Silent Course by Remy Le Boeuf, Danielle Wertz, Nordkraft Big Band

Vocalist Danielle Wertz, saxophonist/arranger Remy Le Boeuf and the Denmark-based Nordkraft Big Band are each singular forces in their respective spheres. But bound by the collective spirit—and operating at the ideal intersection of modern jazz, contemporary classical music, and folk nouveau—they create art beyond the sum of their sounds on Silent Course.


Over the span of eight performances—six engrossing originals, two well-chosen covers—singer, bandleader, and ensemble delve into themes of love, loss, fear, and uncertainty. Works of deep contemplation, these rich story paintings speak to universal emotions while carving out a distinct space of their own. It’s music that seems preordained, with undeniable substance and synergy at play, yet it took Le Boeuf’s role as a unifying force to bring this triangular triumph to fruition.


Wertz first connected with Le Boeuf in 2023 on a Denver release show for her sophomore album, Other Side. Their chemistry was clear from the beginning: “I was just so impressed with her musicianship, her music, and her overall vibe,” the saxophonist shares. The pair then furthered their working relationship when Wertz joined Le Boeuf’s Grammy-nominated Assembly of Shadows for a performance at New York’s Jazz Gallery and recorded with that large ensemble on 2024’s Heartland Radio.


As these developments unfolded, Le Boeuf was settling in as the Chief Conductor of the Nordkraft Big Band—a role that was formalized on record with 2024’s Strangers to Ourselves. Moving past that release, when discussions of future albums ensued and a vocal project was proposed, Le Boeuf knew Wertz was the perfect fit.


With a program split evenly between expanded arrangements of Wertz originals, new Le Boeuf entries, co-advanced material from the vocalist’s folio, and broadened takes on singer-songwriter gems from past and present, Silent Course stands as a testament to captivating beauty in balance. To all parties’ credit, each number is a world unto itself.

“Rest Your Head” and “Turn In,” sourced from Other Side, bookend the album and highlight Wertz’s introspective lyricism. “Those are two of the tunes that we played at Danielle’s release show that I especially loved,” Le Boeuf shares. “They just wanted to be arranged—put on a larger canvas with added colors.” The former, featuring Martin Granum’s soaring guitar and an intensity-heightening joint solo from Wertz and Le Boeuf, speaks to meditative origins and complex emotional investigation. The latter, with Anders Ammitzbøll’s centered bass solo, Thomas Fryland’s dazzling trumpet and the composer’s direct vocals, addresses a world in crisis. Written in 2017, as wildfires consumed parts of California, American politics veered sideways, and gun violence was ubiquitous, it remains ever relevant today as history repeats itself.
Le Boeuf’s “First Snow,” penned as the first flakes of winter fell in Denver on his sister’s birthday, unfolds as a bold and wondrous piece foregrounding alto and wordless vocals. The title track, one of several numbers that the saxophonist wrote with poet Sarah Pirkle, offers a gentle first act, rising tides, Sturm und Drang, and a quiet departure. A brilliant display of vocal control, it shows Wertz in peak form.
“Where Do I Go,” a creator’s eternal pondering, begins with Wertz’s spinning melody and takes on broader dimensions—exploring inner spaces and outer reaches—with a baton pass to Le Boeuf. “I originally wrote this piece as an intimate, tender duo for voice and guitar” the vocalist explains. “I love that with Remy’s arrangement it became more cinematic.” Exploring themes of refuge and the passage of time, Wertz and Le Boeuf craft a deeply felt narrative with “Aberdeen.” Amplified by the contributions of trumpeter Rolf Thofte, it proves absolutely riveting.
Touching on influences, the program is enhanced with the inclusion of Le Boeuf’s charts for Joni Mitchell’s “I Had a King” and Madison Cunningham’s “Something to Believe In.” The Mitchell classic, couched in fairytale layout and dealing with the arc of a marriage and divorce, has long appealed to Wertz: “This song was my introduction to Joni when I was a teenager, and it was the first time my mind was blown by a lyric that was 100% poetry and 100% conversational. For over a decade I secretly wished I would stumble into the right opportunity to record it. I’d always dreamt of an arrangement in a larger, more orchestral setting, so this felt like the perfect place for it.” The relatively spare “Something to Believe In,” written by Cunningham, Ethan Gruska and Pete Harper, brings a similar sensibility into an arena of loss and guilt. Each of those pieces stands on its own, yet they’re linked through themes of kingdoms and tides of dissolution.

A singular project and a true gift of expression, this music represents the pinnacle of collaborative invention. “I’m so grateful that we had the opportunity to do this together,” Wertz remarks and Le Boeuf echoes with thanks to the Nordkraft Big Band. Their appreciation and sincerity both ring true at every turn on Silent Course.

Saxophonist and composer, Remy Le Boeuf is known for his unique blend of modern jazz, contemporary classical music, and indie-rock styles, Le Boeuf has worked with a range of collaborators including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Linda Oh, JACK Quartet, Knower, and he co-leads Le Boeuf Brothers with his twin brother, Pascal.