Molde

We have to have a football post today folks! My team Molde celebrate 100 years this year, and won their first Norwegian title, with two matches to go!
Thanks to coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his team too! Manchester United striker Solskjaer played for Molde before he went to Manchester.
A bit more here and here.

Still waving flags and singing here. Sorry!

Fante

I love the books of the Los Angeles author John Fante, but I doubt if I will re-read them. I have done that with other authors I adored when young, and they did not strike me as powerful any more. I´m sure John Fante´s books still do, but I think I will just keep them in my memory for a while longer.

As a student in Bergen (long time ago!) I randomly picked up "Wait until spring Bandini" in a shop, and was completely blown away by the prose. Later I realized he was some kind of cult hero, and got his other books too. The four books about Arturo Bandini, "Wait until spring Bandini" (1938), "The road to Los Angeles" (1933), "Ask the dust" (1939) and "Dreams from Bunker Hill" (1982) , are available in a one volume paperback, if you want to try.

John Fante´s son Dan Fante, recently published the biography "Fante" (Harper Perennial 2011). The subtitle "A family's legacy of writing, drinking and surviving" tells it all I guess.
I must admit I did not know Dan Fante, and thought this biography was all about his father. Of course we get the history of John Fante here, and his struggle to survive by writing for Hollywood and his fight to be accepted as a great novelist, but this is just as much a book about the father and son relationship between John and Dan Fante, and Dan´s alcohol and drug fueled life, finally becoming an author himself.
This is from the Fante´s epilogue: "My father was an artist of great rage and passion, perhaps born out of his own time. He was not a nice guy".

A good read, and with lot´s of private photos too.

I might want to read Dan Fante´s book of poetry called "A Gin Pissing, Raw Meat, Dual Carburettor V-8 Son-of-a-Bitch from Los Angeles" (2003), having a tendency to fall for crazy titles like that.

SGAR

SGAR (Svarte Greiner & Alexander Rishaug) by miasmah

Svarte Greiner (Erik Skodvin) is soon to go on a Black Oyster Tour with Alexander Rishaug. A CDR named "SGAR" is made for the occasion, but being a Miasmah release, it´s no surprise you´ll find it on SoundCloud already.

Tour Schedule:

01.11 Berlin, NK
02.11 Nijmegen, Extrapool
03.11 Rotterdam, Worm
05.11 Heerlen, h(ear) Kunstencentrum Signe
08.11 Paris, Espace B
09.11 Basel, Plattfon
10.11 Krakow, Alchemia
12.11 Vienna, Rhiz

Pintura

1982 recording of Pintura from Tor Kristian Liseth on Vimeo.

I have already mentioned the folk impro trio 1982´s, new album "Pintura" (Hubro 2011) in the blog (see here). The record has been out in Norway for a while (great album indeed!), but for one reason or the other, the rest of the world has to wait to late November.

Check out this video from the recording of the album in Bergen´s Grieghallen Studio, December 2010 (mostly in Norwegian, but with subtitles).

Musicians: Sigbjørn Apeland, Nils Økland and Øyvind Skarbø. Sound man: Davide Bertolini.

Hayward/Lo/Taxt

Three men with tubas improvise for half an hour. The first ten minutes what sounds like one singular tone is vibrating like a tense wire, the musicians walking on the wire. Then they fall down into the deep, even taking long breaks before they rise again towards the end of the piece.
I would guess that this meaningless description will get only the worst among you hooked, but head on over to SOFA, and see if you get it then.

Robin Hayward is a new one to me (he plays a microtonal tuba), while Martin Taxt has visited the blog earlier with Koboku Senju, Jæ and Splashgirl, and Kristoffer Lo was here with Pelbo. I am sure that you will agree that the music of Hayward/Lo/Taxt is more like Koboku Senju than Pelbo!

