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Mats Aleklint/Per-Ake Holmlander/Paal Nilssen-Love: Fish & Steel
ByThe members of this trio have deep backgrounds in free jazz and have worked with many of the best in the bleeding-edge sub-genre. Nilssen-Love is best known for his projects with Ken Vandermark, and both Holmlander and Nilssen-Love have recorded with Joe McPhee, Mats Gustafsson and Peter Brötzmann. Åleklint has been a member of Angles 9 since the group's inception and he was a long-time member of Fire! Orchestra.
The formation of trombone, tuba, and drums gives the music an unusual low-end sound throughout. It falls on Nilssen-Love to add the sharper contrasts to an otherwise rounded sound. The two lengthy improvisations on Fish & Steel, each run close to half-an-hour. "Blow Out" features solos, duos, and group improvisations, the latter being the most prominent. The piece is often melodic, sometimes drone-like, but rarely noisy. "Sångbolaget" is the more animated of the two tracks, driven by Nilssen-Love's vigorous stick work and Holmlander's bass-like tuba lines.
The improvisations on Fish & Steel seem to come so naturally that they sometimes feel composed; it is likely that is the halo effects of their history together and an affinity for the avant-garde. Embedded in the two pieces are many vignettes; occasionally they exude probing urgency or joyful bounciness abbreviating the gulf between free jazz and approachable fun. The depth and range of the players are fascinating as is the music.
Track Listing
Blow Out; Sångbolaget.
Personnel
Paal Nilssen-Love
drumsMats Å̈leklint: trombone; Per-Äke Holmlander: tuba; Paal Nilssen-Love: drums, percussion.
Album information
Title: Fish & Steel | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: PNL
Comments
About Paal Nilssen-Love
Instrument: Drums
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