Frode Gjerstad Trio February 2, 2010

Epistrophy Arts is proud to kick of its 12th year of presenting cutting-edge improvised music in Austin with a special performance by three of Europe’s most prominent creative musicians - Frode Gjerstad, Paal Nilssen-Love and Nick Stephens.
Drawing heavily upon the energy of the free-jazz continuum as defined by Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus and John Coltrane, alto saxophonist Frode Gjerstad is a pioneer of Norwegian improvised music. His various ensembles have served as a training ground for the current (and most vital) generation of Norwegian experimental musicians. Gjerstad first came to prominence with British percussionist John Stevens' group in the 1980s, and later played in a trio with William Parker and Hamid Drake. His career has spanned over 20 years and has included collaborations with many of the leading lights of improvised and experimental music including Peter Brötzmann, Han Bennink, Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, Louis Moholo-Moholo, and noise musician Lasse Marhaug.
Powerhouse drummer Paal Nilssen-Love is no stranger to adventurous Austin music audiences. He has taken part in some of Epistrophy Arts' most noted presentations including sold out performances by The Thing, The Peter Brotzmann Tentet, and Atomic. Nilssen-Love has established himself as a powerful and dynamic musician through his wide ranging collaborations with leading improvisors Ken Vandermark, Mats Gustafsson, Peter Brötzmann and left-field rock artists like Thurston Moore, Jim O'Rourke,the Ex’s Andy and Terrie, and Fugazi's Guy Picciotto. In December he completed a tour of Ethiopia with Ken Vandermark, Ab Baars and members of The Ex.
Bassist Nick Stephens has been an active member of the fertile UK improvising community since the late 1970s. In the process, he has played with many of the major players on that scene including Evan Parker, John Stevens, and Lol Coxhill ”Stephens thrives in a trio where he can soak up space with booming long notes, slip in a sleek line between the splash of cymbals and the texture of a horn, and place otherworldly arco color in the foreground,” wrote jazz critic Bill Shoemaker in 2007. “The bassist is the fulcrum of two of the better albums by improvising trios this year"
"Gjerstad has a a crying alto tone that has a searing emotional directness... he skillfully builds extended improvisations out of fleet, leaping lines colored with a chilling, soulful directness. He plays with the command and authority of a mature musician who has honed a personal voice, while continuing to push in new directions." -Michael Rosenstein, Cadence
"He (Paal Nilssen-Love) is simply one of the best new musicians I've heard during the latest years!" -Pat Metheny "Nilssen-Love is one of the most innovative, dynamic and versatile drummers in jazz!" Down Beat
"Drummer Paal Nilssen-Love stormed the Norwegian jazz scene in the early '90s and has been working relentlessly ever since in both traditional and avant-garde jazz. It wasn't long before he jumped on the metaphorical freight train Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustaffson had established between Scandinavia and Chicago; the drummer appeared on Ken Vandermark's School Days and has enjoyed growing exposure in the U.S. since 2000. His other engagements and collaborations include trios with Frode Gjerstad, Sten Sandell, and Raoul Björkenheim, plus the group Atomic. He released his first solo CD, Sticks & Stones, in 2001." -All Music bio excerpt
About Epistrophy Arts:

Epistrophy Arts is a grass-roots cultural organization dedicated to presenting the finest adventurous and improvised music in Austin Texas. Since January of 1998 we have presented over 60 concerts with some of the major figures in international contemporary adventurous music.

We are funded and supported in part by individual contributions, the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and the Vortex Repertory Theater Company.