Stein Urheim

Bergen´s own Stein Urheim´s eponymous album is out on Hubro now!

You should check out this fine "guitar album" (Urheim plays lots of other instruments too) right away, to get some folk, blues, Americana, Cooder in "Paris Texas" mood, world music, and you name it!

You might notice a natural development from his previous album on Hubro, "Kosmolodi" (2012), not only in the name of track one on the new album: "Kosmoloda". Only 150 copies were released of the vinyl version of "Kosmolodi", but downloads are available where you find such stuff.

Jørgen Træen adds modular synth and effects.

Stein Urheim´s work with Mari Kvien Brunvoll is also highly recommendable. Check out "Daydream Twin" (Jazzland 2013) and "Stein & Mari´s Daydream Community" (Jazzland 2011).

Big Chief

Bergen has always had enough cowboys of all kinds.

I´m hoping for the indians now, since street artist Yatzy seems to have something in mind.

Forever young

"Forever Young" - a documentary on how rock & roll grew up, and got old and wrinkled, is on YouTube.

Interviews with Robert Wyatt, Richard Thompson and a bunch of other people.

Tape to Zero 2014

Kjetil Husebø and Terje Evensen´s two day festival Tape to Zero is held at Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo, 3 - 4 April 2014.


Thursday 3 April:

- Kjetil Husebø’s new electronic project “Skyggespill”

- sPacemoNkey (Morten Qvenild and Gard Nilssen)

- Jessica Sligter and Susanna


Friday 4 April:

- Joker Nies

- Andres Prado Trio (with Terje Evensen and Terje Gewelt)

- Deathprod and Biosphere (Helge Sten and Geir Jensen present new commissioned work)

The video shows Susanna and Helge Sten, with John Paul Jones (who is not on the programme for Tape to Zero): "We Offer" (Live From The WiMP Container at the Øya festival, August 2013).

The Thing Live at Bergen Jazzforum February 2014

Even if I never tire of The Thing´s energetic music (both on records and live!), I couldn´t make it to the concert at Bergen Jazzforum yesterday (21 February 2104).

Thanks to Egil Andersen´s Youtube account we may at least enjoy 13 minutes of the concert (fades out at the end there, unfortunately, but still!).

The Thing: Paal Nilssen-Love (dr), Mats Gustafsson (sax) and Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (b).

Pussy Madonna and Rainbow Tie

Bergen street artists Argus (top, see his own blog here) and Vest with comments on the Winter Olympics 2014, gays, Putin and Pussy Riot.

Lol Coxhill & Enzo Rocco: Gradisca Concert

Enzo Rocco recently uploaded the complete Lol Coxhill & Enzo Rocco "Gradisca Concert" (All Frontiers Festival, Gradisca D'Isonzo, Italy, 15th November 2008) on YouTube.

Added 16 December 2014. This video has been gone for a while (and if you have visited this blog post lately, the video was not there), but is now back.

Sarah Manning: Harmonious Creature

Since we had a post on the Seifert Jazz Violin Competition Yesterday, it feels more than natural, and absolutely necessary, to point you in the direction of Sarah Mannings album "Harmonious Creature" on Posi-Tone Records (2014).

A fantastic album with Sarah Manning (alto sax), Jonathan Goldberger (guitar), Rene Hart (bass), Jerome Jennings (drums) and last but not least Eyvind Kang playing the viola!

Have a listen to "Copland on Cornelia Street", read the review over at Bird is the Worm and buy it. Nice!

Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition

If you are a violinist in jazz, you might want to join the 1st International Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition, Cracow, July 16-19, 2014.
"The Competition is open to violinists and violists of all nationalities under the age of 38, performing jazz and improvised music. All types of violins and violas, both acoustic and electric, can be used".

As for the Polish jazz violonist Zbigniew Seifert, I have to admit I only know his album "Passion" from 1978, on which he worked with Jack De Johnette, John Scofield, Eddy Gomez, Richard Beirach and Nana Vasconcelos. But violins and violas in jazz may be quite cool, so get going!

Sea Song

Here is Mich, covering Robert Wyatt´s "Sea Song", also featuring Buba.
Buba is the dog right?

