Birds of Beauty -

Birds of Beauty were a Danish jazz-rock ensemble that released the 1978 album Pelican on CBS. Veteran saxophonist Karsten Vogel launched BoB after four albums with Secret Oyster.

Members: Ben Besiakov (grand piano), Jeppe Reipurth (drums), Karsten Vogel (alto/soprano saxophone, synthesizer [ARP stringensemble]), Kim Menzer (flute, harmonica), Kim Yarbrough (bass), Klavs Nordsø (percussion), Mikkel Nordsø (guitar), Morten Kærså (synthesizer [Micromoog]), Moussa Diallo (bass), Ole Fick (guitar), Peter Svarre (grand piano), Peter Vangkilde (drums)

Background

Birds of Beauty formed in autumn 1977 in Copenhagen when saxophonist-composer Karsten Vogel used a remaining Secret Oyster booking at Saltlageret to assemble a new group for his compositions. Vogel treated the project as a changing ensemble instead of a fixed lineup and retained the name for subsequent concerts.

Vogel studied saxophone with E. Kragh-Møller and Hans Pendrup at age fourteen in Copenhagen. He graduated from Østre Borgerdydskole in 1961, then completed Danish language and literature at the University of Copenhagen. Vogel played with Brødrene Vogels Kvartet and Cadentia Nova Danica in the sixties. In 1967, he formed Burnin Red Ivanhoe, then launched Secret Oyster in 1972 as a separate ensemble. Concurrently, Vogel teamed with guitarist Ole Fick in Mermaid, which toured Norway and recorded 1974 material for Danmarks Radio.

Vogel took the Birds of Beauty name from an October 1975 duo session with keyboardist Kenneth Knudsen, released in 1976 by CBS under Vogel’s name. He turned Birds of Beauty into his principal ensemble following the Secret Oyster breakup and brought keyboardist Morten Kærså, drummer Klaus Menzer, and bassist Moussa Diallo into the changing personnel.

Vogel began the Pelican sessions in Copenhagen in January 1978 with multi-instrumentalist Kim Menzer, keyboardists Peter Svarre and Morten Kærså, bassist Moussa Diallo, drummer Peter Vangkilde, and percussionist Kasper Winding. He continued the sessions through June with different combinations that included Fick, pianist Ben Besiakov, guitarist Mikkel Nordsø, bassist Kim Yarbrough, drummer Jeppe Reipurdt, and percussionist Klaus Nordsø.

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