Arild Andersen Group - Affirmation — JazzTrail | Album Reviews
Originally, bassist Arild Andersen entered the studio with his quartet—featuring (tenor saxophone), Helge Lien (piano), and Håkon Mjåset Johansen (drums)—intending to record a set of predetermined compositions. However, on the second day of the session, Andersen suggested they pivot toward collective improvisation. Arild Andersen Group - Affirmation (2022) [24Bi...
Arild Andersen Group's 2022 release, , stands as a testament to the enduring vitality of the "ECM sound"—a blend of crystalline production, spacious improvisation, and deep melodicism. Recorded at Oslo's Rainbow Studio during the pandemic, the album captures a veteran master collaborating with three rising stars of Norwegian jazz to create something entirely spontaneous. The Genesis of a Spontaneous Suite Arild Andersen Group - Affirmation — JazzTrail |
A 23-minute exploration that begins with delicate, nocturnal atmosphere. It features "icy ripples" from Lien’s piano and searching, lyrical saxophone lines from Neset. Recorded at Oslo's Rainbow Studio during the pandemic,
The resulting album is structured as an unedited seven-part suite, divided into two long arcs:
A shorter, more "tempestuous" sequence where the group's interplay becomes more forceful, at times recalling the energy of 1970s free-jazz roots.