19 - 22 October 2023

en mk
22 October National Opera and Ballet, 22:00 NOB, 22:00

GARD NILSSEN’S SUPERSONIC ORCHESTRA

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EIRIK HEGDAL saxophones

PER ”TEXAS” JOHANSSON saxophones

FREDRIK LJUNGKVIST saxophones

METTE RASMUSSEN saxophone

MACIEJ OBARA saxophone

ANDRÉ ROLIGHETEN saxophone

SIGNE EMMELUTH KRUNDERUP saxophone

THOMAS JOHANSSON trumpet

GORAN KAJFEŠ trumpet

ERIK JOHANNESSEN trombone

GURO KVÅLE trombone

TORBJØRN ZETTERBERG double bass

OLE MORTEN VÅGAN double bass

INGEBRIGT HÅKER FLATEN double bass

HÅKON MJÅSET JOHANSEN drums

HANS HULBÆKMO drums

GARD NILSSEN drums

JØRGEN BRENNHOVD sound design

Gard Nilssen is a drummer, composer, producer and bandleader from Norway that lives in Oslo. He is one of the most sought after and active drummers on the European jazz scene these days, traveling 200 days a year all around the world with his own bands like Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity, Bushman´s Revenge, sPacemonKey, Amgala Temple, Ruby and Gard Nilssen’s Supersonic Orchestra. Nilssen comes from a family of percussionists, so the choice of that instrument was obvious. His drumming is described as energetic, creative, musical, groovy, fearless and dynamic. He has played and toured with musicians and artists like: Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny, Thomasz Stanko, Joshua Redman, Ambrose Akinmusire, Chris Potter, Django Bates, Bugge Wesseltoft, Stian Westerhus, Thomas Morgan and Mike Stern, among others. His Supersonic Orchestra is unquestionably spectacular. It is actually Nilssen’s dream orchestra and he was able to form it when he was artist in residence at Molde Jazz (2019). The lineup doesn’t need any further introduction, except the fact that all of them are great bandleaders and world class improvisers. The music is energetic, suggestive, dynamic, creative and explosive, inspired by Ornette Coleman, Fela Kuti, Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Louis Moholo and Curtis Mayfield, with a lot of space and room for each musician to contribute with their own voices. Music that’s free, loaded with decibels and yet also melodic and expressive.