Eyolf Dale

Sunday I promised to buy the new Albatrosh album, and I´m writing down Albatrosh pianist Eyolf Dale´s new album on the same shopping list too.
"Hotel Interludes" is being released by Curling Legs (2011), and on the video Dale plays "Prolleprep", on prepared piano.
Nice?

"Sea Song" again

I have no idea who cestdisco is, but in lack of Wyatt news we go for this disco (?) version of Robert Wyatt´s "Sea Song" today.

Sea Song (Robert Wyatt) by cestdisco

News from Rune Grammofon

Rune Grammofon just released the new Albatrosh album, and Eyolf Dale (p) and André Roligheten (sax) have received rave reviews already. Putting it on my shopping list right now!

The next releases from Rune:
Alog - Unemployed - RCD2116 / RLP3116 (ltd 4LP set)
Elephant9 - Live at the BBC - RLP2118 (ltd vinyl only)
Scorch Trio with Mars Williams - Made In Norway - RLP2119 (ltd vinyl only)
Fire! with Jim O´Rourke - Released - REP2120 (ltd 10" only)
The Last Hurrah!! - The Great Gig In Disguise - REP2121 (ltd 10" only)
Jono El Grande - The Choko King - RACD109 / RALP309

Bergen Støyfest - Bergen Noise Festival

If you are interested in noise music, and happen to be not too far from Bergen next weekend, seek out Bergen Støyfest at the Landmark club (27 - 29 October).
Links are leading to some info (quite witty too) in Norwegian.

27. oktober: Jazkamer (Lasse Marhaug, John Hegre, Nils Are Drønen), Hair Stylistics, Anla Courtis.
28. oktober: Jazkamer Metal (Ivar Bjørnson, Iver Sandøy and Jørgen Træen), Reiko. A, Robert Oiotrowicz/ Lasse Marhaug, Black Packers.
29. oktober: Jazkamer The Big Picture (big band including all artists at the festival!), Astro, Anders Hana, Ambolthue.

New album from Pelbo

Pelbo - Join Their Game from Riot Factory on Vimeo.

The trio Pelbo (Ine Hoem (voc), Kristoffer Lo (tuba) and Trond Bersuer(dr)) release their new album "Days of transcendence" (Riot Factory 2011) today. Let´s celebrate with the video to the tune "Join their game", showing how it really could be to travel by public transport.The video was recorded in Trondheim, and they might behave like this all the time of course?!

The director is André Chocron, who got rave reviews for his video for Cold Mailman´s "Time is of the essence". And, OK, it´s Friday, so let´s have two videos then!

Cold mailman - Time is of the essence from André Chocron on Vimeo.

Mike Patton and Fred Frith

Mike Patton and Fred Frith played at the RADAR Festival (30/9 2011) in Mexico City.

Baboon Moon

I guess you know already, but I still want to tell you. Nils Petter Molvær (trumpet and misc.) has got himself a new band, a trio with Stian Westerhus (guitar and misc. - "too many pedals") and Erland Dahlen (drums and misc.) They just released "Baboon Moon" on Sula Records (2011), a great album with a perfect mix of "sad and beautiful" music, like on "A small realm", "Prince of Calm" and "Coded", and powerful tunes like "Mercury Heart", "Sleep With Echoes", "Recoil" and "Baboon Moon" (Susanne Sundfør guesting on vocal).
All the way we feel and hear a dark sound carpet under the melodies, probably made by all the misc. they are playing. On "Blue Fandango" Erland Dahlen even get his singing saw going!

I like pretty much all of Molvær´s stuff, but my guess is that I will play "Baboon Moon" even more often than the other albums! Go buy!

I even like the cover girl Maggie (fold out cover with lots of pictures)! Photographer Per Maning knows how to take pictures of animals. Check his "Early works" here.

Gary Burton live 1971

I usually do not post sound files in the blog, if they are not uploaded by the artist, but this one I have to link to. So much for my ethics.
7 November 1971 Gary Burton played Jazztage in Berlin. According to Michael King´s "Wrong movements, A Robert Wyatt history", Burton did a solo concert with accompaniment for the opening and closing songs. Musicians were Robert Wyatt (dr), Terje Rypdal (g) and Neville Whitehead (b).
Run on over to YouTube, and listen to "Moonchild".

