Espen Reinertsen: "Forgaflingspop"

Espen Reinertsen (sax, misc) has visited the blog before as a member of the slow impro bands Koboku Senju and Streifenjunko.

I think you might like his new album "Forgaflingspop" too, where he still is improvising, but also delivers some very charming pop tunes!
Be warned, all lyrics are in Norwegian, but if you are like me, the atmosphere of the song is still worth a lot, even if you can´t catch the meaning of the words.

The Album title is "Forgaflingspop". Now "Gaffel" is fork and "Forgafling" might mean using your fork too much? Not that it makes much sense too me, but it´s a nice sounding word!

The track titles are also in Norwegian, and Google Translate might even manage some of them.

Additional musicians:
Erik Nylander - acoustic drums and percussion, assistant programming and recording
Eivind Lønning - trumpet, flugelhorn and mellophone.

Listen and buy for next to nothing on Bandcamp.

Bob Marley in Bergen

Trompetut

Norwegian speaking visitors, might want to check out my new blog Trompetut (or perhaps not?), where I will post stuff happening in Bergen (art, literature, street art, etc), that I feel will be too much in Robert Wyatt and Stuff.

There will be almost no parallel postings on Trompetut and Robert Wyatt and Stuff.

Everything Robert Wyatt will of course  be posted here!

Per Jørgensen and Friends

Per Jørgensen and Friends did a great concert at Bergen Jazzforum Friday evening.

The band improvised around sketches by trumpeter and vocalist Jørgensen, with a couple of this blogger´s favorites, Terje Isungset (dr, perc, wood, stones etc) and Sigbjørn Apeland (harmonium, organ) in focus.

The band is Per Jørgensen (tp, voc), Sigbjørn Apeland (organ, harmonium), Morten Qvenild (keyb), Morten Skage (el-bass) and Terje Isungset (dr, perc), and they (probably?) did their first concert at Kongsberg Jazz Festival in 2012, but they don´t seem to have released any recorded material.

I might have missed some info this Sunday morning, but Terje Isungset seems to be the only one of the musicians doing some promo on the net, managing his own site.

Don´t miss these guys if you have a chance to hear them.

Organize your own PUNKT festival

I didn´t make it to the PUNKT festival of Kristiansand (No) this year, so I have compensated by listening quite a lot to the new albums from Arve Henriksen and Jan Bang.

If you buy Henriksen´s "Places of Worship" (Rune Grammofon 2013) and Bang´s "Narrative from the Subtropics" (Jazzland 2013), you will have most of the central members of the PUNKT gang on two discs. I recommend both of them!

Arve Henriksen is taking us to different places of worship, with titles like "The Sacristan", "Abandoned Cathedral" og "La Cimetière Marin", together with Jan Bang, Erik Honoré, Lars Danielson, Stahlquartett, Eivind Aarset, Jon Balke, Ingar Zach. Beautiful music with a dark edge to it, and the album ends with the touching "Shelter from the storm" with Erik Honoré singing.

Jan Bang is traveling the Subtropics this time, on "Narrative from the Subtropics" (Jazzland 2013), presenting 13 pretty short tracks of intense music, using both poetry reading (in Norwegian by Nils Chr. Moe-Repstad), traditional Estonian singing (Tuule Kann) and a bunch of great musicians. the full list of participants: Jan Bang, Lars Danielsson, Sidsel Endresen, Dai Fujikura, Tigran Hamsayan, Arve Henriksen, Erik Honoré, Robert Jürjendal, Tuule Kann, Nils Petter Molvær, Nils Chr. Moe- Repstad)Undark, Stian Westerhus, Eivind Aarset and David Soler.

If you want to read some more than my short message, here are the AAJ reviews of "Narrative from the Subtropic" and "Places of worship".

Rune Grammofon gave me a CD version of the Arve Henriksen album too, when I bought the LP, Jazzland didn´t even offer a download code with the vinyl. Now who won that competition?

1967

One of my standing searches for Robert Wyatt news on Google (Google 15 years today - hurrah!) suggested that I read David Stuart Ryan´s new book "1967" (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 2013).

