Two of the world leading exponents in Free Jazz/avant garde music, Live at the SoundOut Festival 2018 in Canberra, Australia. Not much needs to be said of these two exceptional artists but here Sten and Paal spin abstraction, lyricism and ferocity into a compelling tour-de-force of artistic brilliance.
Sten Sandell: pianist/vocals, Sweden
Paal Nilssen-Love: drummer, Norway
Sten Sandell: pianist/vocals
Sten is in a greater context a Composer / musician / producer - piano, organ, voice, electronics Artist. Sound/Text/Image Real-Time Composer, Doctor of Philosophy In Fine Arts in Musical Performance and Interpretation, University of Gothenburg, 2013. He has cooperated with musicians/composers including Emil Strandberg, Paal Nilssen-Love, Sverrir Gudjonsson, Johan Berthling, Evan Parker, Sven-Åke Johansson, Chris Cutler, Mats Persson, Sofia Jernberg, Carl-Axel Dominique, Mats Gustafsson, Nina de Heney and Raymond Strid. Music Inside the Language was winner of Contemporary Sound in 2011 of the Journal Contemporary Music. Music and visual arts, including Bo Samuelsson, Katarina Eismann, Inger Arvidsson. Music and dance, including Jukka Korpi, Ingrid Olterman, Bo Arenander, Anne Külper. Music and Drama including Fredrik Nyberg, Magnus Florin, Magnus Jacobsson, Willy Kyrklund, Karl Dunér, Rolf Skoglund, Peter Oskarson, Stina Ekblad and Jörgen Gassilewski. Sten Sandell was awarded the Royal Academy of Music’s Jazz Award in 2012 with the motivation: "The pianist Sten Sandell is one of Swedish improvised music’s most brilliant, captivating and independent voices. His musical activities are characterized by a strong artistic integrity, and he has with great consistency developed a characteristic aesthetic attitude that inspires countless musicians.
www.stensandell.com
Paal Nilssen-Love: drummer
Paal a seminal musician in the new wave of artists that play in many contexts. All bands, although various styles and musical versatility in general, represent important pieces that make up a total, and all bands are formed or joined with a clear vision. Today Paal’s portfolio includes Atomic, School Days, The Thing, Frode Gjerstad Trio, Sten Sandell Trio, Scorch Trio, Territory Band, FME, and various duo projects such as with reedmen Ken Vandermark, John Butcher, Mats Gustafsson, organist Nils Henrik Asheim, noise wizard Lasse Marhaug, and not to forget the recently now defunct but nevertheless brilliant Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet. Before turning 30 Paal has stated his position as one of the most profiled drummers in Europe today, he has made numberless performances at festivals and clubs in Europe and USA and participated on more than 50 recordings. He runs his own annual festival – All Ears - for improvised music in Oslo, which is an important part of his musical life, and he plans to start his own recording label for vinyl productions. Like Pat Metheny put it in 2002, after having played with Paal at Molde International Jazz festival: “He is simply one of the best new musicians I’ve heard during the latest years!” And after having heard Paal in 9 different settings at the same festival, Down Beat reporter Dan Quelette stated: “His week at Molde proved a revelation: Nilssen-Love is one of the most innovative, dynamic and versatile drummers in jazz!”
www.paalnilssen-love.com
released September 23, 2018
Recorded at the SoundOut festival on February 3rd and 4th 2018, by Kimmo Vennenon.
Mixed and edited by Kimmo and mastered by Richard Johnson.
Cover photo and design by Richard Johnson.
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