I can´t find this recording in the bootleg section at "Une Discographie de Robert Wyatt", so I guess no one has got this on CD or Vinyl?

Liarbird live

Liarbird Kolben 19.09.11 from Rikskonsertene on Vimeo.

Last week I tried to convince you to listen to Ola Kvernberg´s album "Liarbird", and here you have one more post with music from "Liarbird". The Norwegian concert organizers Rikskonsertene uploaded a video from Kolben (Kolbotn) on Vimeo, and I wish more artists and organizers would share high quality videos!

The musicians are (taken from Rikskonsertene´s site, and I believe you will understand the Norwegian names of the instruments):
OLA KVERNBERG fioliner og mandolin
BERGMUND SKASLIEN fioliner
HÅKON KORNSTAD saksofon
EIRIK HEGGDAL saksofon
MATHIAS EICK trompet
INGEBRIGT HÅKER FLATEN - bass, elektronikk
OLE MORTEN VÅGAN - bass, elektronikk
TORSTEIN LOFTHUS - trommer
ERIK NYLANDER - trommer/perkusjon

Peter Blegvad Trio with Karen Mantler

How about Peter Blegvad Trio (Peter Blegvad, Chris Cutler, John Greaves) and "Waste of time"? Guest at Cafe Oto (London) in September was Karen Mantler.
The sound isn´t the best, but Blegvad is Blegvad, and I wouldn´t mind a new album soon!

Soft Macine: Ronnie Scott´s Jazz Club

Vinyl Lovers have released a double live LP with Soft Machine, from London´s Ronnie Scott´s in April 1970.
According to Michael King´s "Wrong movements. A Robert Wyatt history" (SAF 1994) Soft Machine were supporting John Williams 20 - 25 April. Mike Ratledge: "The way it (the 6 day residency) stretched our repertoire was very challenging, and we had to push ourselves into areas of freedom where we wouldn´t normally need to go".
Soft Machine had already been in the studio to start recording their third album when this happened, but the recordings for that one were mainly done in May. So the "Ronnie Scott´s Jazz Club" must be interesting stuff?! I have not got hold a copy yet, but It´s a must I guess.
Anyone heard it?

The band: Robert Wyatt, Hugh Hopper, Mike Ratledge og Elton Dean.

The tracks:
- Slightly All The Time/Out-Bloody-
Rageous
- Eamonn Andrews
- Mousetrap *medley* (including:
Mousetrap / Noisette / Backwards /
Mousetrap - Reprise)
- Hibou Anemone And Bear
- Facelift
- Moon In June
- Esther's Nose Job *medley*
(including: Esther's Nose Job / Pigling
Bland Cymbalism / Esther's Nose Job -
Reprise)

Added November 6th:
This is the very same recording that we may find on the album "Somewhere in Soho" (Voiceprint 2004).

Catastrofuk

John Cale recently released the EP "Extra Playful" (Domino 2011).
We already posted the video for the track "Whaddya Mean By That", and here is "Catastrofuk", directed by his daughter Eden Cale. Far out!

Kwes and Robert Wyatt

Over at Red Bull Studios Emma Warren is making a program called "Pick'N'Mix". I have no idea how long it will be on the site, but London producer and musician Kwes is talking about his great source of inspiration, Robert Wyatt.
Wyatt is a genius, his voice is soulful and soul bearing, he means everything he sings, he is humorous and completely himself. All according to Kwes (and myself of course!).

Kwes also loves his cups of tea, as we may see in an interview in Under the Radar and from the track titles on MixCloud.

