The Squid's Ear Magazine


Chrome Hill: The Explorer (Clean Feed)

The Norwegian quartet formerly known as "Damp" with baritone guitarist Asbjorn Lerheim, tenor saxophonist Atle Nymo, drummer Torstein Lofthus, and double bassist Roger Arntzen, blend expressive forms of jazz with blues and rock in an expansive and rich set of tunes that both pay homage and look to new and inclusive formations of emotional and effusive music.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Asbjorn Lerheim-baritone guitar

Atle Nymo-tenor saxophone

Torstein Lofthus-drums

Roger Arntzen-double bass


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UPC: 5609063004717

Label: Clean Feed
Catalog ID: CF471
Squidco Product Code: 26011

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2018
Country: Portugal
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded at Propeller Music Division, in Oslo, Norway, on November 9th and 10th, 2017, by Jacob Dobewall.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Tell me what was your first love in music and I'll tell you who you are. That's what you could say about guitarist Asbjørn Lerheim, who played blues and rock before being interested in jazz and now plays blues and rock (and folk, inevitably linked to both) in a jazz context with the band Chrome Hill, formerly known as Damp.

And what a band, the also member of Lisan Dillan's Quiet Quiet Project having the company of likeminded souls: Roger Arntzen (In the Country, Ballrogg, Trail of Souls), Torstein Lofthus (Elephant9, Shining) and Atle Nymo (Motif, Saxwaffe, Atle Nymo Quartet), the last replacing Jørgen Munkeby (Shining), who became one of the most predominant figures of the Scandinavian heavy metal scene.

Much can be said about the capacity of this younger generation of musicians to play several genres and use diversified music vocabularies (not necessarly the ones they embraced at the beginning of their careers), but even more interesting is the fascination for Americana here revealed and happening often in the North of Europe: these guys can play Appalachian folk songs, Delta blues and red neck rock as if they were born on the inner guts of the United States of America, doing it without ever losing their identity as jazz improvisers. Be marveled, people."-Clean Feed Records

Also available on vinyl LP.

Artist Biographies

"Asbjørn Lerheim: Norwegian guitar player and composer, situated in Oslo from age 19. Born in Ålesund, 1977, and raised in Langevåg. Started playing guitar at age 12, after some years on the flute and some not- so- hard efforts on trying to learn to play the piano. Different bands, singing in the local "ten-sing" choir", a general inspiration from all the professional musicians from Langevåg and a familiy where the music was an integrated part of the everyday life, it was no really no other alternative than playing music. Later high school music studies in Ålesund, and listening to several concerts in Ålesund at the jazzclub, pointed out an interest towards the world of improvisation and jazz, after having played mostly blues and rock music before. After haven been chosen to join a masterclass at the Molde International Jazz Festival at age 17, with Django Bates, Arve Henriksen and Helge Sunde, he was convinced that to go on further with playing the guitar and writing music what was he wanted to do.

After high school studies, he moved to Gjøvik, for one year at Viken Folkehøgskole, with further music studies. He moved to Oslo at age 19, for music studies at the University of Oslo, and later the Norwegian Academy of Music. Here he studied with musicians and teachers like Nils Olav Johansen, Jon Eberson, Torgrim Sollid, Håkon Storm- Mathisen, Sidsel Endresen and Rob Waring. Joined several bands in this period, amongst others oj trio, formed by trumpet player Ole Jørn Myklebust. This trio released the album "Breaks Even" in 2001, and did approximately 100 gigs the following years. In this period he also did gigs at several jazz clubs in Norway, and was also touring with the Norwegian Concert Institute with different musicians. He also seriously began working with his own compositions at this time, and started the still active quartet Damp with Jørgen Munkeby, Roger Arntzen and Torstein Lofthus in 2000. In 2001 Damp were picked out from one out of four bands in Europe to represent Norway under the "Avignon Jazz Contest" in France. Damp released the albums "Mostly Harmless (Songs)" in 2003, and "Hoatzin" in 2005 .

He also were one of the formers of the group Subtonic, who did several tours in Norway. The group also played at the Vilnius Jazz Festival in Lithuania. Subtonic were one of the first bands being sponsored by the Norwegian oil company Statoil in collaboration with the Oslo International Jazz Festival . The band existed from 2002- 2006, and released the album "In this House" in 2003.

In 2005 he got a cultural grant from the Norwegian Fund For Performing Artists, and went to Boston and New York for a month, taking lessons with Mick Goodrick, Jon Damian, Bob Moses and Ben Monder. He was also touring in Norway with New York saxophone player Jon Gordon, Håkon Mjåset Johansen and Roger Arntzen in 2006.

Asbjørn Lerheim has worked as a professional musician, composer and teacher in Oslo the last 10 years, and are right now focusing on Chrome Hill and Quite Quiet Project. He is also now working as a teacher at Oslo Private Musikkskole, Fjellhaug Internasjonale Høgskole and Universitetet i Oslo."

