums, including his 2023 Storyville quintet album, Mouth Games. Heise is a true virtuoso with a harmonic curiosity and stylistic openness. He can play anything!

Guitarist Pelle von Bülow is an established figure on the Danish jazz scene. He is one of a generation of guitarists who are inspired by the legacy of Doug Raney, who lived in Copenhagen. Pelle von Bülow is also a virtuoso and has, among others, incorporated influences from legends such as George Benson as well as the Brazilian jazz guitar tradition. Coming from a family with a strong jazz tradition, Pelle von Bülow is the son of acclaimed alto saxophonist Christina von Bülow, and represents a younger generation of Danish jazz guitarists rooted in both tradition and contemporary expression.

Repertoire shows how contemporary jazz continues to evolve through a new generation of musicians.

Mathias Heise, chromatic harmonica
Pelle von Bülow, guitar

Mathias Heise
is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading harmonica players. He was born in 1993 in Rødovre, just outside Copenhagen, Denmark where he started playing harmonica at the age of seven, and a few years later he also took up piano and keyboards.

He was the first student to enter Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen with harmonica as his main instrument. As a performer, composer and arranger he excels in several styles. Jazz is his main focus but he is often performing with some of the greatest song writers and classical musicians of today. Through his pioneering work, Mathias has received several awards for his artistry including 1st Prize at the 2013 Chromatic Harmonica World Champion, New Jazz Star of The Year in Denmark for the year 2015, and in March 2017 Mathias was awarded the Ben Webster Prize, as the youngest artist ever to receive that honour. He and his band Mathias Heise Quadrillion were nominated Best New Jazz Act at Danish Music Awards in 2016.

Pelle von Bülow
is one of the most sought-after jazz guitarists on the Copenhagen scene. In 2022, he was awarded the Erik Moseholm Prize, and in 2020, he also received the Tivoli Jazz Prize for his extraordinary artistic integrity and sonic presence. As an accompanist, he is world-class and one of the few who can move effortlessly between jazz, Latin, blues, funk, R&B, and pop. In addition to his work in the jazz community, he is also a permanent member of Erran DD’s band, Drori Hansen’s Furniture. His ability to create a unique sound and tone, along with his deep musical understanding, makes him a leading figure in Danish jazz.

This album contains no booklet.