THE CRITICS: classical cd review: "(---) But the prize on this disc turns out to be a 1995 concerto by Johan Hammerth (b. 1953)—the finest concerted work for solo percussionist and orchestra I’ve heard since Takemitsu’s Cassiopeia 33 years ago. Hammerth’s ear is as refined as his sense of structure—in this case a single-movement with three implicit sections. Percussion soloists are basically audio-visual phenomena (the first such of international caliber was a young Japanese, Stomu Yamash’ta, whose public career lasted just a decade, 1969-79).Evelyn Glennie knows this, and so does Markus Leoson, who is marvelously partnered in the Hammerth concerto by Heinrich Schiff. The concerto is a major work that exerts an ever-stronger pull each time I hear it. Welcome Markus Leoson, welcome Johan Hammerth, and by all means let us have more releases of this caliber from Nosag." Expressen: "(---) CD of the month! Total force and uncountable variations in clang with the astonnishing concert by Johan Hammerth as a center. Percussion at its very best. " Kristianstadsbladet: "(---) Leoson is the most musical percussion celebrity of Sweden (---) shows the most sensitive and nyanced interpretation of Xenakis´ Psappha. Morton Feldmans The King of Denmark he gives a especially soft touch. " SvD: "(---) Exceptional percussionist, worldclass, gives us a wonderfully airy and floating Psappha - the music is almost hanging in thin air, like a mobile sculpture. The Topf-Tanz makes Leoson call out the most enjoyable play of colours of this CD." NM/T: "(---) In jazz, drum solos are booring eleven times out of ten. This CD contains seven long drum solos, and they are great exciting all the time. If you listen. Listening is needed, this is nothing you have running in the background, but if you are really hanging on you get rich rewards (---) Some time ago I asked a percussionist what she thought about Leoson. - He is so damned good, he has always been damned good, she answered. And surely, that IS true." SJ: "(---) At once you notice how solemn and transparent percussion music can be, maybe a surprise to many listeners. (---) Markus Leoson shows that percussion music really means playing sensitively and with love."

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