Paal Nilssen-Love is a drummer with punk roots, but also an avid collector of vinyl records and shoes. The Norwegian artist needs no introduction to jazz lovers in Kraków – he performed here last year with the Stockholm trio The Thing.
He’s also a composer an improviser, one of the most significant figures on Europe’s free jazz scene today, and one of Norway’s most creative musicians. He records and performs with Ken Vandermark, Dave Rempis, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Sabir Mateen, Bobby Bradford, Jim O’Rourke, Terry Ex, Thurston Moor, Peter Brötzmann, Evan Parker and Mats Gustafsson. Nilssen-Love also runs his own label, PNL Records. A fun fact is that he was practically raised in a jazz club – his parents used to run one in Stavanger. That might explain why, for a long time, he avoided jazz sounds. He was however always drawn to the drums, the instrument his father played.
Last year he decided to part with the group Atomic in order to focus on performing with Large Unit, created in 2013. Some of his tangible inspirations include Peter Brötzmann’s Chicago Tentet, Ken Vandermark’s Territory Band and Frode Gjerstad’s Circulasione Totale Orchestra. The band is made up of young Scandinavian musicians involved in the improvised music scene. Their first record was a live performance from Molde Jazz Festival (2013), and it sold out like a flash. Next came a three-disc album, recorded during a tour of Norway in January and February of 2014 – Erta Ale was released in October 2014. Last year the band performed at, among others, Moers Festival, Kongsberg Jazzfestival, and Blow Out! in Oslo. The band embarked on an extensive tour at the end of this summer.
Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit is:
Paal Nilssen-Love, Thomas Johansson (trumpet), Mats Äleklint (trombone), Kasper Værnes (saxophones), Klaus Holm (saxophones), Lasse Marhaug (electronics), Ketil Gutvik (guitar), Jon Rune Strøm (bass), Christian Meaas Svendsen (bass), Andreas Wildhagen (drums).
Nilssen-Love says that Large Unit is his response to traditional big bands. Subtle explorations in new sounds combine with frenzied drums. And while the compositions are created by Paal Nilssen-Love, the band members are free to drift into improvisation, experiment with dynamics and energy, and sometimes even form smaller subgroups. Together, they form a huge source of musical energy. Euan Andrews from Rock-A-Rolla called them “one hell of a monolithic jazz colossus”. Now that’s one hell of a recommendation.
Tickets 30 PLN in advance, 40 PLN on the day of the show
Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow MOCAK
ul. Lipowa 4
