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On drummer and composer Snorre Kirk’s sixth album with his own group and tunes, there’s something wonderfully familiar about the music. It is an echo of something that once was – something that no longer exists in the same way it once did. Hearing this music for the first time is nostalgic, yet without any regretful sadness or homesickness. And when the band plays live, whether in Bremen or Copenhagen or Kansas City (where they have performed for audiences who had no idea what they were in for), the reaction from the crowd is always the same joyful roar. Going Up presents listeners with singable melodies and beautiful arrangements, ornately detailed yet devoid of distraction. Tenor saxophonists Stephen Riley and Jan Harbeck are supported by an elegant, swinging rhythm section with Magnus Hjorth’s funky piano, Anders Fjeldsted’s solid bass playing, and Snorre’s own tasteful and practical drumming. It’s an update on the spirit and style of yesteryear, and the band’s pleasant and inoffensive vibe rewards us with a warm sense of wisdom. Appreciation for tradition and commitment to the craft are themes that flow steadily and gently from each of the handpicked musicians. They channel and sustain something from the past without falling into the trap of worshiping it blindly.