Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Andratx: Live

Andratx: Live

By Mark Corroto
May 14, 2009
View read count

The Nordic jazz trio of

Jonas Kullhammar

saxophone
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Jonas Kullhammar, Kresten Osgood and Ole Morten Vågan is the type of super group that keeps the jazz tradition alive, not in the sense of an institution as much as a provocateur praxis. Andratx Live is its second release following a self-titled record on Moserbie in 2007.

The three very industrious musicians heard here are Norwegian bassist Vågan (

Bugge Wesseltoft

piano
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Bugge Wesseltoft, Harvard Wilk Trio), Danish drummer Osgood (

Michael Blake

saxophone, tenor
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Blake,

Sam Rivers

saxophone, tenor
1923 - 2011

" data-original-title="" title="">Sam Rivers,

Paul Bley

piano
1932 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Bley, John Tchicai), and Swedish saxophonist Kullhammar, leader of his own stellar Jonas Kullhammar Quartet and member of Kullrusk and Nacka Forum, among many other projects.

Recorded in May of 2008 in the jazz mecca of Sweden at the Glenn Miller Cafe in Stockholm, the atmosphere loosens up over its previous studio session. The crowd heard here certainly appreciated the trio's broad grasp of jazz folklore. With the opening "Snake City Rundown," a dedication to Kullhammar's hometown and especially Osgood's composition "The Two-Step," the image of

Sonny Rollins

saxophone
b.1930

" data-original-title="" title="">Sonny Rollins is conjured as the band evokes the famous Village Vanguard sessions of 1957. Kulhammar's strapping tone is directed firmly by Vågan's precise and steady time-keeping and Osgood's overtly muscular drumming. The saxophonist is a disciple of the tenor madness of

Rahsaan Roland Kirk

woodwinds
1935 - 1977

" data-original-title="" title="">Rahsaan Roland Kirk,

Eddie Harris

saxophone, tenor
1934 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Eddie Harris and

John Gilmore

saxophone, tenor
1931 - 1995

" data-original-title="" title="">John Gilmore.

The most interesting tracks heard here are covers of

Pharoah Sanders

saxophone, tenor
1940 - 2022

" data-original-title="" title="">Pharoah Sanders' "Farah" and

Charles Brackeen

b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Brackeen's "Attainment" (heard as a bonus and only available on the CD). At nearly 13 minutes, the Sanders track is modeled after the playing of

Albert Ayler

saxophone, tenor
1936 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Albert Ayler, full of innocent and primitive shouts and gesticulations. Especially pleasing is how Vågan and Osgood keep the energy flowing and churning throughout. Brackeen's "Attainment," a 20-minute rendition, taken from the saxophonist's 1987 recording for the Swedish label Silkheart, is a masterful performance of muscular playing and African rhythms. And as they say, "the crowd goes wild."

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Snake City Rundown; Opti; Morsan Å Farsan; The Two-Step; Farah; Attainment.

Personnel

Andratx

Jonas Kullhammar: tenor saxophone; Kresten Osgood: drums; Ole Morten Vågan: bass.

Album information

Title: Live | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Moserobie

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Take Five With Mark Rapp
< Previous

Samba Meets Boogie Woogie
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.