Cecilie Strange: a sonic journey between nature and jazz

The roots of this tree stretch beyond the edge of the land; its branches and leaves have turned into sound. The improvised notes are the soil that makes the trunk grow. A sonic sign that spring has arrived, and while the music unfolds, the circle comes to a close.

Guided by the practice of being connected to nature, Cecilie Strange musically interprets the elements of the world around her. "This album is about the beech tree, which is a symbol of my Danish roots, where I grew up," she explains. Her sonic identity extends far beyond this arboreal inspiration. Beech is a project marked by memory and renewal: "A tribute to the places that inspired me, such as Iceland, New York, and Norway, spots that have made a big impression on me. It's also a symbol of new beginnings."

Like light filtering through the leaves, memories ignite the music. Cecilie grew up in a house full of music, as she describes: "My father was a classical guitarist, and my mother was always singing." Like many children of her generation, she took classical piano lessons. "Back then, no one played brass instruments, but my school started a saxophone class, and my father said, 'Don’t you want to try it?' I still remember coming home; I was 12, and I was blown away. I thought, ‘Wow, this instrument is amazing.'" Many years later, as the cover reveals, she's there: immersed in the shadow of the beech, holding the sax. It’s a portrait that comes to life when listening to the six tracks.

Now, as she releases her fifth album as bandleader, the connection that Strange has developed with the saxophone is irreplaceable. "I think one of the things I like about it is that it’s very close to the voice. I feel very connected to the idea of putting my voice into the instrument, singing melodies through it," she says. As the music plays, it becomes evident that this symbiosis begins with the voice, but it extends into what she perceives in the natural world. The capacity for wonder is present in every song, whether in the rhythms, silences, or breaths. "I also enjoy that there's so much to explore: sounds, effects, and overtones. For me, it’s still a journey of discovering the instrument. I spend a lot of time working, trying to find the right tone with the mouthpiece, the reed, and the horn itself. I love exploring different techniques, layers, and textures."

True to the jazz spirit, her compositions remain open to the unknown.“Five of the six tunes are improvised around certain experiences. It’s about going into that zone where you don’t know what’s going to happen, but your ears are completely open. That curiosity and that deep listening are important—not only for me, but for the music itself.” Her sonic universe grows from personal experience and comes to life in the recording studio, alongside pianist Peter Rosendal, bassist Thommy Andersson, drummer Jakob Høyer, and vocalist Josefine Cronholm. Together, they interpret and coexist on a musical canvas full of landscapes. “It’s like you put yourself aside, put everyone on equal footing, and then you have to listen to each other—for the music to take shape, to find its form, its impression, its expression, to tell a story.”

The fifth song is rooted in Iceland. I stood on a glacier and felt something very special: a connection to the ice, and a reflection on what’s happening with the climate. I found myself asking, ‘Where will this ice be in 20 years?’

When spring arrives, it’s possible to eat the very first beech leaves—according to her, a reminder that the good days have come. For Cecilie Strange, this spring isn’t just about the taste of the leaves, but about the experiences that have brought her here.

“This album is the final piece of a tetralogy; it was necessary to close that circle. I lost my father when I was a teenager—he inspired me enormously because he was deeply connected to the power of being a musician. He loved it, and he passed that love on to me.” Her father encouraged her to play the saxophone and gifted her first jazz album.

“That loss, and the presence of my closest loved ones—my mom, sister, grandparents, husband, and kids—has shaped all four creations,” she recalls. “In the previous three albums, I have songs dedicated to motherhood, specific people, life and death, and situations around the world. But for me, this last one needed to be about my roots: where I come from, and the places and nature that have surrounded me over the years.”

With Beech, Cecilie Strange closes a deeply personal circle, rooted in memory, landscapes, and growth. Like the tree it honors, the music stands still and moves at once: grounded in her past, reaching gently toward what’s to come. The album is a forest you step into, or a crown-tree you long to reach. Beech is an invitation into her intimate world.