30 October 2010

Forgot that somehow also packed Jeb
Bishop and Paal’s folks into my room too on Friday night- nine people
digging great tunes and talking shop. Needless to say, Saturday morning
was a bit difficult… but I met up with Mats, Per-Ake, and Peter and we
went to the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter to see the “Fluxus East” …exhibition
(courtesy of Lasse Marhaug’s assistance). Very interesting show, but I
enjoyed the Asger Jorn contributions (works on paper and paintings) to
the COBRA exhibit also taking place. The third concert of the Tentet
Fest closed out an incredible 3 days of music-
Holmlander/Kessler/McPhee/Nilssen-Love/Vandermark in a quintet (oscilating from pulse
based energy, and free abstractions in duos; Joe fantastic); Brotzmann
solo (one tenor improvisation tying together some of Peter’s themes,
absolutely stunning, straight beauty); the full Tentet (the band feels
as if it’s jumped to a new creative space, very exhilarating to keep
moving to someplace new after more than a decade of working together).
AND, to be in one city for 3 days of work- it doesn’t get any better.
The band in action: