Greatest Show On Earth [VINYL]

Description

It's not often a "jazz" band take the big step from the club scene to a 1300 capacity rock venue like Oslo's Rockefeller. But then again, Elephant9 is not your ordinary jazz band. Often being named Norway's best live band - surely quite rare for an instrumental band - they are equally popular in jazz and rock circles. On this, their fifth studio album - the last two included Swedish guitarist Reine Fiske - Elephant9 are back to the core trio of their first two albums; Ståle Storløkken, Nikolai Hængsle and Torstein Lofthus, three of Norway's finest musicians. Both albums with Reine - "Atlantis" (2012) and "Silver Mountain" (2015) - were double efforts with ample room to stretch out, explore and improvise, with "Silver Mountain" containing five tracks between 10 and 22 minutes. "The Greatest Show On Earth" displays some truly astonishing playing and is a more dynamic, structured and focused album with all tracks clocking in around the six minute mark. It's also very much a trio effort where all members are equal, and not only a vehicle for a soloist. Ståle Storløkken (keyboards) is widely considered the most inventive keyboard player on the Norwegian scene, his playing with bands like Supersilent, Humcrush, Motorpsycho, Terje Rypdal and countless others being firm testament to this. Nikolai Hængsle (bass) is since long a member of popular rock group Big Bang as well as Ketil Møster's quartet Møster!, Needlepoint and Band Of Gold. Torstein Lofthus (drums) is probably the most in demand session drummer in Norway. Founder member of Shining. Said about the previous album Elephant9 blends the virtuosic precision of King Crimson and Yes with the jazz-fusion explorations of electric Miles, Weather Report and the Tony Williams Lifetime. Key and time signatures change constantly as the quartet helters and skelters between tightly composed sections, driving kosmische interludes and bucolic Canterbury excursions. Rolling Stone (US) A grand tour through the outer reaches of territory previously mapped out by the likes of Mahavishnu Orchestra, King Crimson and Soft Machine. Shindig (UK) Lashes of mellotron and textured guitars create a sprawling psychedelic jazz epic. Few have come close to the greatness of this in recent years. Record Collector (UK) There's no denying the thrusting vitality charging through the snaking chicanes conjured by this formidable fusion unit. Jazzwise (UK) Tracks:1/Way Of Return, 2/Actionpack1, 3/Farmer's Secret, 4/Dancing With Mr. E, 5/Mystery Blend, 6/Freaks