In the 1960s, Botschinsky established himself on the Danish jazz scene as genuine talent and upcoming star-in-the-making. Much in demand, he seemed everywhere at once, on recordings by The Jazz Kvintet ’59, that became The Jazz Kvintet ’60 – which in a blindfold test comes so close to the Blue Note sound of the day it was scary – as well as Finn Mickelborg's Quintet, the Finn Savery Quartet, Bent Jædig's groups, Sahib Shihab's groups, the Bjarne Rostvild Quintet, and Pedro Biker's groups and on and on.

He was Denmark's Jazz Musician of the Year in 1963, and continued non-stop through the 1970s and 80s, but then slipped into anonymity after moving to Germany (he married producer/arramger Bert Kaempfert's daughter) and then London.

This double CD set is a timely reminder of what an accomplished soloist he was; he's now recognised as one of the greatest Scandinavian musicians of all time. Partnered in the front line by Bent Jædig on tenor, also a very accomplished soloist who was for many years a member of the Danish Radio Big Band, he is a perfect foil for Botschinsky's sophisticated lines with his brusque, probing invention.

Playing a mixture of classy standards and bop and hard bop standards – ‘Four,’ ‘Donna Lee,’ ‘Rhythm-a-ning’ plus ‘I’ll Remember April,’ in the late 1940s and 1950s a song that was something of a test piece among musicians with its 48 bar, ABCDAB form. Whatever the tempo, Botschinsky never sounds rushed, his eloquence unruffled at the fastest of tempi, and on the album opener ‘Four,’ from his first few notes you just know he's a classy act.