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Frode Gjerstad / Paal Nilssen-Love: Gromka

By Mark Corroto
August 1, 2010
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Frode Gjerstad / Paal Nilssen-Love: Gromka

It is hard to choose which duo partner of drummer

Paal Nilssen-Love

drums
b.1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Paal Nilssen-Love to favor over another, as there are simply so many to pick from. There are his collaborations with

Ken Vandermark

saxophone
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Ken Vandermark, heard on their Chicago Volume and Milwaukee Volume (Smalltown Superjazz, 2009); the fine

Peter Brötzmann

woodwinds
1941 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Br?tzmann session, Woodcuts ((Smalltown Superjazz, 2010);

Mats Gustafsson

woodwinds
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Mats Gustafsson's Splatter (Smalltown Superjazz, 2007); or, a personal favorite,

Joe McPhee

woodwinds
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe McPhee's Tomorrow Came Today (Smalltown Superjazz, 2008).

Nilssen-Love can also be heard with

Magnus Broo

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Magnus Broo, Nils Henrik Asheim,

John Butcher

saxophone
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">John Butcher, Lasse Marhaug, Anders Hana, and, perhaps his longest sustained partner, multi-reedist

Frode Gjerstad

saxophone, alto
b.1948

" data-original-title="" title="">Frode Gjerstad. The two have been collaborating for nearly 20 years in the

" data-original-title="" title="">Circulasione Totale Orchestra, the longstanding Gjerstad trio with bassist ?yvind Storesund, and in duo performance.

The two Norwegian players speak the same language: free jazz. This date—a live session from Club Gromka in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in June 2008—delivers a torrent of forcefulness and passion which will not be surprising to their followers.

As a drummer, Nilssen-Love eschews the jazz canon for a more disheveled pulse. He's like a dinner guest that comes wearing a tuxedo with his shirt untucked and three days growth of beard. His beats are dynamic, yet asymmetrical. Paired with Gjerstad the sound is animated and buzzing. Gjerstad favors the upper registers here—even on his bass clarinet which, at times, is difficult to distinguish from his alto saxophone. With this music, the themes are dynamism and passion, and the two charm the crowd with their constant mutable nature. Gjerstad feels no need to tether Nilssen-Love's playing to the ground. And likewise, the drummer responds to Gjerstad with his jumbled flurry of sticks and beat.

This is music that grips by the throat from the first note.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Svirel; Klopotec; Ragija.

Personnel

Frode Gjerstad / Paal Nilssen-Love

Frode Gjerstad: alto saxophone, bass clarinet, Bb clarinet; Paal Nilssen-Love: drums.

Album information

Title: Gromka | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Not Two Records

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