The Thing with Barry Guy - Metal! (February 4, 2022 Catalytic-Sound)

Side A

1. Lanthanum

2. Cerium

Side B

1. Praseodymium

2. Neodymium

Side C

1. Promethium

2. Samarium

3. Europium

Side D

1. Gadolinium

2. Terbium

3. Dysprosium

4. Ride The Sky

Recorded live at Saint Catherine's Church, Vilnius, Lithuania on 3rd april, 2011.

Mats Gustafsson (STIM), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (TONO), Paal Nilssen-Love (TONO) & Barry Guy (TONO).

Mixed and mastered at MAMAstudios.

Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Saxophone [Slide] – Mats Gustafsson

Bass [Left Chanel] – Ingebrigt Håker Flaten

Bass [Right Chanel] – Barry Guy

Co-producer – Valerij Anosov

Composed By – Barry Guy (tracks: A1 to B1, C1 to D3), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (tracks: A1 to B1, C1 to D3), Mats Gustafsson (tracks: A1, A2, B2 to D3), Paal Nilssen-Love (tracks: A1, A2, B2 to D3)

Design – Oskaras Anosovas

Drums – Paal Nilssen-Love

Executive-Producer – Danas Mikailionis

Mixed By, Mastered By, Recorded By – Arūnas Zujus

Producer – Barry Guy, The Thing (2)

The Thing appears through courtesy of Smalltown Superjazzz & Supersound.

Limited edition of 600 records.

PRE-ORDER

Two Bands and a Legend - Two Bands and a Legend (February 4, 2022 Catalytic-Sound)

1. Who The Fuck

2. The Witch

3. Too Much Fun

4. Tekla Loo

5. Louie Louie

6. You Ain't Gonna Know Me 'Cos You Think You Know Me

7. The Nut

8. Baby Talk

9. I Can't Find My Mind

Bass, Vocals – Christian Engfelt

Co-producer – Joakim Haugland

Cover – Rune Mortensen

Double Bass, Electronics – Ingebrigt Håker Flaten

Drums – Jon Magne Riise*, Paal Nilssen-Love

Guitar, Organ, Theremin, Vocals – Bård Enerstad

Guitar, Vocals – Cato Thomassen

Liner Notes – Thurston Moore

Mastered By – Audun Strype

Mixed By – Cato Salsa (tracks: 1, 3 to 9), Francis Moon (tracks: 1, 3 to 9), Olof Madsen (tracks: 1, 3 to 9), PNL* (tracks: 1, 3 to 9)

Photography By [Photos] – Pål Nordseth

Producer – Cato Salsa Experience, The Thing (2)

Recorded By – Petter Heggli*

Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Electronics – Mats Gustafsson

Tenor Saxophone, Trumpet [Pocket], Vocals – Joe McPhee

Recorded at Grand Sport Studios in March 2005.

Mixed at Grand Sport Studios in May 2005, except "The Witch" which wasn't mixed.

Mastered at Strype Audio in January 2006.

PRE-ORDER

Brötzmann / Gustafsson / Nilssen-Love - The Fat Is Gone (November 10, 2021 trost records)

1. Bullets Through Rain 09:57

2. Colours In Action 28:53

3. The Fat Is Gone 22:34

This album was released in 2007 on Smalltown Superjazz

Peter Brötzmann - Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet

Mats Gustafsson - Baritone Saxophone, Flutophone

Paal Nilssen-Love - Drums, Percussion

PREORDER

Calle Neumann / Ketil Gutvik / Ingebrigt Håker Flaten / Paal Nilssen-Love - New Dance (Catalytic Sound 2021)

"In 2019 PNL Records released “Events 1998-1999” - a retrospective box-set of the short-lived but eventually legendary The Quintet from the late 90s. That box-set documented the meeting of two generation of Norwegian improvised free music – the older generation Calle Neumann and Bjørnar Andresen engaging with the new emerging talents of the time - Paal Nilssen-Love, Ketil Gutvik and Eivind Opsvik. Since that time Andresen had passed away, but for the release party of the box-set Neumann once again got together with Gutvik and Nilssen-Love. 

