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Cortex: Live! (Clean Feed)

Four Norwegian jazz musicians--Thomas Johansson (cornet), Kristoffer Alberts (reeds), Ola Hoyer (double bass) and Gard Nilssen (drums)--representatives of a new generation of Scandinavian jazzmen playing creative music with the tools and forms of the older generation.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Thomas Johansson-cornet

Kristoffer Alberts-reeds

Ola Hoyer-doublebass

Gard Nilssen-drums


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




UPC: 5609063003093

Label: Clean Feed
Catalog ID: CF309
Squidco Product Code: 19308

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2014
Country: Portugal
Packaging: Cardstock Gatefold Sleeve
Recorded at Nasjonal Jazzscene Victoria in Oslo, Norway, on December 9th, 2013, by Jngar Hunskaar.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Ornette Coleman's partnership with Don Cherry had in the frontline formed by John Zorn and Dave Douglas in the band Masada a welcomed heritage.

Now is Cortex's turn to continue that lineage concerning the interactive work between an alto alto and baritone (Kristoffer Alberts) and a trumpet (or, in the case of Thomas Johansson, a cornet). With double bassist Ola Hoyer and drummer Gard Nilssen, these four Norwegian musicians are notable representatives of a new generation of Scandinavian jazzmen who are refreshing the scene at the same time they're preserving the identity of a music idiom subjected to many changes in its worldwide evolution, either gaining local colors or mixing with other genres and styles.

Cortex plays new jazz with the tools and forms of the old one. More exactly: this quartet practices a creative, exploratory jazz concept with the patine of the former years of free jazz, when the bop matrix was very much in evidence. Like in those times, the music in Live! is specially intense and powerful, with an "in-your-face" attitude never giving us a moment of rest. At the end of the album, we're not tired. It's the other way around: we get energized and joyful, ready for what's coming next."-Clean Feed

Also available on Vinyl LP.

Artist Biographies

"Thomas is born and raised in Skien,Telemark. With a bachelor degree from the University of Stavanger, and Masters from The Norwegian Academy of Music, he is a part of the strong young Norweigan jazz elite. He has done extensive touring in Scandinavia, Europe, Japan and USA, with both his own projects and as a sideman in several other bands.

His main project is Cortex, which is a quartet consisting of Thomas, Kristoffer Alberts, Ola Høyer and Gard Nilssen. Cortex is a Norwegian band which plays enerergetic jazz of the finest brand. With over one hundred live perfomances and four highly acclaimed albums, they position themselves as one of the strongest additions to the Norwegian jazz scene.

Thomas is also active in several other projects, such as: All Included, Friends & Neighbors, Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit, and Scheen Jazzorkester.

Thomas currently lives in Skien, working as a freelance trumpet player and composer. Thomas has in recent years toured and played at several festivals and clubs at home and abroad, with both his own and others projects. For projects and livedates, check the pages on the menu at the top of the page."

-Thomas Johansson Website (http://www.thomasjohansson.no/?page_id=22)
5/7/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Kristoffer Alberts (b. 1982) has emerged in the Norwegian scene of improvised music with a fresh approach to the saxophone. One hears traces of Albert Ayler, Ab Baars and the likes of Frank Lowe but Alberts has let his influences shape the music so you feel them rather than hearing them loud and clear. His contribution to the scene is also seen with his own label. Alberts is active in groups like Cortex, collaborations with Lasse Marhaug, Maja Ratkje and Steve Noble, whom all are featured on recordings released by his own label as well as Clean Feed."

-Europe Jazz Network (www.europejazz.net/masician/alberts-kristoffer)
5/7/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Ola Høyer like others of the erudite new generation of Norwegian musicians is equally at home in a wide variety of musics including classical, jazz and experimental rock, and brings this wealth of experience and acute musicality into a very fluid and rich improvisational style. He is increasingly in demand touring regularly in Japan and the USA with his group Cortex and many other collaborations."

-Cafe Oto (https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/artists/ola-hoyer/)
5/7/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Gard Nilssen (born 24 June 1983 in Skien, Norway) is a Norwegian Jazz musician (drums) and composer, and member of the bands Bushman's Revenge and Puma.

Nilssen was educated on the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium (2003). He was voted this year's young jazz musicians in 2006 with the group Puma. Otherwise Nilssen is very active in bands like Bushman´s Revenge, Lord Kelvin, and Heidi Skjerve Kvintett.

Nilssen was chosen to represent Norway in the artist development program Take Five, a music developer program promoted by the London-based concert promoter Serious."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gard_Nilssen)
5/7/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Opening 8:38

2. Cerebrum 6:36

3. Endorphin 7:37

4. Gray Matter 8:38

5. Interlude 8:06

6. Hub 6:50

7. Closing 4:01

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Free Improvisation
Melodic and Lyrical Jazz
Clean Feed
Quartet Recordings

Search for other titles on the label:
Clean Feed.


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The Squid's Ear Magazine

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