Is it released somewhere? On YouTube it says: "Il secondo singolo di Mich è una cover della stupenda canzone di Robert Wyatt. Feat. Buba".

Canterbury Sans Frontières February 2014

Yesterday we got a new episode of Canterbury Sans Frontières (Episode 12), containing more than "Canterbury" as you soon will see if you follow the link!

Among others are Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon, who covered the Kevin Ayers song "May I?", at the Teenage Cancer Trust at Royal Albert Hall 23/03/2013.

Ivor Cutler: A Wooden Tree

Ivor Cutler´s "A Wooden Tree" illustrated!

A nice one! Originally on the album "Jammy Smears" (Virgin 1976).

Hubro news

Several releases coming up on Hubro Records this winter/spring!

Stehan Meidell´s "Cascades" is already out, in a limited edition of 200 copies on vinyl. Meidell is "exploring factory acoustics" on his first solo album, and it´s sounding good!

Make sure you also check out Cakewalk´s second album on Hubro, "Transfixed" (2013)! Cakewalk is Stephan Meidell (The Sweetest Thrill), Øystein Skar (Highasakite, Sacred Harp) and Ivar Loe Bjørnstad (Hedvig Mollestad Trio).

You will have to wait for Stein Urheim´s self titled album (February 25th), Håkon Stene´s new solo album "Lush Laments For Lazy Mammal" (March 21), Moskus´ (pianist Anja Lauvdal, bassist Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson and drummer Hans Hulbækmo) "Mestertyven" (April 11th), Building Instrument's (Åsmund Weltzien, Øyvind Hegg-Lunde, Mari Kvien Brunvoll) debut album, "Building Instrument" (March 7th) and not forgetting my favorite folk improv trio 1982´s (Nils Økland, Sigbjørn Apeland and Øyvind Skarbø) "A/B" (May 2nd).

Now you listen and read more over here.

Stian Westerhus & Pale Horses live in Budapest

Check out the video of Stian Westerhus & Pale Horses (Erland Dahlen and Øystein Moen) live in Budapest (February 2014), and wait for their Rune Grammofon album to be released in March.

Bly DeBlyant: Hindsight Bias

The members of Bly De Blyant are Øyvind Skarbø (dr, perc, voice), Shahzad Ismaily (b, moog, voice, banjo, drum machine, org) and Hilmar Jensson (g, b, p, voice).

Their previous album on Hubro ("ABC" 2013) was creme de la creme, and the new one, "Hindsight Bias" (2014) is even better. They still play all kinds of genres (!), and the album has the feeling of a relaxed jam even if most of the music this time, was written by Skarbø before they started.

Bergen sax man Kjetil Møster visits on one track ("Bunker Hill").

Read more on Soundcloud or on Hubro´s site.

I heard them do a secret pop-up concert in Bergen earlier this week, with Anders Bitustøyl (b) replacing Shahzad Ismaily for the occasion (lousy flash photo here). Funky stuff live!

Losing Our Virginity

Losing Our Virginity (The First Four Years: 1973 - 1977) is a 3xCD release to celebrate the 40th birthday of the Virgin record label in 2013.

Robert Wyatt is represented by "I´m a believer" and "Yesterday Man".

For full track list go here.

Bergen in the Springtime

The Bergen International Festival (21 Mai - 04 June) released the 2014 programme today.
Perhaps most interesting for those of you into classical music, dance and theatre, but I have made some preliminary hooks in the list by the names Steve Reich, The Tiger Lillies and Trio Mediaeval, Arve Henriksen with Bergen Cathedral Choir.

During the same period the Nattjazz jazz festival is also happening (22 - 31 May).
The programme is not complete yet, but it looks promising, with Julia Holter, Fire! Orchestra, Stian Westerhus with Pale Horses, Nils Petter Molvær, etc etc.

The videos: Steve Reich's Clapping Music arranged and performed by Santi Carcasona (YouTube) and Julia Holter: Horns Surrounding Me (Unseen Recordings on YouTube).

Whole Lotta Nilssen-Love

Anyone trying to keep track of Paal Nilssen-Love´s activities live and on records? Puh!

He is out with a duo album called "Scarcely", with Arto Lindsay (DNA, Golden Palominos, Lounge Lizards etc) on his own PNL label. It was recorded live in Rio De Janeiro in July 2013, and sounds like it must have been a really hot noise party!
And please note that side A plays on 33rpm and side B on 45rpm.

Mix master and art director: Lasse Marhaug.

Here is the PNL label discography, but how about PNL019? Does it exist?

Lasse Marhaug & Paal Nilssen-Love: Stalk (PNL 001, 2007)
Nils Henrik Aasheim & Paal Nilssen-Love: Late Play (PNL 002, 2007)
Magnus Broo & Paal Nilssen-Love: Game (PNL 003, 2008)
Sten Sandell Trio: Face of Tokyo (PNL 004, 2009)
Paal Nilssen-Love: 27 Years Later (PNL 005, 2010)
Paal Nilssen-Love & Anders Hana: AM/FM (PNL 006, 2010)
Paal Nilssen-Love: Miró (PNL 007, 2011)
Slugfield (Nilssen-Love, Marhaug, Ratkje): Slime Zone (PNL 008, 2012)
Lasse Marhaug & Paal Nilssen-Love: No Combo LP (PICA 028/PNL 009, 2011)
Anders Hana & Paal Nilssen-Love: Hosanna and Parallel Sevens 10" (PNL 010, 2011)
Fire Room (Nilssen-Love, Marhaug, Vandermark): Wels 2008/11/08 LP (Pica 030/PNL 011, 2011)
Terrie EX & Paal Nilssen-Love: Hurgu! (PNL 012, 2011)
Double Tandem (Nilssen-Love, Vandermark, Baars): Cement (PNL 013, 2012)
Bradford, Gjerstad, Nilssen-Love: Dragon (PNL 014, 2012)
Frode Gjerstad Trio: Hide Out (PNL 015, 2012)
Paal Nilssen-Love, Joe McPhee: Red Sky (PNL 016, 2013)
Jim O'Rourke, Paal Nilssen-Love, Lasse Marhaug: The Love Robots (PNL 017/Pica 031, 2013)
Otomo Yoshihide, Paal Nilssen-Love, Lasse Marhaug: Explosion Course (PNL 018, 2013)

Arto Lindsay, Paal Nilssen-Love: Scarcity (PNL 020, 2014)
Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit: First Blow (PNL 021, 2014)

Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit

Paal Nilssen-Love and his Large Unit are touring Norway these days, and I heard them in Bergen Sunday evening. Damned great music, they dish out everything from noise to moments of marching band music, and me I liked them best of all when they approached rocking sounds.

These fine gentlemen were playing:
Jon Rune Strøm - bass, Andreas Wildhagen - drums, Paal Nilssen-Love - drums, Mats Äleklint - trobone, Christian Meås Svendsen - bass, Klaus Holm - alto, Kasper Værnes - alto, Thomas Johansson - trumpet, Børre Mølstad - tuba, Ketil Gutvik - guitar, Lasse Marhaug - electronics.

I heard their concert at the Moldejazz festival last summer, and parts of that concert may now be listened to again, if you get yourselves Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit: "First Blow" (PNL 021, 2014).
There is 20 minutes of music. The vinyl edition plays 45 rpm.
I can´t find it on Catalytic Sound yet, but see Subradar or attend some Nilssen-Love concert.

Cover: Lasse Marhaug.

Mats Gustafsson & Paal Nilssen-Love

What a duo! Mats Gustafsson & Paal Nilssen-Love live in Kraków 27 Jan 2014.

¡Entrevista a Robert Wyatt!

Robert Wyatt is interviewed by Julieta Desmarás for Tribulaciones.

I find no publication date, but it´s quite new I guess (the piece has a section on "68" released last year), and all in Spanish.

Google Translate example:

¿Cuál es tu pensamiento acerca de la religión?
Por más de que no haya ninguna evidencia verificable de un dios benigno, muchas culturas tienen religiones. Sin embargo pienso la religión más en relación con el Arte. Ahí es donde está el mundo de los sueños.

What is your thinking about religion?
For more than that there is no verifiable evidence of a benign god, many cultures have religions. But I think more religion in relation to Art. That's where the dream world is.