It´s a novel happening in England in the year 1967 of course, one chapter for each month, with the standard ingredients sex, drugs and rock & roll, matched with well known happenings, like the Rolling Stones drug bust and the Beatles meeting the Maharishi. You have read it all before I guess.

What caught my eye was taken from the chapter "September", where we are at The Roundhouse with Paul and Sylvie for The UFO Festival:

"Just after midnight came another assault on the senses from The Soft Machine, the drummer, Robert Wyatt, stripped to the waist as he worked himself up into a frenzy of powerful ecstatic rhythm that forced Sylvie and Paul to re-enact their mating dance all over again" - and later - "...she moved fluidly to the surging rhythm of the bass guitar, the lead guitar and the crashing drumming in the background as The Soft Machine played "Hope for Happiness" at full volume right next to them on the stage....".

According to both Michael King´s "Wrong Movements. A history of Robert Wyatt" (1994) and Graham Bennett´s "Soft Machine. Out-Bloody-Rageous" (2005) Soft Machine played this concert September 9 on the same bill as Pink Floyd, The Move and Denny Laine, while Ryan throws in Arthur Brown instead of Laine. For the show I guess?

Soft Machine shared a bill with The Crazy World of Arthur Brown" a couple of times in June this year.

Any old timers visiting, who were present at any of the shows mentioned here?

I´m Not the Loving Kind

Mark Lanegan covers John Cale´s "I´m not the loving kind" on his new album "Imitations" (Heavenly Recordings 2013).

"Im not the loving kind" was first released on John Cale´s album "Slow Dazzle" (Island 1975).

Visit Mark Lanegan´s site.

The video was directed by Andrew Van Baal.

Stop this cupid war!

A message from Argus.

Arp

Arp is New York musician Alexis Georgopoulos.

His new album "More" is just Out on Smalltown, and what caught my eye was this description: "..an album that could soundtrack a tea party at which Pink Floyd and Robert Wyatt are creaming the scones, while Sparks pour the tea", and in fact - why not?

Listen and read some more over at Fader, or head on over to Smalltown´s Soundcloud. Some snappy tunes there.

Bleeding Edge Trio

Evan Parker (ts, ss), Okkyung Lee (cello), Peter Evans (tp) at The Stone, NYC - Sept 19 2013.

Thanks to Don Mount´s YouTube channel.

Cruising with Beffen

I love the strange, small scale concerts that are happening around Bergen!

Yesterday we went on a concert trip on Bergen´s famous boat Beffen (room for 20 people and 3 musicians), listening to Ensemble Avgarde, being Øyvind Skarbø (dr, perc), Jostein Stalheim (acc) and Sigurd F. Olsen (viola). The fourth instrument was the boat itself, and captain Kåre Solvang was a master playing the motor!

We also went ashore for some coffee, listening to works by composers Rebecka Sofia Ahvenniemi and Bjørn Bolstad Skjelbred, and ended up in a quite posh bar to finish the evening.
Playing contemporary music in a bar with Saturday drinkers? I´m not convinced about that part being wise.

Avgarde is the Bergen concerts series for contemporary music.

Jenny Hval covers Paul Simon

Jenny Hval sings Paul Simon´s "The Cool, Cool River" (1990).
According to a message on Twitter it was recorded on her phone, for a compilation for Cokemachineglow.

More Jenny Hval sounds on SoundCloud.

Lindsay Cooper (1951 - 2013) RIP

Sad news indeed: Lindsay Cooper died yesterday, 62 years old.

She played bassoon and oboe with Henry Cow and Slapp Happy/Henry Cow, and if you have a record collection with Canterbury related bands, she is probably on a lot of them too (Art Bears, Steve Hillage, Hatfield And the North, Egg, etc etc).

- A message on her death from Chris Cutler on Prog Archives.
- Biographies on Calyx and Wikipedia.
- Lindsay Cooper discography.

I had a blog post on her 28 June, starting with "Let´s hear it for Lindsay Cooper..", today I say Rest In Peace.

What? No Evan Parker Biography?