Ken Vandermark and Paal Nilssen-Love

Oh my! Ken Vandermark and Paal Nilssen-Love are hard working guys, and not sleeping on the job! The video was recorded in 2010, and this autumn they tour as a duo, with The Thing and Fire Room (with Lasse Marhaug), and you name it. The touring will probably result in several albums too, so don't spend all your money today.

These days Paal Nilssen-Love's site seems to be the best place to look for concert dates and releases.

Ivor Cutler by Stewy

Ivor Cutler lives! Check out these London stencils by Stewy.
Stewy also made Robert Wyatt.

Moe: It pictures

Moe is Guro Skumsnes Moe (bass, voc), Håvard Skaset (g) and Sveinar Hoff (dr). This is a powertrio, more focused on power than melodies, and they smell of both punk and metal.
I heard them at the Nattjazz festival in Bergen this June, but they did not get to me that evening. The music was too loud and monotonous for my old pair of ears. The album "It Pictures" (Conrad Sound 2011) is still not one that make you hum along to it, but the music is far more open and alive than what I heard at Nattjazz.
On the album Okkyung Lee (cello) (played in Bergen too), Lasse Marhaug ("acoustic noise") and Kjetil Møster (sax) are guesting. On "Island" Møster is honking along, making me think of Morphine (the band of course).

Guro Skumsnes Moe has visited Wyatt and Stuff several times. See posts on Art Directors (Håvard Skaset plays there too) and Sekstett.

The CD was released in May, and now they also sell (don´t ask me where) 300 copies of a black vinyl LP version and 200 copies of a blue one. Also files on eMusic and iTunes. Buy if you dare.
Listen to some tracks over at SoundCloud.

Liarbird

Everybody and their grandmothers seem to like the album "Liarbird" (Jazzland 2011), so I better join the choir. I missed the concert, but Ola Kvernberg really made waves at the Molde International Jazz Festival in 2010 with this music, played by Norwegian musicians and sax man Joshua Redman (video below). Kvernberg and band did a couple of concerts more (without Redman), and recorded the material at Redroom Studio in Trondheim in June 2010.
Even if I expected some more power and energy in this music, I have to say it is full of great melodies. Some of it almost ambient, some of it swinging really good, we hear some eastern influences and we even get a bolero ("Olero").
I wonder if he uses the same tactic to attract listeners, as this "liar bird" when he tries to attract girls!?

Musicians: Ola Kvernberg (violin mm), Bergmund Waal Skaslien (viola, voc), Eirik Hegdal (sax, voc), Mathias Eick (tp), Håkon Kornstad (sax, fluteonette, voc), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass, voc), Ole Morten Vågan (b, voc), Erik Nylander (dr, perc) og Torstein Lofthus (dr, perc). Cover art: Harald Øren.

A must have album!

Simon Bookish: Sea Song

Sea Song (Robert Wyatt Cover) by Simon Bookish

Simon Bookish (or Leo Chadburn) recorded his version of Robert Wyatt´s "Sea Song", and uploaded it to SoundCloud. Thanks a lot.

John Peel's Sounds of the Suburbs

It seems like "John Peel's Sounds of the Suburbs" now is on YouTube. The series was made for Channell 4 in 1999, and if you jump 8 - 9 minutes into the video posted here, you will see Peel making a short visit to robert Wyatt´s summer house.

SPUNK in Nest

SPUNK in NEST from SPUNK on Vimeo.

SPUNK built their own nest during this year´s Ultima festival in Oslo.
SPUNK is Hild Sofie Tafjord, Lene Grenager, Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje and Kristin Andersen.

Another release party with 1982

A couple of weeks ago, 1982 sent a message in a bottle from Bergen. The bottle contained a limited version of their album "Pintura" (Hubro 2011), now available in Norway on CD, LP and mp3 files (international release late November).

