These days, it seems like Norwegian drummer and percussionist Paal Nilssen-Love is everywhere you turn — and that's a good thing. He's part of this year's widely praised release The Cherry Thing, he's touring with the mighty Peter Brötzman Chicago Tentet, and his label PNL Records has issued the excellent Dragon, a recording of a November 2010 date at Klub Dragon in Poznan, Poland.
The trio on Dragon consists of Nilssen-Love on drums, fellow Norwegian Frode Gjerstad on alto sax and clarinets, and the legendary Bobby Bradford on cornet. Bradford is known for his work with saxophonist Ornette Coleman's early quartets and his long association with the great clarinetist James Carter, plus he's played with multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy, bassist Charlie Haden, saxophonist and clarinetist David Murray, and his ongoing group the Mo'Tet. As time marches on, masters from this era are increasingly rare, and so it's always a pleasure to hear them in action, particularly when they're part of a trio as strong as this one.
One of Bradford's gifts is that he makes old school sound new school; he embodies the history of this music, but his playing remains fresh and inventive. Nilssen-Love and Gjerstad are equally powerful, and as a result the six tunes on Dragon are energetic and intelligent, a seamless interweaving of three strong voices. The 11-minute opener "Pitaya" is a great example of what this group can do: the song is full of beautifully shaped lines executed in an unpretentious, down-to-earth fashion. There's something so personal about each of the voices in this trio, and at times it feels like one is overhearing a conversation. Plus it's always good to hear the cornet, a rich instrument that has stood the test of time and continues to hold interest for modern musicians such as Bradford and Taylor Ho Bynum. Other gems on the CD include "Agamidae," which burns with a quiet fire and then launches into more passionate energy, and "Pogona," a tune that showcases the group's gift for creating cohesive lines that aren't afraid to dance off into chaos. The CD closes with "Komodo Dragon," a wonderful blend of precision and freedom that highlights the trio's rapport.
Hopefully this unique group will record again soon: Bradford is clearly energized by working with two dynamic players like Nilssen-Love and Gjerstad, and the two younger players are likewise bolstered by the revered master in their midst. Altogether Dragon is a delight, an exquisitely tasteful CD that offers an enchanting musical language.
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