-Asbjorn Lerheim Website (http://asbjornlerheim.com/Biography.html)
3/13/2024

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

"Atle Nymo (born 9 June 1977 in Valnesfjord near Fauske, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (tenor saxophone and bass clarinet), and the younger brother of Jazz saxophonist Frode Nymo. He is known for his contributions with the orchestras Motif, one of his main projects, and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra in which he has worked with Jazz greats like Pat Metheny and Chick Corea.

Nymo participated in "Bodø Big Band" under his teacher Henning Gravrok, and was later educated at the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium, and has also played in Håvard Stubø's Quintet North. The later years He has played with Ole Morten Vågan's band Motif where he was to be named "Young Jazz Comets" 2001 at Copenhagen Jazz Festival. In "next MGN Trio" he cooperates with Mats Monstad and Ketil Gutvik, and in the latter band "Gutvik5". Otherwise, and also played with Kaizers Orchestra.

Nymo also has his own album release with "Atle Nymo & Frode Nymo Quartet" (Håkon Mjåset Johansen drums and Ole Morten Vågan bass). In his own band "Atle Nymo Quartet" he cooperates with Vigleik Storaas (piano), Magnus Forsberg (drums) and Ole Morten Vågan (bass). The first mentioned played in Quintet with guest Roger Kellaway (piano), and they released an album Inner Urge in 2001 with concert recordings from "Oslo Jazz Festival". Together with Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Håkon Mjåset Johansen he made the album Complete communion in 2006, and with the Swedish trumpet player Magnus Broo as the fourth member, the group was called IPA and they have released the albums Lorena (2009), It's A Delicate Thing (2011) and Bubble (2013). He is also involved in tow other band projects "Saxwaffe" (Frode Nymo, Klaus Holm, Eirik Hegdal, Espen Reinertsen) and "Juxtaposed" (Petter Vågan, Erik Nylander, Ole Morten Vågan)

Nymo is a frequently used big band musician and is attending such as the drummer Børre Dalhaugs "Big Band Blast" (2004) and trombonist & composer Helge Sundes "Denada" (2005), and was from 2002 to 2003 a member of Geir Lysne Listening Ensemble. He also played in Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, and attended the orchestra's cooperation projects with Chick Corea in 2000/2001 (Moldejazz) and Pat Metheny in 2003."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atle_Nymo)
3/13/2024

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

"Torstein Lofthus (born 10 March 1977, in Øystese, Kvam, Norway) is a Norwegian drummer and composer, married to Hege Lofthus (b. Sørvig, 1981), and known from bands like Shining, Elephant9, Mathias Eick Band, D'Sound and Ebersson/Zanussi/Lofthus.

Lofthus has had a major influence on Norwegian music through studio work, live concerts and teaching at Norwegian Academy of Music and at University of Agder (the Faculty of Fine Arts). Based in Oslo, he now tours Norway and Europe with different bands and artists after finishing his master at the Norwegian Academy of Music spring 2006. He plays several genres, well known with both jazz and pop music. He has been the most sought drummer in Norway recent years, if not on tour with Vamp, Jarle Bernhoft, Oslo Gospel Choir, Mathias Eick or Marit Larsen, he collaborates with Maria Mena, Kurt Nilsen, Torun Eriksen, Bertine Zetlitz, Silje Nergaard, Eivind Aarset, D'Sound, Noora Noor, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Jon Eberson and Per Zanussi, to mention a few, both in studio and on stage."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torstein_Lofthus)
3/13/2024

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

"Studied music at the University of Oslo from 1998-1999 and at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo from 1998-2006. He is known from the piano trio In The Country, who was awarded "Young Jazz Musicians Of The Year 2004" in Norway. The trio has released three albums on the Norwegian indie-label Rune Grammofon to much acclaim. He is a regular together with Shining-leader Jørgen Munkeby with the noise-rock-jazz-quartet Chrome Hill and has teamed up with Chrome Hill-drummer Torstein Lofthus as two thirds of Håvard Stubø Trio. He has also worked with downtown NYC icon Marc Ribot and pedal-steel guitarist Bob Hoffnar, and other international artists such as Neil Metcalfe, Terry Day, John Russell, Sidsel Endresen, Susanna Wallumrød og Stian Carstensen."

-Ballrogg Website (http://www.ballrogg.no/bio.html)
3/13/2024

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


Track Listing:



1. Deep Blue 6:03

2. Drunken Sailor 4:20

3. Lurking Beneath 5:19

4. Galileo 5:44

5. Of Things That Float 6:11

6. The Explorer 6:54

7. The Voyage Home 5:33

Related Categories of Interest:


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

Search for other titles on the label:
Clean Feed.


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