I was hoping to read Peter Urpeth´s crowdfunded biography of Evan Parker in not too long.

The book, titled "The Intensity Of Purpose", has been mentioned in the blog a couple of times (see here, and The Wire too), but now it seems like the book failed to reach it´s goal over at Unbound (the publishing platform).

Let´s hope the book gets funded in one way or the other!

In the video: Evan Parker, John Edwards and John Russell at the Vortex (London) (2013).

Nuance

Nuance from Marc-Antoine Locatelli on Vimeo.

I found this video of Lucas Boirat dancing with lights over at Colossal (great site!), and just have to post it here too.

Music: “Ants” de EdIT / Planet Mu Records
Video: Marc-Antoine Locatelli

Argus and Yatzy

Bergen street artists Argus and Yatzy seem to have made their own outdoor gallery, and Argus has some views on the location in his own blog too.

You might have seen some of the motives in this blog before, but anyway the first two photos focus on Yatzy, the next two on Argus. And as always, click on them to get larger versions.

Shining: I Won´t Forget

It´s Monday and I need a kick in the butt from Shining, to get the rest of the week on track.

Here they are doing "I Won´t Forget", from their latest album "One One One" (2013), recorded by NRK P3´ in Oslo. More info on YouTube.

They are playing eight concerts in USA, starting tomorrow:

9/17 Brooklyn, NY -- Saint Vitus
http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/eve...

9/18 Montreal, QC -- Les Foufounes Electriques
https://gtn.ticketabc.com/events/shin...

9/19 Toronto, ON -- Wreck Room
http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/eve...

9/20 Chicago, IL -- Reggie's (W/ Without Waves)
www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/356333/

9/23 Denver, CO -- Marquis Theater
http://tinyurl.com/ShiningDenver

9/25 Santa Ana, CA -- Observatory
http://tinyurl.com/ShiningSantaAna

9/26 San Francisco, CA -- Slim's
http://tickets.slims-sf.com/events/34...

9/28 Los Angeles, CA -- Roxy Theater (W/ Chameleon Conductor)
www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/349699/

Julia Holter

I gave in trying to make a list of all the people who say that they are inspired by Robert Wyatt, or are compared to the man. There are so many, and I have to admit that can´t always see the connection.
The last one I saw in Norwegian was something like "he sounds like a mix between Leonard Cohen and Robert Wyatt"! Now beat that one!

When it comes to Julia Holter I see the point! I know her two fine pop albums "Ekstasis" (RVNG 2012) and "Loud City Songs" (Domino 2013), and I think Robert Wyatt might have sung some of the songs if he wanted to, or they even resemble some he already did.

Listening to (among others) "World" (in the video) or "City Appearing" from "Loud City Songs", made me think of Anja Garbarek´s "The Diver" (Wyatt sings on her "Smiling & Waving" album), and perhaps "Stay Tuned" too (Wyatt covers it on "Comicopera").

Here is Julia Holter from Amby (July 2013) - Gimme Your Answers: An Interview w/ Julia Holter:

AMBY: Who influences you as a songwriter and musician?

Julia Holter: A lot of people–Joni Mitchell, Guillaume De Machaut, Robert Ashley, Robert Wyatt.

Sigbjørn Apeland and Stephan Meidell

Do we have a new duo in the making?
Friday night I heard Sigbjørn Apeland (organ) and Stephan Meidell (acoustic guitar) play a beautiful set at the Bontelabo venue in Bergen, an old industrial hall with great acoustics.
Apeland mostly playing the organ this night, not deconstructing the instrument or attacking it in various ways, while Meidell mistreated his guitar by playing not only the strings, but dragging the guitar along the floor to make the sounds needed.

The same evening we also got to hear the singers Mari Kvien Brunvoll, Eva Pfitzenmaier and Johanne Birkeland perform in almost complete darkness, moving around the hall using the acoustics of the hall as their instrument.

A fine Friday night in Bergen.

Marc Ribot and Matana Roberts

The Friday video is with Marc Ribot and Matana Roberts at the Issue Project Room (NY)
(12 september 2013).

