Label: Action Jazz, 2025

Personnel - Kjetil Møster: tenor saxophone, percussion, baritone saxophone; Signe Emmeluth: alto saxophone, flute, percussion; André Roligheten: tenor saxophone, bass saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, flute, percussion; Petter Eldh: double bass, percussion; Gard Nilssen: drums, percussion + Jonas Alaska: vocals, guitar (#9).

Norwegian jazz drummer Gard Nilssen continues to build an impressive body of original work, whether leading his Supersonic Orchestra or his Acoustic Unity. Delivered with the latter trio, his latest outing, Great Intentions, broadens the sonic spectrum with the addition of saxophonists Kjetil Møster and Signe Emmeluth, who join André Roligheten on the frontline. Their presence enriches the orchestration and fuels a series of striking, outward-looking improvisational displays. Nilssen and the ever-inventive Swedish bassist Petter Eldh form the backbone of this chord-less project, navigating ferocious dynamic surges and intimate retreats with contemporary flair and discernment.

The album revolves around the idea of communication, and Roligheten’s “Swedish Delight” encapsulates this spirit through a relaxed, melodic flow guided by his bass clarinet. Gentle, chamber-like passages are wrapped in cymbal legato, before a brisk section in nine leads into Eldh’s unaccompanied bass soliloquy. The virtuosic bassist contributes “Bankebrett”, a rhythmically adventurous piece that moves through shifting tempos, blending Fela Kuti-inspired African folk elements, hard-swinging post-bop, and avant-jazz urgency.

Paul McCartney’s 1980 soft-rock tune “Waterfalls” is reimagined with surprising freshness, delicately rendered with attentive sensitivity, while Møster’s “The Root” unfolds as a color-shifting journey that subtly recalls Sun Ra and his Arkestra. After a jubilant percussive opening, a nine-beat groove rises organically, speckled with vigorous bass saxophone tongue slaps. The horn players roam freely before an unexpected final turn introduces Norwegian singer-songwriter Jonas Alaska.

Both the writing and the performances are consistently high-level, though the Nilssen–Roligheten partnership stands out in compositional terms. Their “Telemark Twist” balances a clear, anthemic melody against an exuberant African pulse, enlivened by counterpoint and staccato accents. Emmeluth’s alto sax rides a frenetic calypso groove, soon answered by Møster’s raw, emotionally charged tenor outbursts. “Ostronology”, a dazzling homage to Eldh, combines playful staccato figures with contrapuntal elegance, a trenchant groove, and searing improvisation. Møster’s baritone solo reinforces the piece’s muscular drive before the rhythm section shifts gears into a blazing swing, setting the stage for a bop-inflected alto excursion from Emmeluth. “John Wayne”, an uptempo piece in six, is equally fluid and gripping, carrying the energetic sweep of the westerns starred by the actor mentioned in the title.

Nilssen once again proves himself a master rhythmic architect, seamlessly connecting all these threads. His collaborators clearly relish the challenges, and Great Intentions stands as yet another strong statement from one of today’s most imaginative and compelling drummers.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Telemark Twist ► 03 - Bankebritt ► 05 - Ostronology ► 09 - The Root

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - André Roligheten: tenor, soprano and bass saxophones, clarinet; Petter Eldh: acoustic bass; Gard Nilssen: drums.

The fourth album of Norwegian drummer Gard Nilssen’s Acoustic Unity, the first on the ECM Records, doesn’t low the bar set on previous recordings, displaying a well-oiled trio with as much lyricism as rhythmic inventiveness. As habitually happens, multi-reedist André Roligheten and bassist Petter Eldh are in tune with Nilssen’s vision, and the eleven compositions on Elastic Wave succeed one another with tapestries littered with dizzying propulsion and soulfully intoned melodies.

With the opening track, “Altaret”, the trio transpires devotional lyricism, falling into a calm, sweet mode that resonates emphatically with the listener. Before its close, there’s a brushed folk-infused vamp enhancing beautiful brights. Following a similar pathway, “Spending Time with Ludvig”, intertwines folk and avant-garde jazz, recalling the spirituals of Albert Ayler, Pharaoh Sanders, and Archie Shepp. The tune, written for Nilssen’s young son, shapes up and builds momentum through genuine saxophone expressions, dancing basslines, and a highly articulated drum flow.

Another piece rooted in the vernacular of folk and straddling traditions is “The Room Next to Her”, where the deep aphorisms pronounced by the bass saxophone mix with the impeccable tom-tom rumbles and cymbal crashes of the bandleader. This earthly feel contrasts with the ethereal spirituality found on “Lokket til Jon, og skjerfet Paul”, a ballad that honors drummers Jon Christensen and Paul Motian, mentioning their cymbal and scarf, respectively, in the title.

If Eldh’s “Dreignau” enables us to feel the silkiness of the clarinet, a nonuple meter that shifts along the way, and an impeccable ground layer that defines its pulse, then “The Other Village” features Roligheten’s two-horn signature blowing, meaning he plays the tenor and soprano saxes simultaneously. It’s hard not to succumb to accented-themed avant-garde thrusters such as “Influx Delight”, with its tireless bass and drums flow; “Acoustic Dance Music”, which bounds into an energetic hard-swinging motion; and “Boogie”, an upbeat, staccato-delivered romp with a singable melody, and where Eldh and Nilssen keep the groove alive.

Daringly outlined and yet expansive and open, this new collection of compositions shows the ability of three highly articulated speakers to create with equal parts inspiration, responsiveness, and artistry.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Spending Time with Ludvig ► 03 - Dreignau ► 07 - Boogie