From Ike Quebec recommending Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell to Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff to Kenny Drew convincing every jazz star passing through Copenhagen to let Nils Winther record their shows, jazz labels have a rich history of receiving A&R help from musicians already on their label. So it was when Sasha Berliner raved about Norwegian guitarist Lage Lund. One quick listen to Lage’s fluid, distinctive lines and exquisite taste on guitar and we were hooked. In classic JMI fashion, we matched him in a trio with other favorites we wanted on the label.

The back story for Lage Lund's sixth Criss Cross recording dates to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Lund - a native of Skien, Norway who'd lived in the U.S. since 1995 - had just returned to his homeland with his wife and two daughters. With school on hiatus, the family had to improvise an at-home curriculum.