It seems like this was the encore at the end of a solo Marc Ribot concert. John Leon has got more for you on YouTube.

Kaboom Karavan x 2

Miasmah recently released two albums by Kaboom Karavan. "Short Walk with Olaf" is a re-release of the debut from 2007 and "Hokus Fokus" is brand new. All music: Bram Bosteels.


Since I always have a hard time describing the great music on Miasmah, let´s hear it from the company:

On "Short Walk with Olaf" - "Mixing influences from the Electronica and Ambient scene with Americana, Free Folk and Avant-Garde Jazz to name but a few, Short walk with Olaf is first of all an incredibly beautiful and mystical piece of work that should fall in taste with everyone interested in film music, travels, small villages & deserted places. Olaf finds his place somewhere between the atmosphere of Jim Jarmousch films, Lounge Lizards and Volcano the Bear and is a great starting point for getting into the strange sound world of Kaboom Karavan".

On "Hokus Fokus" - "Listening to Hokus Fokus feels like staring frozenly into a postcard sent from your long-lost uncle that went missing in the Amazon after an expedition gone-wrong (circa year 1935). Merge this image with the decaying sounds of an old Tom Waitz record slowly tuning out in the background and your getting close. This is not instantly gratifiable music, but rather a thick fog of details, sounds and atmospheres blended together with utmost precision and skill to create something quite unique that really shines with repeated listening and full immersion".

And I really like their 2011 release "Barra Barra" (Miasmah 2011) too.

Still in doubt? Check out the Miasmah sounds on SoundCloud.

Mary Halvorson Septet: Illusionary Sea (Firehouse12)

Mary Halvorson Septet´s new album "Illusionary Sea" was released on Firehouse 12 today, and it´s sounding great!

Let´s cite Firehouse 12: "Halvorson closes the recording with a surprise, paying tribute to one of her musical heroes, Robert Wyatt. Her exquisite arrangement of "Nairam" - penned by Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine and recorded under the title "Maryan" on Wyatt's album Shleep - is the first cover to appear of any of Halvorson's albums as leader."

The septet:
Jonathan Finlayson - trumpet
Jon Irabagon - alto saxophone
Ingrid Laubrock - tenor saxophone
Jacob Garchik - trombone
Mary Halvorson - guitar
John Hébert - bass
Ches Smith - drums

Why don´t you run over to Firehouse 12 to buy the album (or just listen, if you don´t like it here)?

And the Mary Halvorson - Robert Wyatt connection is not quite new. AAJ says this about her previous album on Firehouse 12, "Saturn Sings" (2010): "The harmonies, says Halvorson, were influenced by such diverse inspirations as trumpeter Clifford Brown, singers Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, pianist Thelonious Monk, saxophonist Archie Shepp and composers Alexander Scriabin, Dmitri Shostakovich and Robert Wyatt".

Buskin´ for Lol Coxhill

The French library La librairie Compagnon is paying homage to Lol Coxhill (1932 - 2012).

They will stage a solo concert with Jean-Philippe Ramos (20 Sept.), whom we know from the solo project "The chansons of Robert Wyatt et moi..." (now turned into a trio).

A bit off track for me this library, you will find their address on Facebook.

Reel Recordings

What happened? Is it over for Reel Recordings? What a pity!

It seems so from a posting over at "Hibou, Anemone and Bear", and the The Reel Recordings site even seems to be down today.

A bit more on their releases over here (Forced Exposure).
In my picture: The records with Robert Wyatt participating.

And please comment if you know some more.

TJO and Marius Neset

You may have noticed that i try to promote a lot of Norwegian musicians? Well, here is one I have hardly mentioned, and the only one that people have been asking for posts on!

Finally, meet Norwegian sax-man Marius Neset, here with the great Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, playing at Bergen Jazzforum 6 September.

Musicians: Marius Neset, Eivind Lønning, Erik Eilertsen, Erik Johannessen, Daniel herskedal, Peter Fuglesang, Hanna Paulsberg, Eirik Hegdal, Jovan Pavlovic, Espen B, Petter Eldh and Gard Nilssen.

