Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit

New Map is based on open-form “cells” of concrete ideas, notes and directions that the musicians had to respond to. The 22-minute title piece swings - sometimes, literally - back and forth between subtle percussive games, mysterious and sensual orchestral-chamber dynamics, anchored by harpist Krüger, accordionist Kalle Moberg and trumpeter Köster, and raw, noisy and abstract improvisations led by sax players Lea, Klaus Ellerhusen Holm, Kristoffer Berre Alberts and Finnish electronics player Tommi Keränen and Nilssen-Love on gongs. 

Nillsen-Love, as always, gives his musicians the freedom and responsibility to shape the music and encourages individual improvisation. The second piece “Circles” adopts a similar strategy but now guitarist Ketil Gutvik and Swedish trombonist Mats Äleklint and tubaist Per Åke Holmlander set a playful, free jazz vibe that welcomes all to contribute to the high-octane dynamics and suggests other powerful courses. Eventually, Nilssen-Love’s gongs declare on a short introspective, ceremonial segment before the Large Unit resumes its energetic free jazz course. The last and short “Gong Piece” stresses Nilssen-Love growing focus on gongs, as on recent albums by him with the new Band Circus (Pairs of Three, PNL, 2022) or with reeds master Frode Gjerstad and Moberg (Time Sound Shape, PNL, 2022). The Large Unit contrasts and softens the gongs' dramatic, deeply resonating effect.