Yesterday they held a more traditional release party at the Bergen Jazzforum. Sigbjørn Apeland (organ), Nils Økland (fiddle) and Øyvind Skarbø (drums) were on the floor, with the audience on the stage and floor surrounding them. In this intimate setting they did a great concert, flavored by improv, contemporary classical, folk and jazz. We heard incredibly beautiful melodies, free and playful parts and fiddle virtuosity, all of it improvised. For a while the music was made only from the cracking of the wood of the organ and Økland´s shoes while Skarbø was brushing the drums. And I am not lying, towards the end of the concert Skarbø was doing a duo with a hail storm outside the windows!
Buy the album and hope to see 1982 live, and don´t forget their previous album on NORCD

And if you find one of the bottles they have thrown into the sea, make me an offer. OK?

The animals of Bergen

Street artist Argus seems to have opened a zoo.

Odyshape

What a great reissue! The post-punks The Raincoats released their album "Odyshape" (Rough Trade 1981) on their own label We Three. And this is still damned fine music!
"Odyshape" was released on CD in 1993 too, but this is remastered and released both on CD and vinyl.
The band is Ana Da Silva, Gina Birch and Vicky Aspinall, but let´s mention a couple of the other musicians too, drummers Charles Hayward and Robert Wyatt. Wyatt plays on the track "And Then It's O.K."

Bert Jansch (1943 - 2011)

Today we got the sad message that guitar player, singer and Pentangle member Bert Jansch died.
Play some old and new solo albums, and some Pentangle albums too, to honor a great musician.

I also recommend Colin Harper´s book "Dazzling Stranger: Bert Jansch and the British Folk and Blues Revival" (Bloomsbury 2006).

Kjetil Møster/Staer 12"

Warning: This blog post is mainly for hardcore record collectors.

Kjetil Møster and Staer released a one sided 12" clear vinyl on the new label Drid Machine (Co-released with Mozart Kebab and Action Jazz).
Møster´s track "Mø/Staer" plays the usual way (from edge to the middle of the record), while Staer´s "Triangle Pinks" plays from the label towards the middle.
The music is recorded, mixed and mastered by Møster and Jørgen Træen.
Meant for sale at concerts, but try Drid Machine or Tiger in Oslo.

Kjetil Møster´s track is on SoundCloud, and I will post it here when the site is working properly again (having trouble this Tuesday).

MÖ/STAER by kjetilmoester

Mixed candy

I have fallen a bit behind here, and try the easy way out with a list of recommendations, instead of one blog post for each album. Mixed candy? At last mixed, but I guess the different tastes does not fit together perfectly for all of you. Check out some of them then, if you have the time.

- Altar of Plagues: "Mammal" (Candlelight 2011). Dark, epic metal.
- Humcrush with Sidsel Endresen: "Ha!" (Rune 2011). Strønen, Storløken and Endresen improvisering. Nuff said!
- In the Country: "Sounds and Sights" (Rune 2011). Sad and beautiful, but not too sweet. You get a DVD too!
- Richmond Fontaine: "The High Country" (El Cortez 2011). Dramatic short prose, dressed in black country-americana, all weaved together into one story. Fine!
- Josh T. Pearson: "Last of the Country gentlemen" (Mute 2011).I missed this artist at the Bergenfest festival this spring. very sad and very slow, but perfect for some of the hard days we all meet.
-Two albums by veteran sax player Kris Wanders on Not Two: "Taken by Surprise" (Kris Wanders / Mani Neumeier Quintet) and "In Remembrance of the Human race" (The Kris Wanders Outfit). Great stuff!

I Was A King and Robyn Hitchcock

The Norwegian band I Was A King recorded the EP "Twilight Anniversaries" with Robyn Hitchcock.

Muscians:
Frode Strømstad - guitars/vocals
Anne Lise Frøkedal - guitars/vocals
Robyn Hitchcock - guitars
Patrick Berkery - drums
Josh Stamper - bass/mellotron/guitar
Emil Nikolaisen - drums/bass
Erica Miller - violin
Naomi Gray - cello
Andy Ramsay - percussion
Hans Jørgen Undelstvedt - background vocals
Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen - background vocals

Info in Norwegian over at groove.no.