See also Jazz Peter´s YouTube for videos of the same gang at Jazzhouse, Copenhagen
(4 September).


Added 11 September: Another video was uploaded to YouTube toda (23 min.) - check here.

Borealis 2013: Notation Project

Borealis: 2013: Notation Project Documentation Film from Borealis Festival on Vimeo.

This one is for those of you (both of you?) interested in graphic scores.

Bergen´s (and the world´s!) Borealis Festival present their Notation Project, and if you have read this blog regularly, you will perhaps recognize several of the people being interviewed.

My photos from the 2013 Borealis Festival are on Flickr.

Sorry, here is Ylvis

The crazy Bergen comedians Ylvis seem to be conquering the world with their latest video "The Fox". Gangnam style a la Norway?

You might as well hear it from me, and for good measure I´ll throw in their "Stonehenge" video too.

It might be even more difficult to hear Norwegian "pop stars" sing English lyrics after this blog post.

Interrupting Cutler

Sunday we had a post on an old Franz Ferdinand song ("Jacqueline"), partly inspired by Ivor Cutler, and today some more old Ivor Cutler news (news to me at least)!

In 2003 The Brian Irvine Ensemble released the CD "Interrupting Cutler" (Coyote Records), a fine mix of some kind of funky party free jazz, with several short tracks where they "interrupt" Ivor Cutler on vocal samples from the Cutler album "A wet handle" (Creation 1997).

Find musicians and tracklist over at Discogs, and visit Brian Irvines´site.

"Interrupting Cutler" won the BBC Jazz Awards for best new work in 2003.

Three Trapped Tigers at PUNKT 2012

The Punkt Festival in Kristiansand is starting tomorrow (6 - 8 September).

I´m not going this year, but let´s get a PUNKT feeling anyway in the blog, with Three Trapped Tigers in concert, and a remix by Arve Henriksen, Jan Bang, Eivind Aarset and Erik Honoré from the 2012 festival (posted on YouTube by Jazzland).

Snowden and Manning

Both Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning have been observed on the streets of Bergen lately.

Here you see Snowden on the (not to bullet proof) Stars & Stripes, made by unknown artist, and the blue pair made by Bergen´s most active street artist, Argus.

More Argus on Flickr.

Northern Sounds

Trailer for documentary Northern sounds from Tarquinia Films on Vimeo.

How about this? A movie on "Northern Sounds" - "a road-movie on the trail of the Nordic music scene", available on Vimeo on Demand. I might watch this one.

Directed by Alain Boegner.

Part 1: Norway-Sweden
with Mental Overdrive, Bugge Wesseltoft, Katzenjammer, Thomas Dybdahl, Ost & Kjex, Mari Boine, Dungen, Wildbirds &Peacedrums, Junip feat. José Gonzaléz.

Part 2: Denmark-Sweden (Malmö)-Finland-Iceland
with Who Made Who, Under Byen, Peter Von Poehl, Grand Avenue, Cirkus feat. Neneh Cherry, Olafur Arnalds Ben Frost, Finntroll, Eternal Erection, Lau Nau, Gus Gus.

Jacqueline

Oh my, I´m slow! Am I the last person to realize that the Franz Ferdinand song "Jacqueline" is (partly) about Ivor Cutler?

Read "Ivor, my inspiration", Alex Kapranos´ piece on Ivor Cutler, published in The Guardian in April 2005. He says this about his friend Jacqueline, who visited Ivor Cutler at home:

"She described the scene to me of how she rejected him outright because he was just an old man. She said: "Why would I possibly be romantically interested in you?" And he replied: "You see me just as an old man, but I'm looking at you with the same eyes that I had as a young man." That was the inspiration for our song, Jacqueline, looking out through one set of eyes and seeing yourself reflected as you actually are in the gaze that comes back at you".

Arild Andersen

Today a nod to bass player Arild Andersen for sharing videos on his own YouTube channel.

In this blog post you see and hear Arild Andersen (b), Paolo Vinaccia (dr) and Tommy Smith (sax) play "Blussy".