No longer the new blood, it was now a completely different meeting of musical minds, built on experience that didn’t exist 20 years ago. But it was also clearly a reunion of kindred spirits, people that share something special catching up through music. Of course this could not just be a one-off to promote a release, this had to become something more. And one year later the new line-up, now with Ingebrigt Håker Flaten on double bass (you don’t need two bass-players with Ingebrigt in the band), making the original quintet a quartet.

The self-titled debut album documents their live debut at Victoria Jazz Club in Oslo, recorded in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic in July 2020. The band recorded before the gig with the intent of a studio album, but the gig itself was such a special event, that it became clear that the album needed to document that performance in full.

Listening to the recording the identity of the musicians is clearly defined, but the music is full of surprises – going from extended full-on blasts to passages of subtle beauty, all delivered with a sense of adventure and humour that only musicians who are completely at ease with each other can deliver. New Dance is a new band for a new decade.

It’s also worth noticing that this is Neumann’s first new recording in more than a decade, which is cause for celebration in itself." - PNL

1. Å så et Frø 11:02

2. New Dance 30:53

3. Det er Kjærlighet 11:24

4. Dett var Dett 09:45

All music by Neumann, Gutvik, Håker Flaten, Nilssen-Love (TONO)

Carl Magnus Neumann - alto saxophone

Ketil Gutvik - acoustic and electric guitars

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten - double bass

Paal Nilssen-Love - drums & percussion

Live in concert at Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo, Norway, July 9th 2020

Live sound and recording by Louise Lavoll

Pre-mix by Jens Borge at Hjelp vi er i Studio, Stavanger, Norway

Final mix and mastering by Lasse Marhaug

Produced by Paal Nilssen-Love

Pre-order

Mats Gustafsson/Joe McPhee/Ingebrigt Håker/Paal Nilssen-Love - The Thing She Knows... (Hat Hut Records)

Live: THE THING | Ronnie Scotts | 21st October 2018

THE THING -  Ronnie Scotts

Sunday 21st October 2018

Doors: 6.30pm

Venue: Ronnie Scotts, 47 Frith Street, Soho, LONDON, W1D 4HT

Tickets: £12.50 - £27.50

MATS GUSTAFSSON tenor, soprano saxophone

INGEBRIGT HÅKER FLATEN double and el. bass

PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE drums

Mixing jazz with noise, avant-rock and punk, the music of The Thing has been described as ‘garage-jazz’ and ‘impro-punk’. The band, from Norway and Sweden, was established early 2000 and has grown into one of the most successful and hardest working free jazz trio’s around, traveling all over the world. They have performed with guests such as Joe McPhee, Ken Vandermark, Otomo Yoshihide, Jim O’Rourke, Thurston Moore, Terrie Ex, Peter Evans, Neneh Cherry and James ‘Blood’ Ulmer.

This Summer The Thing release Again

Extra Large Unit - More Fun Please (CATALYTIC SOUND 2018)

With a cast of 27 members, Paal Nilssen-Love's 'More Fun Please' more than doubles the Large Unit ensemble in size. This piece was commissioned for the Only Connect festival in Oslo and marks PNL records 40th release.

1. More Fun, Please 33:28

LARGE UNIT: Klaus Holm: Alto Saxophone: Bb Clarinet • Mats Äleklint: Trombone • Per Åke Holmlander: Tuba • Jon Rune Strøm: Acoustic Bass • Christian Meaas Svendsen: Acoustic Bass • Tommi Keránen: Electronics, Conduction • Andreas Wildhagen: Drums • Paal Nilssen-Love: Drums, Conduction 

INTUITIVE PEOPLE: Julie Helgeland Davidsen: Flute, Picolo Flute • Reindert Spanhove: Tenor Saxophone • Markus Dvergastein: Guitar • Torunn Hofstad: Violin • Maria Quevedo Meloni: Cello • Rebekka Eikefet: Cello • Torstein Johansen: Acoustic Bass • Håkon Bjørgo: Acoustic Bass • Tatia Chikovani: Piano • Joao Grilo: Piano • Shayila Mahestuti: Piano • Ásta Sofia Thorrgeirsdóttir: Accordion • Mykola Sheremeta: Accordion • Kalle Moberg: Accordion • Richard Köster: Trumpet, Conduction • Edo Hayek: French Horn • Eirik Sanner: Euphonium • Mats Hägerlind: Trombone • Magnus Breivik Løvseth: Tuba • Torgrim Halse: Percussion. 

