Strong names at Jazz Evidence
Here you can see the full program for Jazz Evidence for the rest of the autumn. All concerts take place at Energimølla.
Wednesday 28 October: Paal Nilssen – Love: Large Unit.
Drummer Paal Nilssen-Love has played at Kongsberg many times, and now he is back with his dream band - Large Unit. Many musicians walk around fantasizing about putting together their dream band. Some do something about it too. Paal Nilssen-Love established his Large Unit in 2013. He selected ten musicians who he believed could fulfill his musical visions. All of these musicians are on the top shelf, and many of them belong to the generation after the band leader. Here, there are two bassists and two drummers who provide an absolutely beyond base for the enormous energy this band radiates. It conveys a rare power and expressiveness, in a fascinating mixture of planned progressions and freer parts. There are plenty of good soloists in the band, and they certainly get opportunities to show off.
Large Unit is perhaps the most exciting innovation on the Norwegian jazz scene in recent years, and after extensive foreign touring and record releases, it has gained that position internationally as well.
Paal Nilssen-Love (drums), Thomas Johansson (trumpet), Mats Äleklint (trombone), Julie Kjær (sax), Klaus Ellerhusen Holm (sax), Per Åke Holmlander (tuba), Ketil Gutvik (electric guitar), Tommi Keranen (electronics), Jon Rune Strøm (bass), Christian Meaas Svendsen (bass), Andreas Wildhagen (drums)
Wednesday 11 November: Rune Your Day!
Behind this band name hide four of the country's finest jazz musicians. Two third parties of the successful trio Krokofant are here: Saxophonist Jørgen Mathisen and Kongsberg's great talent on drums, Axel Skalstad. When we add saxophonist André Roligheten and bandleader and bassist Rune Nergaard, we realize that this must sound unusually energetic! The band is fairly new, but the musicians promise us a temperamental evening. The music is an attractive alloy of free jazz, rock and improvised music. "Energy, dynamism, groove and spontaneity are key words that can be used for the music", says band leader Rune Nergaard. Very promising!
Jørgen Mathisen (sax, clarinet), André Roligheten (sax, bass clarinet), Rune Nergaard (Fender bass guitar), Axel Skalstad (drums)
Wednesday 18 November: Arild Andersen sextet plays Mingus
On 12 April 1964, Charles Mingus played in the University Hall in Oslo with his sextet. This sextet delivered a concert that stands as a powerful exclamation point in Norwegian jazz concert history, and for many in the audience a new era began on this day. 'Before and after the Aula concert with Mingus', has almost become a staple of many jazz veterans' mouths. In 2014, the Oslo Jazz Festival wanted to mark that now it was fifty years since the famous concert, and Arild Andersen was given the task of putting together a band to play Mingus compositions, and they were - of course - to play them in the Aulaen. This concert was a great success, and it is natural and obvious that Jazz Evidence also presents this band with Mingus music to its audience.
The line-up in the band is the same as with Mingus in 1964. Petter Wettre has arranged the compositions, and has followed the original arrangements as much as possible. Anyone who knows this music, and who knows the musicians in today's Arild Andersen band, understands that this will be a particularly vital concert, outgoing, temperamental and full of energy in compositions such as 'Better Get It In Your Soul' and 'Haitian Fight Song' - and deeply lyrical in Mingus' distinctive way in 'So Long Eric'.
Arild Andersen (bass), Petter Wettre (sax), Klaus Ellerhusen Holm (sax, bass clarinet), Eyvind Lønning (trumpet), Erlend Slettevoll (piano), Gard Nilssen (drums)
Saturday 21 November: Jazz cafe: Magnus Aannestad Oseth / Magne Arnesen / Agnar Aspaas
This trio was a great success at the jazz café last winter, and it soon became clear that we had to hear them again! With its swinging, rhythmic and outgoing music, it appeals to a large audience. The young trumpeter Magnus Aannestad Oseth is gaining more and more recognition and has gradually become a well-known name both in Norway and Denmark, perhaps especially in Denmark where he has completed his education and still lives.
Magnus Aannestad Oseth (trumpet), Magne Arnesen (keys), Agnar Aspaas (bass)
Saturday 12 December: Christmas jazz cafe: Tom Hasslan - and a few more
Tom Hasslan (guitar) and others
Saturday 26 December: Christmas jam! Tom Hasslan with friends
Jazz Evidence continues the hugely popular tradition with a really juicy Christmas jam on Boxing Day. This is the absolute highlight of Christmas for many Kongsberg people and surpasses by a clear margin smaller events such as Christmas Eve and family dinners...
This year too, guitarist Tom Hasslan has been given the honorable task of being the musical organizer of the jam. We know him as an exceptionally fresh, original and swinging guitarist who has attracted great and deserved attention with the trio 'Krokofant' in recent years. His fellow musician in Krokofant, drummer Axel Skalstad, is of course also in the Christmas jam band. Even if at the time of writing it is not entirely clear which musicians they are bringing with them, the presence of these two gentlemen is enough assurance that it will be a hot one.
Tom Hasslan (guitar), Axel Skalstad (drums) + many more!
Photo: Dawid Laskowski (Large Unit) / Terje Mosnes (Arild Andersen sextet)
