Frode Gjerstad / Kent Carter / John Stevens - Detail​-​90 (August 2021 NoBusiness Records)

1. Detail - 90A 17:21

2. Detail - 90B 21:56

Frode Gjerstad - alto saxophone

Kent Carter - bass

John Stevens - drums

Recorded on 21st November, 1990 at NRK-studios in Stavanger by Per Ravnås

All music by Gjerstad (TONO), Carter (SACEM) and Stevens (PRS)

PRE-ORDER

Frode Gjerstad Trio + Steve Swell - Bop Stop (CLEAN FEED RECORDS 2018)

Frode Gjerstad’s name can be legendary in Norway and all the European continent, due to the fact that he was practically the only one to contrast himself, from the beginning, to the saxophone style which defined the Scandinavian approach to jazz for 40 years, the one defined by Jan Garbarek, but his trio with Jon Rune Strom and Paal Nilssen-Love is relatively new on the scene. It started in 2011 and there’s only another recording with trombonist Steve Swell as special guest, “At Constellation”, from 2015. Of course, there were some previous cumplicities between these musicians: Nilssen-Love was a member of Gjerstad’s Circulasione Totale Orchestra since 1992 and the alto saxophonist and clarinetist played with Swell in several occasions, mostly when visiting the United States.

Musically, the quartet proposes a very particular kind of free improvised music with strong connections to the free jazz tradition, reinforced by the participation of the American who collaborated with the likes of Cecil Taylor, Bill Dixon and Anthony Braxton. The energy level is very high, but the delivery isn’t always on the red: lots of dynamics and sudden contrasts keep the group interactions interesting and unpredictable. Frode Gjerstad’s approach to improvisation is distinctive in itself: he’s a melodic player, even if asymetrical, and he prefers the “old school” jazz phrasing to «reed-fueled bric-a-brac», as a music critic once wrote, managing to present it as if it’s a novelty.

1 Bop Stop 18:06

2 Stop Bop 9:51

3 Pop Bop 16:00

4 Post Stop 8:24

Frode Gjerstad  alto saxophone

Steve Swell  trombone

Jon Rune Strøm  double bass

Paal Nilssen-Love  drums & percussion

All Music By Frode Gjerstad (Tono), Steve Swell (Steve Swell Music/Bmi), Jon Rune Strøm (Tono), Paal Nilssen-Love (Tono/Cien Fuegos)

Recorded live in performance on the 17th of September 2017 At The Bop Stop, Cleveland Oh, Usa | Recorded, mixed and mastered by Frode Gjerstad

Produced by Frode Gjerstad, Steve Swell,Jon Rune Strøm and Paal Nilssen-Love | Executive production by Pedro Costa for Trem Azul | Design by Travassos

Frode Gjerstad feat. Hamid Drake and William Parker - Frode Gjerstad with Hamid Drake and William Parker (4-CD box-set) NOT TWO RECORDS 2018

Featuring Frode Gjerstad on alto sax & clarinet, William Parker on contrabass and Hamid Drake on drums & percussion. Norwegian saxist Frode Gjerstad is one of the most prolific and hard working of all European saxists, a career that stretches back some forty plus years, with upwards of 100 releases during his long tenure. Mr. Gjerstad is forever juggling several bands simultaneously: Detail (with John Stevens & Johnny Dyani), Calling Signals (with Nick Stephens), Ultralyd (Scandinavian noise/rock) and his current trio with Jon Rune Strom & Paal Nilssen-Love. Gjerstad always chooses master musicians from around the world to collaborate with: Bobby Bradford, Louis Moholo, Derek Bailey and Peter Brotzmann. One of the best groups that Mr. Gjerstad has organized is with the amazing rhythm team of William Parker and Hamid Drake. 

CD A:Ultima

1. Ultima part1:  15:29

2. Ultima part 2:  12:22

3. Ultima part 3:  18:48

4. Ultima part 4:  11:48

CD B: Remember to Forget

1. Remember: 38:11

part 1: 12:52

part 2: 11:35

part 3: 13:44

2. Forget:  29:26

part 1: 10:54

part 2: 11:10

part 3: 7:22

CD C: The Other Side

1. First cut: 17:42

2. The duo:  9:46

3. This side:  15:38

4. Williams bass:  6:48

5. The other duo:  5:58

CD D:On Reade Street

1. The street:  21:40

2. The houses:  11:17

3. The people:  23:58

​Frode Gjerstad - reeds

Hamid Drake - drums

William Parker - bass

Borah Bergman / Peter Brötzmann / Frode Gjerstad - Left (2016) NOT TWO RECORDS

present

Borah Bergman / Peter Brötzmann / Frode Gjerstad - Left (2016)

"Borah Bergman was my favorite pianist. One of the few pianists who can work with me at all."

Peter Brötzmann

"One of the greatest pianists of our time."

John Zorn 

"Borah Bergman is perhaps the most technically accomplished pianist in jazz -- and if he's not at the top, then he's certainly on a short list of two."

Chris Kelsey

Featuring Borah Bergman on piano, Peter Brotzmann on ten or sax, bass clarinet & taragato and Frode Gjerstad on alto sax. This set was recorded live at the Molde International Jazz Festival in Norway in July of 1996. When Borah Bergman passed in 2012, we lost one of the finest and most distinctive pianists to emerge from New York in the past century. Mr. Bergman has recorded duo CDs with both Mr. Brotzmann and Mr. Gjerstad in the past, as well as a couple of trios with Anthony Braxton or Andrew Cyrille.

Mr. Brotzmann erupts with his unique, clarion call tenor right from the first note. He is soon joined by Mr. Bergman’s explosive piano and later by Mr. Gerstad’s equally distinctive, bent-note cluster. The sound here is superb, the performance well-balanced and well-recorded. There are three long pieces here, each with the word “Left” in the title as in “Left Hand”. Mr. Bergman was well-known for his singular-style ambidextrous playing, even recording an entire album side of just his left hand at the piano. What makes this combination so intriguing is that Mr. Bergman is often balancing two separate lines or strategies with each hand as well as interacting with each saxist independently. This makes for some fascinating listening which requires some deep concentration as two strong forces shift between different poles. Both Mr. Brotzmann (on tenor or clarinet) and Mr. Gerstad are well-matched saxists. Sometimes Brotzmann slows down to carefully bend certain notes while Gjerstad speeds up, interjecting occasional streams of notes. I like that this session is not all, over-the-top bluster, there are a number of more stark moments which are filled with suspense and thoughtful ruminations. This is a colossal trio effort that had me at the edge of my seat throughout its 55 minute length.

(Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG

1. Left hand 18:23

2. Left us 11:54

3. Left out 24:47

Borah Bergman: piano

Peter Brötzmann: tenor sax, clarinet and tarogato

Frode Gjerstad: alto sax

Recorded at Molde International Jazzfestival, July 17, 1996

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