AKODE - NORTH AND SOUTH 

(confront collectors series ccs 53)

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 ***CD EDITION SOLD OUT***

 

Alan Wilkinson : saxes, clarinet

Kim Johannesen : guitar

Ola Hoyer : double bass

Dag Erik Knedal Andersen : drums

 

1. The Almond Rocks (39.15)

2. Ola's Bin Lid (14.47)

 

Recorded live at Cafe Oto, London, October 12th 2014.

Recorded by Shaun Crook.

Mixed and mastered by Alex Ward.

There can be few more daunting sounds in jazz than that of saxophonist Alan Wilkinson in overdrive, whether it's the headlong flights of his alto playing, the beefier heft he gets from the baritone, or the rumbling power of the bass clarinet, an instrument he's added to his armoury just within the past year. But there's also a highly melodic, almost plaintive side to his work, and this remarkable quartet, with three of the most exciting young players from the Norwegian scene, moves between meditation and madness in a seamless and constantly gripping flow. Guitarist Johannesen, bassist Hoyer and drummer Knedal Andersen are all still in their 20s, but are well established as leading members of the Scandinavian, and the wider European, scene. They first linked up with Alan around five years ago and since then they have worked together as frequently as possible, touring widely (including a whirlwind assault on Japan), and honing a remarkable empathy that sees their totally improvised music emerge as from a single mind.