All music by Paal Nilssen-Love (TONO/Cien Fuegos). 

Recorded live in concert at Sentralen, Oslo, Norway on the 20th of May 2017, as a commissoned piece by Ny Musikk for the Only Connect festival, with support from Arts Council Norway. 

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Christian Brynildsen Obermayer. Produced by Paal Nilssen-Love.

Shows

May 20

The Green Door Store

Brighton, UK

Jun 23

Wil-mar Center

Madison, WI

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

The Thing with Joe McPhee - She Knows (2018)

1. To Bring You My Love 07:53

2. The Thing 08:51

3. Baby Talk 07:56

4. Kathelin Gray 06:59

5. Going Home 05:51

6. For Real 10:28

7. Old Eyes 07:56

Mats Gustafsson - tenor and baritone sax

Ingebrigt Haker Flaten - double bass

Paal Nilssen-Love - drums

Joe McPhee - tenor sax, pocket trumpet

The Thing - Mono (2018)

1. Viking 08:52

2. Alfie's Theme 06:15

3. Bruremarsj 03:48

4. Triple Fox 08:57

5. Silver Slipper 02:24

Recorded 31st January - 1st February in MONO at Headgap Studios, Melbourne, Australia.

Mastered at 14th April 2011 at Chicago Mastering Service.

Released February 6, 2018.

Mats Gustafsson: Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten: Bass

Paal Nilssen-Love: Drums

Rune Mortensen: Design

Joakim Haugland: Executive-producer

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Bob Weston: Mastering

The Thing: Producer

Casey Rice: Recorded

Neneh Cherry & The Thing - The Cherry Thing Remixes (2018)

Original tracks recorded at Harder Sound Studios, London, England, and Atlantis Studios, Stockholm, Sweden. 

Original tracks appear on the album Neneh Cherry & The Thing "The Cherry Thing" (STS229LP/CD).

1. What Reason Could I Give (Remix By Kim Hiorthøy) 04:46

2. Dream Baby Dream (Remix By Four Tet) 08:45

3. Accordion (Remix By Hortlax Cobra) 04:51

4. What Reason Could I Give (Remix By Carmen Villain) 04:35

5. Accordion (Remix By Jim O'Rourke) 06:11

6. Cashback (Remix By Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas) 09:54

7. Sudden Moment (Remix By Merzbow) 08:22

8. Golden Heart (Remix By Nymph) 05:00

9. Dirt (Remix By Christof Kurzmann) 06:01

10. Golden Heart (Poole Blount Legacy Dub) (Remix By Lasse Marhaug) 06:40

Performed by Neneh Cherry & The Thing: Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Mats Gustafsson, Neneh Cherry, Paal Nilssen-Love 

Mastering: Chris Sansom 

Kim Hiorthøy: Design

Two Bands And A Legend - Two Bands And A Legend (2018)

Two Bands And A Legend is formed by The Thing, Cato Salsa Experience and Joe Mcphee 

Recorded at Grand Sport Studios in March 2005. 

Mixed at Grand Sport Studios in May 2005, except "The Witch" which wasn't mixed. 

Mastered at Strype Audio in January 2006.

