Bushbabies finds the Huma Bird

“Bush babies are small primates that spend most of their lives in the trees. They are also known as ‘nagapies’, which literally means ‘night monkeys’ in Afrikaans. All nagapies are considered nocturnal, and though several kinds are already known, experts believe many are yet to be discovered.“
– Source: National Geographic

As far away from the sub-Saharan hemisphere as likely possible, a band of Danish ‘nagapies‘ are about to join their famous (albeit very distant) relatives on the world stage. This band, however, does not comprise round-eyed tree-climbing primates, but of three extremely skilled artists.

Say hello to ’Bushbabies’.

The trio has just published their second album ‘Huma Bird‘, and in doing so converted what began as a spare-time project into something far more substantial.

A trio of tremendous capacity

The three aces forming this remarkable trio are jazz guitarist Niclas Knudsen, bassist Jonathan Bremer, and drummer Felix Ewert. They are all well-established and household names within the Scandinavian music industry already.

However, among music consumers on uniform streaming services or listening to flow radio only, these three artists probably won’t ring a familiar bell… Yet, that is!

Niclas Knudsen, a Berklee College alumni, has worked with artists such as Tom Jones, Billy Preston, David Liebman (member of the Miles Davis group), Ray Anderson and Adam Nussbaum (both with John Scofield) and John Tchicai (John Coltrane, John Lennon, Yoko Ono).

At home he is the founder of the cult jazz trio ‘Ibrahim Electric‘, and has worked with local stars counting Caroline Henderson, Anisette, and international drum legend, Alex Riel.

Bassist Jonathan Bremer, a former member of the JazzHouse Montmartre house-band in Copenhagen, has recorded and toured with the international jazz icon Niels Lan Doky as well as with Palle Mikkelborg and David Sanborn.

In Denmark, Bremer’s bass has been an essential part of countless productions as well as a wealth of live performances. Names like Marie Key, Peter Sommer, Caroline Henderson, Coco O. and newly arrived shooting star, Emma Sehested Hoeg, have all benefited from Bremer’s omnipotent craft.

Last but certainly not least, drummer Felix Ewert carries life and inspiration to everything his sticks touches – including ‘Huma Bird‘ and the Bushbabies. The always-smiling Dane is often seen playing with jazz artists, rock bands and pop singers alike, as no genre appears to feel unnatural to this virtuoso. Thousands of Danish concert goers would have enjoyed his observant and empathetic contribution to artists, such as Drew Sycamore, Julias Moon, Nik & Jay, Alex Vargas and more recently also with upcoming international, Vincent Ryder.

Being an official Paiste signature drummer, Ewert has earned his place here alongside fellow drummers such as Stewart Copeland (The Police), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) just to mention a few of many.

So all-in-all – buckle up, Dorothy. Bushbabies are more than just cute primates.

The hunt for the illusive Huma Bird

‘Huma Bird‘ is the almost perfect follow-up to the trio’s cult-like 2024 debut – an album simply named ‘Bushbabies‘. According to band leader Niclas Knudsen the title refers to an illusive and mythical bird of ancient Persian folklore. The bird is said to come from paradise itself and story has it, that the bird grants good fortune, kingship, and eternal happiness to anyone lucky enough to find it.

The album ‘Huma Bird‘ could as well be called ‘The Quest for the Huma Bird‘. Because that is indeed what it is; a musical journey into the unknown.

Where the 2024-debut oozed of melodic surplus and sincere intimacy, the band has turned into something slightly more raw and unfiltered this time. Joining this particular ‘quest’ you have to be prepared for mystery, unexpected incidents, and peculiar surprises.

This adventurous approach gives the album some uneven edges and odd angles. I love it!!

Have your multi-pass ready, please

Already from the outset – ‘More Cowbell‘ – we are taken by the hand and guided to the Hispanic parts of the Americas. Opening with a bass soud so authentic you can almost smell the cigars being smoked at Casa de Las Tradiciones in Santiago de Cuba. You need only to close your eyes to be there.

Ewert’s Calypso-like drumming immediately backs it up and sends the listener on to the journey ahead. And though the cowbell indicated in the song title has been pulled to the background, the trio manages to establish a captivating atmosphere right away.

Well, the bird seems to have left Cuba (if it was ever there), and the journey continues. Past the ‘Lonely Mountain‘ to an oasis, where it is easy to imagine locals who claim they saw the mysterious creature just the other day. Uh-huh?

The album’s title track is as beautiful, at you’d imagine the ‘Huma Bird‘ to be (listen above). For a moment a link to the melodic debut album is made, and though Knudsen often masters the impossible on a guitar, this song also displays his well-developed sense of harmonic storytelling.

Onwards to an audacity of gorgeous food in central Brazil. The high-energy salsa in ‘Bem Bao‘ once again features some truly awesome bass play by Jonathan Bremer – especially towards the end. It will be a thrill to hear him play this track live.

One of the absolute highlights on the album comes with the track ‘Who Let The Funk In‘. This is where the trio-format unfolds and excels the most, and though feeling like a stop-over in our journey, the track serves to show just how much Knudsen, Bremer, and Ewert are capable of.

These guys truly are aces!

Anyway, we leave the bustling metropolis and embark on a ship. At least that is the feeling you get with the calming and utterly sunny ‘Days Ahead‘. Here everything is turned down a notch, and the track is perhaps the most beautiful composition on the 8-piece album. Perfectly balanced and with a melody even the mainstream pop consumer can hum along to.

Having traveled half the globe in a day, the trio arrives at the Marv Dasht plateau near the ancient city of Persepolis (modern day Iran)’. This is where the mythical Huma Bird comes from, and where you find the most depictions of the creature (the area today is on the UNESCO heritage list).

The chords chosen for this mash-up of Scandinavian noir and elegant Persian mosaic is both brave and utterly intelligent. With ‘Funky Persia‘, you feel the presence of the Huma Bird throughout the composition, and sense its historic importance in time and place.

Closing this humble yet epic journey as well as the second full Bushbabies studio album, ‘In Between‘ marks exactly the spot we are all in – with this album, with the journey, and with the time we live in.

In so many words, the Danish Bushbabies have made yet another interesting album; quite different from their first, yes, but still full of imagery, an abundance of storytelling, and unique inner journeys.

Everything is possible in music

What Knudsen, Bremer and Ewert have created together might not sound unique to all ears. But, it certainly is as rare as the Huma Bird in this part of the world. I am not sure we spotted the high-flying myth on our quest for eternal happiness this time around…

.… But maybe we had it with us all along. Perhaps, we were just too busy to pay attention and realize, happiness is everywhere music is?

This is the perhaps strongest feature about Knudsen, Bremer, and Ewert. The trio demonstrates the craft of world-building for creative souls with a vivid imagination. Listening to this framework of sound, moods and melodies, you really can close your eyes and create your own story. Try for yourself!

With ‘Huma Bird’ everything is possible. Your story is as good as mine, and whether the album IS in fact an audible image of the very bird, we are all striving to find, its creators belong in the spotlight.

Well done, guys!

Bushbabies – “Huma Bird” was released on 31 October 2025 by “Bignote“