The sophomore album of Norwegian drummer-composer Gard Nilssen’s
Supersonic Orchestra features some of the strongest voices of
Scandinavian jazz (with one Polish sax player). The Supersonic Orchestra
is a 17-piece big band - with reeds players André Roligheten (who plays
in Nilssen’s Acoustic Unity and co-composed all pieces with Nilssen and
arranged the music), Eirik Hegdal (who hosts Nilssen in Team Hegdal),
Per ”Texas” Johansson (of Mats Gustafsson’s Fire! Orchestra), Kjetil
Møster (of The End), Mette Rasmussen, Maciej Obara (the Polish one who
hosts Nilssen in his Quartet) and Signe Emmeluth (of Emmulrth’s Amoeba
and Fire! Orchestra); trumpeters Thomas Johansson (of Large Unit) and
Goran Kajfes (of Angles and Fire! Orchestra); trombonists Erik
Johannessen (who played with Hegdal and Nilssen in lord Kelvin) and Guro
Kvåle (the youngest musician here, only 21 years old at the time of the
recording); double bass players Petter Eldh (the third member of
Nilssen’s Acoustic Unity and of Punkt.Vrt.Plastik), Ole Morten Vågan
(who with Eldh helped Nilssen and Roligheten with the compositions, and
of Obara Quartet) and Ingebrigt Håker Flaten; drummers Håkon Mjåset
Johansen (of I.P.A.), Hans Hulbækmo (of Atomic) and Nilssen (who was
born and raised in a musical family consisting of nothing but drummers
and also plays in Bushman’s Revenge and with Norwegian pop artist
Susanne Sundfør). The Supersonic Orchestra was captured live in top form
(and with excellent sound thanks to recording and mixing engineers Bård
Ingebrigtsen, Jørgen Brennhovd and Marc Broer) at Paard Van Troje during
the Mondriaan Jazz Festival in Den Haag in October 2022.
The title of the album reflects the essence of this exciting
performance. The close rapport between these experienced musicians, with
a few younger ones, who have played together in so many formats over the
years charges the music with unstoppable, uplifting energy and love for
the music that, in turn, radiates its captivating emotional power
immediately to the audience. The music was created for the totality of
the ensemble sound, the family, and not for pyrotechnical solos. You
feel the same kind of joyful rhythmic vibe and healing power in the
music as when you first heard the iconic Chris McGregor Brotherhood of
Breath or the Art Ensemble Of Chicago.
American drummer Chad Taylor contributed liner notes to Family and
observed the essence of ease in the Supersonic Orchestra and the feeling
of family. He also found the strong rhythmic basis of the Supersonic
Orchestra - three double bass players and three drummers - in the Kenny
Clarke – Francy Boland Big Band that operated in the late sixties and
Nilssen discovered while composing music for Family. “Family is not
defined by our genes, it is built and maintained through love and care,
This music feels alive with hope, sincerity, joy and courage”, Taylor
concluded. Fantastic performance. Great album.
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