Around Robert Wyatt - concert

Orchestre National De Jazz is doing a Paris concert October 26th. Robert Wyatt is there too!
And "Around Robert Wyatt" is still recommended.

Added October 12th: Please see comment on Robert not participating. Sorry if I misunderstood something on the French site here!

Maja Ratkje and Susanna at Henie Onstad

More from the Henie Onstad Art Centre! They have uploaded videos from the concerts with Maja S.K. Ratkje and Susanna (27th September). Ratkje performs solo, Susanna is Susanna Wallumrød, Helge Sten and Pål Hausken.

Gunhild Seim

From time to time we have some discussion on why there are so few female instrumentalists in Norwegian jazz. We have lots of great female vocalists and male instrumentalists, and don´t ask me why. Even so, I have missed Gunhild Seim, until I visited Free Jazz. Now I am the proud owner of the albums Gunhild Seim "Time Jungle" (2007) and Gunhild Seim & Time Jungle "Morpho" (2009) on Drollehålå Records (try to pronounce that!).
The musicians on "Morpho" are Gunhild Seim (trumpet), Arild Hoem (alto saxophone), John Lilja (bass) and Dag Magnus Narvesen (drums), with Odd Børge Sagland on marimba and percussion. On "Time Jungle" Seim, Lilja and Narvesen are joined by Allan Viger (guitar) and Andrew d’Angelo (alto saxophone and bass clarinet).
People seem to call it chamber jazz, but I like it. Seim says in the Norwegian magazine Ballade, that she is inspired by (among others) Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. I love these albums, you buy "Morpho" if you settle for one of them.
Both albums may be bought on iTunes and eMusic.

Henie Onstad

Bergen is a good place to be, but Oslo has got nicer weather and the Henie Onstad Art Centre. They have a great concert program at the art centre, and even put their own stuff on YouTube. Way to go!
Here you get a taste of Sidsel Endresen and Noxagt (John Hegre: guitar, Kjetil D Brandsdal: bass and Jan Christian Lauritzen: drums).

Smiling and waving

I was not aware of this release until this afternoon, but a version of Anja Garbarek´s "Smiling and waving" from 2001 was released on white vinyl (180 g) last year (Holland ToneFloat 2008). You also get a 7" with "I Won't Hurt You" and "Blinking Blocks Of Light". "The Diver" with Robert Wyatt singing is on the LP of course, and also the original version of "Stay Tuned", that Wyatt covered on "Comicopera". Only 500 copies made. (The picture is from CrazyDiamond).
Visit Anja Garbarek here.

Moonlight is X-raying the Earth

Mark Corcoran´s "Moonlight Is X-raying The Earth" was supposed to be released in the end of July. Have any of you seen or heard this album, with a cover of Robert Wyatt´s "Sea Song"?

Albatrosh with Grenager and Tafjord

The award winning Norwegian piano and saxophone duo Albatrosh is Andre Roligheten (saxophone) and Eyolf Dale (piano). You should check out their album "Seagull island" (Inner Ear 2009). These days they are touring Norway with Hild Sofie Tafjord (horn) and Lene Grenager (cello), and I was lucky to catch them at a free (!) concert at Bergen Jazz Forum Thursday evening. Magnificent as a duo, and even better when all four of them started improvising. I wouldn´t mind a recording of this band.