1. Who The Fuck 02:36

2. The Witch 04:12

3. Too Much Fun 01:40

4. Tekla Loo 06:00

5. Louie, Louie 05:39

6. You Ain't Gonna Know Me 'Cos You Think You Know Me 07:36

7. The Nut 07:36

8. Baby Talk 04:03

9. I Can't Find My Mind 06:51

Christian Engfelt: Bass, Vocals

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten: Double Bass, Electronics

Jon Magne Riise, Paal Nilssen-Love: Drums

Bård Enerstad: Guitar, Organ, Theremin, Vocals

Cato Thomassen: Guitar, Vocals

Mats Gustafsson: Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Electronics

Joe McPhee: Tenor Saxophone, Trumpet (Pocket), Vocals

The Thing with Otomo Yoshihide - Shinjuku Crawl (2018)

Recorded live at Pit Inn, Tokio, on 2nd October 2007

Mixed at Chicago Mastering Service on April 3rd, 2009

Mastered Chicago Mastering Service on April 11th, 2009

Released on Smalltown Superjazz 2009

1. Shinjuku Crawl, First Attempt 15:18

2. Shinjuku Crawl, Second Attempt 09:47

3. Shinjuku Crawl, Third Attempt 15:56

4. Uramado (Thank You Mr. Fukuoka) 05:01

5. Dori Dugout, Part 1 07:22

6. Dori Dugout, Part 2 13:09

Mats Gustafsson: Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Saxophone

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten: Bass

Paal Nilssen-Love: Drums

Otomo Yoshihide: Guitar

Bob Weston: Mastering 

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Bob Weston: Mix

Original Silence - The Second Original Silence (2018)

Pristinely recorded at a 2006 Italy performance, this is another outstanding work from Thurston Moore, Jim O'Rourke, and Mats Gustafsson's improvisational noise/jazz/rock ensemble.

1. Argument Left Hanging - Rubber Cement 07:34

2. A Sweeping Parade Of Optimism - Blood Streak 22:23

3. High Trees & A Few Birds - The Doll's Reflection 18:31

4. Crepescular Refractions - Mystery Eye 08:24

Mats Gustafsson: baritone sax, live electronics

Thurston Moore: guitar

Jim O'Rourke: electronica

Terrie X: guitar

Massimo Pupillo: electric bass

Paal Nilssen-Love: drums

The Thing - Bag It! (2018)

Recorded Jan 17-18th, 2008 at Electrical Audio Studios, Chicago

Mixed Jan 19-20th, 2008 at Electrical Audio Studios, Chicago

Mastered April 3rd, 2008 at Chicago Mastering Service, Chicago

Released o Smalltown Superjazz 2009

1. Hidegen Fujnak A Szelek 05:03

2. Drop The Gun 06:08

3. Bag It! 09:41

4. Snusvisan 04:54

5. Hot Doug 08:46

6. Mystery Song 04:57

7. Angels 07:03

8. Beef Brisket (For Ruby's) 30:41

Ingebrigt Haker Flaten: Bass, Electronics

Paal Nilssen-Love: Drums

Mats Gustafsson: Saxophone, Electronics

Rune Mortensen: Design

Steve Albini: Engineer

Bob Weston: Mastering

Roberto (Bear) Guerra: Photography

The Thing - Action Jazz (2018)

Recorded and mixed at Atlantis Studio, Stockholm

Released on Smalltown Superjazz 2006

1. Sounds like a sandwich 02:04

2. Chiasma 04:58

3. Broken Shadows 02:28

4. Ride the Sky 02:13

5. Better Living 07:25

6. Danny's Dream 07:33

7. The Nut the Light 06:38

8. Through BBQ 09:10

9. Strayhorn 07:03

Saxophone [Grafton Plastic Alto], Baritone Saxophone, Slide Saxophone – Mats Gustafsson

Double Bass – Ingebrigt Håker Flaten

Drums, Percussion – Paal Nilssen-Love

The Thing with Jim O'Rourke - Shinjuku Growl (2018)

Released on Smalltown Superjazz 2010

1. THE - If Not Ecstatic, We Replay 22:41

2. Half A Dog Can't Even Take A Shit 14:58

3. I Can't, My Mouth Is Already Full 09:19

4. Shinjuku Growl 09:29

Mats Gustafsson: Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone

Ingebrigt Haaker Flaten: Bass

Paal Nilssen-Love: Drums

Jim O'Rourke: Guitar

Rune Mortensen: Design

Mastering: Audun Strype

Yasuo Fujimura: Recorded

Large Unit - Fluku (PNL Records 2017)

Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love’s big band Large Unit returns with its third album, following the monster multi-disc statement “Erta Ale” in 2014 and last year’s “ANA” (which incorporated an expanded line-up of Brazilian musicians/influences). “Fluku” finds the band scaled down to its 12-member core, and can perhaps be seen as the first “regular” Large Unit album, although there is never anything regular about this constantly evolving band. 

“Fluku” was recorded in Oslo in 2016, and unlike “ANA”, which was recorded in the middle of a frenzied year of extensive touring (as documented in the “2015” tour photo-book/2CD set), this is a document of a band confident in themselves, with members not just following the band leader’s guidance, but as also letting their individual voices contribute to the whole. New to the line-up is sax player Kristoffer Berre Alberts, expanding and giving the band a more present front section. 

The album’s centerpiece is the 26-minute long opening title track, which shows a new side of Nilssen-Love as a composer, working with orchestrating and voicing of chords in a way that will surprise those who have followed the band from the beginning. The track will also become a benchmark for guitarist Ketil Gutvik, who displays an impressive range, with traces of both Sharrock and McLaughlin in his playing. Another standout is the track “Springsummer”, which could almost be called a ballad. 

“Fluku” shows that Large Unit isn’t a short-lived big band vanity project. Large Unit is a band that’s here to stay, and they’ve got a lot more up their sleeves.

1. Fluku 25:54

2. Springsummer 05:46

3. Playgo 16:22

4. Happy Slappy 09:42

Julie Kjær - alto saxophone, flute 

Klaus Ellerhusen Holm - Bb clarinet, alto and baritone saxophone 

Kristoffer Berre Alberts - alto and tenor saxophone 

Thomas Johansson - trumpet 

Mats Äleklint - trombone 

Per Åke Holmlander - tuba 

Ketil Gutvik - electric guitar 

Tommi Keränen - electronics 

Jon Rune Strøm - electric and double bass 

Christian Meaas Svendsen - electric and double bass 

Andreas Wildhagen - drums and percussion 

Paal Nilssen-Love - drums and percussion 

Christian Brynildsen Obermayer - live sound 

Recorded 8th of April 2016 at Victoria, Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo. 

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Christian Brynildsen Obermayer. 

Photo by Petra Cvelbar. Cover art by Lasse Marhaug. 

All music by Paal Nilssen-Love (TONO/Cien Fuegos). 

Thanks to Fond for Lyd og Bilde for supporting this production. 

Thanks also to Nasjonal Jazzscene, Arts Council Norway, Norsk Jazzforum, Music Norway and Fund for Performing Artists.

James Blood Ulmer & The Thing - Baby Talk (TROST RECORDS 2017)

And what’s The Thing? In short – as I’m sure you all know them; it’s a tour de force jazz mulisha at its very finest, never afraid – always ready to throw bold ideas in the mix, run it over a couple of times, and spit it out. Composed by a trio musicians who’s played with everyone everywhere. Reading their individual discography is exhausting. With reedist Mats Gustafsson, (Fire! Orchestra, and releasing albums with everyone on the free jazz scene, it feels like), bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (Atomic, Fredrik Nordström Quintet, Townhouse Orchestra and many, many others) and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love (Atomic, Frode Gjerstad Trio, The Peter Brötzmann Chicago tentet just to mention a few) – The Thing is …The Thing.

But it is also a band which happens to often meet with their heroes, live and on tape. We, fans of The Thing, have been blessed with great releases such as Immediate Sound (2001, with Ken Vandermark), Collider (2016, with DKV Trio) and Metal (2012, with Barry Guy), just to mention a few. In that aspect it’s not that surprising to see James Blood Ulmer taking the stage with The Thing during the 2015 Molde International Jazz Festival.

