Not Two, 2014 | MW 913-2 | CD
Frode Gjerstad – alto sax, clarinet | Jon Rune Strøm – acoustic bass | Paal Nilssen-Love – drums
Recorded at DOM Cultural Center, Moscow by Maxim Khaikin on December 11th 2013. Mixed and mastered by Frode Gjerstad. Cover design by Malgorzate Lipinska.
Tracklist: 1. Boris [33:17] 2. Kirill [28:55]
After two decades of trios
with various international musicians, this is Frode Gjerstads first all-Norwegian trio. And it is a significant move towards a Nordic improvised sound. In the past, he has played in trios with Hamid Drake, William Parker, John Stevens, Johnny Dyani, Kent Carter, Wilber Morris and Rashid Bakr, John Edwards and Mark Sanders.
This trio has made 8 recordings so far: “Last First” on the US label, Falcata-Galica. A studio-recording from November -99 when the group was quite fresh. Then came a live recording from September 2000 in Oslo, “The Blessing Light” on Cadence Jazz Records. This CD is dedicated to the late British drummer, John Stevens. “Sharp knives cut deeper” with Peter Brøtzmann on the Italian label Splash came in-03, “St.Louis” is a live recording from our 2002 US tour that came out on FMR in -04 and in 2005 we recorded “mothers & fathers”. In 2007 we recorded “Nothing is forever” at a concert in Oslo. Then there is “MIR” recorded in 2010 at cafe MIR, Oslo. This was the first try out for the new trio. And the “East of West” was recorded in April 2011.
The trio has so far toured and/or played festivals in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Poland, Germany, Slovenia, Kroatia, Italy, New Zealand, Russia, England, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, USA and Canada.
Paal Nilssen-Love
first started playing with Frode Gjerstad when he was 15. Since then, he has become one of the most active musicians of the new generation in Norway. He has also played and recorded with international sax-players Mats Gustavsson, Joe McPhee, Ken Vandermark and many, many more! He is now traveling the world and also is a permanent member of the Brøtzmann Tentette.
Jon Rune Strøm
now plays bass in the trio. We first played with him last September in Oslo at the MIR club. A CD form the gig will be out soon, called MIR. Then we did a tour in May with him. Before the tour, we rehearsed a couple of days and also recorded. So another CD is on it´s way “East of West”. I feel very excited playing with Jon Rune and I think we are moving into something else…
This trio has a freshness which the big names in London and New York find it hard to muster these days. — Ben Watson, Hi-Fi News
This band often performs with a distinct sense of spiritualism to coincide with an abundance of hearty soloing and curiously interesting three-way dialogue. — Glenn Astarita, All about Jazz
CD version (incl. shipment cost world-wide)