Stefan Pasborg Trio with Fredrik Lundin & Carsten Dahl - Dear Alex (2025)

On June 9, 2024, drummer Alex Riel—one of the greatest personalities in Danish music history—passed away. For seven decades, he helped shape Danish and European music across several genres.

As a drummer, he was a unique musician with a playful focus and rare musical energy. He radiated an undeniable, contagious joy during his time in this world and approached the drums and music in general with a delightful sincerity and expressiveness that spread to everyone around him.

As fate would have it, Alex became my Godfather, and with him came music and the keys to a wondrous universe of drums, cymbals, gongs, and endless percussion sounds. As my Godfather and friend, he has always been in my life with love, inspiration, joy, humor, and (of course) music! For 50 years, he and I shared life and music, playing drum duets privately in living rooms and professionally on stages several times a year. Our last duo session would be in May 2024—3 weeks before he passed away.

Alex was and will always be my mentor, my first and greatest drumming hero, and my best friend. All the praise in the world still wouldn’t be enough for him. Both on the drums and offstage, Alex was the kind of guy you only meet once in a lifetime (if you're lucky!).

A few months ago, a list of some of Alex’s favorite songs in his handwriting found its way to me. I invited my trio, with Carsten and Fredrik, into the studio to record versions of some of those songs in our own way. We wanted to capture the essence of our heartfelt, spontaneous approach. The album ended up being almost entirely made up of first takes, and everything was recorded in one day.

The result is this album !

On June 9, 2024, the music world lost Alex Riel, an icon in Danish music history and a vital part of the expansion of jazz music during a golden age of the genre. As a drummer, he was unique—playful, energetic, and a generational talent. He radiated an infectious joy and approached the drums, music, and the people around him with genuine enthusiasm and deep empathy. He was a pillar of Danish music and in the international jazz community.

Alex was Denmark’s first call drummer for decades and left his mark on the music in an illustrious career spanning more than 70 years with his technique, energy, and unique musicality, playing with some of the world’s greatest jazz musicians, including Bill Evans, Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon, Michael Brecker, Kenny Drew, NHØP – the list goes on – and moving effortlessly between rock, pop, and experimental music. His 1966 debut album, ALEX RIEL TRIO, cemented his status as a master drummer, and he continued to inspire generations of musicians throughout his life. With his infectious joy of playing and eternal curiosity, he was a living legend who left an indelible mark.

Alex Riel held a special place in the hearts of many drummers, but none more so than Stefan Pasborg (b. 1974). As fate would have it, Riel became Pasborg’s legal godfather, and music became a gateway to a magical universe of drums, cymbals, gongs, and a sea of percussion sounds they would explore together. Alex Riel was a steady and inspiring presence in Stefan’s life for 50 years—with love, joy, humor, and music.

On his debut album, Alex played an abstract, unaccompanied solo improvisation entitled In A Way. Pasborg selected five passages from that recording and wove them into his own solo improvisation, In Another Way, as a tribute to Riel. On the album, you can hear Riel play for a few seconds while Pasborg improvises around it – an idea he loves because sounds created almost 60 years ago now live on in this new album, alongside the trio’s interpretations. As an extra detail, Pasborg plays Dear Alex on the same drum kit Riel used on his debut – his legendary Gretsch kit from the 1960s.

Stefan writes in his moving liner notes that with this album, he wants to honor Alex as an unforgettable musician and friend and that “the album and its message come directly from the heart. Alex, thank you for all you were and all you gave. We will never forget you. Dear Alex – this album is from us to you.”

"An exiting and very interesting release.The three master musicians are able to make these old classics current and exiting by performing them in a very personal way, as only these three musicians can do. This is exquisite, captivating and strong music, performed by three eminemt musicians” – Salt Peanuts, Norway

Stefan Pasborg, drums, percussion
Fredrik Lundin, tenor saxophone
Carsten Dahl, piano

TRACKLIST

1. Carsten Dahl;Fredrik Lundin;Stefan Pasborg - Danny Boy
2. Carsten Dahl;Fredrik Lundin;Stefan Pasborg - Somewhere Over The Rainbow
3. Carsten Dahl;Fredrik Lundin;Stefan Pasborg - Smile
4. Carsten Dahl;Fredrik Lundin;Stefan Pasborg - Idaho
5. Carsten Dahl;Fredrik Lundin;Stefan Pasborg - In Another Way
6. Carsten Dahl;Fredrik Lundin;Stefan Pasborg - Den Milde Dag Er Lys og Lang
7. Carsten Dahl;Fredrik Lundin;Stefan Pasborg - Moon River
8. Carsten Dahl;Fredrik Lundin;Stefan Pasborg - Moppin' & Boppin'
9. Carsten Dahl;Fredrik Lundin;Stefan Pasborg - Den Blå Anemone
10. Carsten Dahl;Fredrik Lundin;Stefan Pasborg - When You Wish Upon A Star