Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit - Large Unit 2015 (+ Bok)

Facts PNL presents Large Unit's 2015. "2015 is a beautiful limited-edition gem, not only because of the great music, but also thanks to the insightful photos by bass player Christian Meaas Svendsen and Peter Gannushkin, taken on-and-off-stage and the amusing notes of all the Large Unit musicians and the interview with Nilssen-Love. The first disc was recorded at the Casa del Popolo club in Montreal and features small units of the Large Unit, one duo and three trios, playing short free-improvised pieces. The Large Unit interplay often involves such small units playing off and against each other, and these impressive pieces highlight the strong individual languages and offer new ideas for future combinations within the Unit interplay. The second disc captures the Large Unit at the height of their powers in the last performance of the North American tour at the Earshot Jazz festival in Seattle. It feature new arrangements of older pieces - 'Fortar Hardar', 'Erta Ale II' and 'Fendika' and two new pieces - 'ANA' and 'Circle in the Round'. The Large Unit plays with endless fiery energy, even when it stripped down to small units, as if possessed by a higher force. Keränen, trumpeter Thomas Johansson, Äleklint and Holmlander shine on 'Fortar Hardar' before the inevitable volcanic eruption of the whole Unit. 'ANA' revolves around an infectious brass fanfares and a manic driving pulse that just keeps intensifying from the first second until the last one. 'Circle In The Round' is the only loose form piece, developed patiently through a series of individual solos. 'Erta Ale II' is re-arranged as a piece that highlights the massive front line of Äleklint, Johansson and sax players Klaus Elierhusen Holm and Julie Kjær. The last piece [is] the Ethiopian-tinged explosive-addictive pulse of 'Fendika'. The unassuming perspective of Svendsen photos, together with his intuitive sense of photo composition and the short notes of the musicians, shed light on the demanding life on the road. The complicated logistics puzzle of arranging such tours, having all the musicians packed in three dense vans, and the need to balance different needs and tastes, including between vegan and carnivores. Others like Kjær and Holm comment about the different types of humor - Norwegian, Finnish and Swedish. Nilssen-Love, obviously the most experienced working musician in this band, performing about 250 days a year, notes that the Large Unit 'takes having fun serious.'" - The Free Jazz Collective.