NightJazz, Bergen, Norway

Tuesday (29th. May) was a hot night in Bergen. The summer finally arrived, and a lot of good music was served at the NightJazz (Nattjazz).
I heard Trygve Seim Ensemble, with trumpeter Arve Henriksen (check out their albums at ECM and Rune), Norwegian jazztrio The Thing (catch them live!, and buy their records) and Italian power jazz/rock/noise trio Zu (a new band for me, but I'll check out their albums). Incredible bands. Sorry I'm not a master photographer, but there is still more at Flickr.

Left on man

Even more Oi Oi Festival

Sorry, I just have to make this very far fetched Robert Wyatt connection, with another look at the Oi Oi Festival in Bergen (Norway). Today I came upon this crazy concert with people dressed up as chefs, and making music with food and kitchen utensils. The band was really cooking, I'll tell you that, with one of Norway's most famous chefs (Trond Moi) on stage (yes we know how to cook). The bearded guy, listening intensely on the picture, is Per Jorgensen. He is on Michael Mantler's "School of understanding", and yes, Robert Wyatt is on that one too. OK, OK this is stretching it a bit (or a bite, perhaps).

Oi Oi Festival

This is what you may be lucky enough to experience, if you join the Bergen International Festival 23. May - 5. June. The magnificent trumpeter Arve Henriksen playing in a shop window.

25 most played on the I-Pod

Sissy Wish: Float
Two Bands and a Legend: Louie Louie
The Shins: Kissing the lipless
The Shins: New slang
Shining: Asia Nisi Masa
Sissy Wish: Milk
Sissy Wish: Music on the radio
Ai Phoenix: A country life in the autumn
Amadou & Mariam: Je pense a toi
Arctic Monkeys: I bet you look good on the dancefloor
David Bowie: Life on mars
Robert Wyatt: Stalin wasn’t stallin’
Shining: The red room
Vashti Bunyan: Jog along Bess
The Flaming Lips: Flight test
Herman Dune: I wish that I could see you soon
Herman Dune: This summer
Low Frequency In Stereo: 21
Feist: Honey honey
Feist: How my heart behaves
Herman Dune: Nickel chrome
Herman Dune: 1 2 3 Apple tree
Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins: Rise up with fists!!!
Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins: Happy
Low Frequency In Stereo: Jimmy Legs

ECM

I went on an ECM binge this weekend. The book “Horizons Touched – The Music of ECM” arrived (eds Steve Lake & Paul Griffiths, Granta Books, 2007). ECM and Manfred Eicher have issued more than 1000 records with jazz, classical, European chamber music, whatever you want to call it. This magnificent coffee table book, is tempting in it’s descriptions ( I have allready been in the cellar to fetch old records). I suggest every music library get this book, even if it is not exactly filled up with critical analysis. There are some essays, a few long interviews, and short intros to a lot of musicians. It’s fun to read about the hunting for the “Nordic sound”. I think a lot of journalists can hear the sound of glaciers as soon as they see albums with Norwegian artists on ECM. The company is well known for its album covers, and Lars Mûller Publishers published the book ”Sleeves of desire” in 1996.

Some Norwegian artists on ECM: : Arild Andersen, Jan Garbarek, Jon Christensen, Terje Rypdal, Frode Haltli, Jon Balke, Nils Petter Molvaer, Trygve Seim, Tord Gustavsen, Christian Wallumroed and Trio Mediaeval.
Just a few of the others: Enrico Rava, Keith Jarret, Dave Holland, Eberhard Weber, Kenny Wheeler, John Surman, Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny, Ralph Towner, Anette Peacock, Paul Bley, John Abercrombie, Michael Mantler, Don Cherry and Charlie Haden. And, yes, Robert Wyatt is on several Michael Mantler records.

Dream album: A duo album with John Surman and Robert Wyatt. Thank’s a lot!

Sweet Warrior

The new Richard Thompson album is on sale in a week or so. It is called "Sweet Warrior", and you may allready shop some songs on BeesWeb. The picture is taken by Bryan Ledgard.

Punkt 07

Picture by Madli-Liis Parts (thanks a lot!)

Another Norwegian festival to concider:"Punkt 07" august 29th-september 1st. How about Jackie Liebzeit (of Can fame), David Toop, John Hassel and the fantastic folk singer June Tabor at the same festival (and even more!)?
The peaceful picture of John Hassel was taken at The Molde International Jazzfestival in 2006.It was a relaxed atmosphere, but I don't think he is sleeping. Personally i like his work with Eno, and the CD with the fantastic title "The surgeon of the nightsky restores dead things by the power of sound".

Whatevershebringswesing

Follow Kevin Ayers on "Why are we sleeping" and listen to some tunes on Myspace. Ayers seems to be performing still (visit Norway!) and the picture is taken by BTurner (june 2005).

Haye

Robert Wyatt appears at Haye Festival in Wales may 27th. It does not look like he is singing or playing, but is getting interviewed. I found the news on Popjunkie.

Welcome to the voice

How about an opera with Robert Wyatt participating? Steve Nieve's album "Welcome to the voice" is on sale now. Among othe participants are STing and Elvis Costello.

Moon in June

Check out this nice recording of Soft Machine from 1969! The line up is Mike Ratledge (keyboards), Robert Wyatt (drums and vocal) and Hugh Hopper (bass). Thank's to "Une Discographie de Robert Wyatt" for the tip (subscribe to the newsletter!).

New Wyatt album!

I found a message i liked on Tunetourist, it looks like a new Robert Wyatt album is on the way ("Comic opera"). Scheduled issue is in june by Domino. Tell me it's true!

Ivor Cutler

This year it is 300 years since the great Carl von Linné was born. He is the founder of the nomenclature used to name animals and plants. Nothing seems more natural than to start the celebration with a poem by Mr Cutler! A big thank you for the photo to DJ Bass (who also tells about his meeting with the poet on Flickr).

What?

Where
man has
not been
to
give them names
objects
on
desert islands
do not
know
what they are.
Taking no chances
they stand still
and
wait
quietly excited
for hundreds
of thousands
of years.

Ivor Cutler: “A flat man” (Trigram,1977).

Dondestan

In 1991 Robert Wyatt issued "Dondestan", a fine album that got even better in 1998, renamed "Dondestan(revisited)". This one has the same tracks, but in another order, and even a videointerview. Why work on a good album? On the cover Wyatt explains that they had to finish the mix because of lack of money the first time, and "my ideas have changed a little,too: this time I went for the contrasting detailed moments, rather than the earlier goal of seamless consistency". The beautiful picture of Wyatt and Benge was taken by cromacom after the launch of Dondestan, and may be found on Flickr.

Eire Apparent

Don't forget this piece of nice psychedelia: Eire Apparent's "Sunrise". It was issued in 1969, and came on CD in 1992. Jimi Hendrix produced and played guitar, and Robert Wyatt is doing backing vocals on one track (and is thanked for "help and encouragement").

Vivevinyl La France

We celebrate the french election.

Family Tree

On the Canterbury page in Wikipedia, I found this link to a Canterbury Family Tree. (It has not been updated since 2005.)