Before listening to this album I sat for a while just staring at the cover. What was this going to be like? I was starting to feel afraid that on this album I would hear The Thing either eat Ulmer alive, especially live, with Mats Gustafsson leading the way like a rabid dog. Or that The Thing would fall flat, not knowing how to see eye to eye with the legendary Ulmer. But all these feelings are of course silly, knowing what these people are capable of, on their own – or with others. What was there to worry about?

On this album I hear nothing else than the greatest of respect to what James Blood Ulmer is, whatever that is, and also with the soul, passion and force that is The Thing, intact.

The 4 original Ulmer compositions are all treated with great care albeit twisted, turned and re-invented.

It starts off with ‘Interview’. Ulmer introduces the theme which is a dissonant run of notes which Ingebrigt Håker Flaten follows just behind, like a chase. It’s very elegant. We’re not left with who’s winning though, Flaten leaves Ulmer for another direction and changes the pace. He’s inviting the others to the party. Nilssen-Love and Gustafsson jumps straight in. The elegant chase is transformed into an intense dance. Ulmer’s not late to join The Thing in their typical way of playing while still keeping his distinct and personal tone.

Second song ‘High Yellow’ is also introduced by Ulmer, however this time there’s less patience shown before The Thing picks up the pace to start twisting the song around. Nilsson-Love can really be heard like the master he is in this song. He’s got such a big sound, yet I love how he’s a participator and a creative force throughout the album. However Ulmer’s never left alone, and is never drowned. Mats joins and immediately brings his best lyrical playing to the table. They all bring on the full intensity for a couple of minutes, making sure they’ve explored every corner of the song, before eventually they start to stumble, almost like rolling an uneven stone down a hill, towards those last notes. Ulmer closes the song and I wonder where this is going.

I couldn’t have expected what was to come. Ulmer introduces a kind of naïve tune, or something from a children’s songbook – ‘Baby Talk’ is the name of the third song. The Thing accepts the challenge and starts the adventure with changing around the tune in different directions. You can always here Ulmer right there, he never misses a note, even when Gustafsson brings on his best (worst?) nightmare. Eventually we’re brought back to the original theme and it’s over.

The last song ‘Proof’ is one scary yet fantastic piece of music.

It’s lyrical, simple, bluesy, dark, sad and absolutely brilliant. I sat like on needles waiting for Mats to join in. He does, but perhaps not like you’d think. Not together with Flaten and Nilsson-Love, not like a speeding train, and not alone like a whirling dervish in some manic mental state of mind. The Thing waits patiently while Ulmer sets the stage before Mats edgy baryton starts to sing together with Ulmer; moaning & calling. Ingebrigt’s bass is heard surrounding them like someone walking right beside them. Is he a friend or a foe? Mats pleading and calling builds up with increasing intensity while Ulmer keeps playing the theme repeatedly, with small varations.

About half-way through the song, scene changes. The tension that has been built up must be released. There’s no other solution than to ask for help. Nilsson-Love to the rescue. He’s leading the way, guiding Ulmer, Gustafsson and Flaten back to safety. We’re left with that great feeling you get after hearing something very special. If only there was more songs. 33 minutes is not enough. I’m not sure there will be that many opportunities to hear James Blood Ulmer & The Thing together again, if ever.

Having said that, I highly recommend that you pick this one up. By Gustav Lindqvist / freejazzblog.org

Boneshaker (Williams, Nilssen-Love, Kessler) - Thinking Out Loud (TROST RECORDS 2017)

Boneshaker are Mars Williams (reeds, toy instruments), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums & percussion) and Kent Kessler (bass), three prolific powerhouse musicians, carrying among them a Grammy nomination and decades of experience with the top ensembles in the world. Thinking Out Loud is their third album.

1. Brain Freeze 14:12

2. Puffy Fluffy 06:01

3. Salty Fruity 16:11

4. Wabi Sabi 05:19

Mars Williams : Reeds, Toy Instruments

Paal Nilssen-Love : Drums & Percussion

Kent Kessler: Bass