Large Unit, Akira Sakata

Featuring: Paal Nilssen-Love

«Hohai-Bushi» is the meeting between Paal Nilssen-Love and his Large Unit ensemble, here in a 13-person lineup, and the legendary Japanese musician Akira Sakata. Since the 1960s, Sakata has been one of the leading saxophonists in free jazz and improvisation, starting with the Yamashita Trio, continuing with his own ensembles, and later transitioning to younger musicians from various genres, including noise and experimental music. Akira Sakata is a living legend from the last 50 years of radical new music, and he remains active, pushing the boundaries of the art form to this day. In 2013, he formed the trio Arashi with Paal and Johan Berthling, complete with extensive tours and five albums to show for it, so this collaboration with Large Unit shouldn't come as a big surprise. That said, the music will surprise—and delight—even the most experienced listeners. The CD release of «Hohai-Bushi» is presented as a single 55-minute recording, a musical journey that must be heard from beginning to end.

Like many of his Large Unit pieces, «Hohai-Bushi» started with Paal's interest in world music. After becoming curious about the music of Tsugaru-Shamisen from Aomori in Japan, Paal studied it more thoroughly during the pandemic, and he discovered a traditional song from Aomori, «Hohai-Bushi», sung by Unchiku Narita. Before Large Unit's 10th anniversary festival in 2023, Paal transcribed the song together with Akira Sakata. This was then combined with a new composition for Large Unit, featuring Sakata as a performer. The performance was one of (many) highlights of the anniversary. Then, two years later, in June 2025, Sakata was invited back to Norway to record the piece in Tøyen Church in central Oslo. The church's natural reverb gave the recording an extra dimension, making Sakata's vocal and solo passages even more gripping and intense.