Erta Ale cover
Released

Despite its name, drummer Paal Nilssen-Love’s Large Unit was relatively compact for a free jazz orchestra, numbering just 11 players including the leader on this 3CD set. It included three brass players (cornet/flugelhorn, trombone, and tuba) and two saxophonists, plus electric guitar, turntable and electronics, and a double rhythm section: two bassists, two drummers. On later releases the group swelled to 15 members, and on one memorable occasion – a collaboration with the Ethiopian group Fendika, with special guest guitarist Terrie Ex – there were 22 people onstage. This set consists of two CDs mixing studio and live material, and a bonus disc documenting a full performance from the Moers Festival. It’s three hours of music in all, and it varies from stomping, romping mass blare to a quiet duet for bass and electronics. You get multiple versions of several compositions so you can compare and contrast, and four versions of a collective improv exercise called “Round About Nothing” that’s radically different every time, but always provides plenty of space for the drummers to go wild.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
Live in Zürich cover

Live in Zürich

Irène Schweizer, Pierre Favre
Glitter Wolf cover

Glitter Wolf

Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom
Théâtre Garonne, 2008 cover

Théâtre Garonne, 2008

David S. Ware New Quartet
Live in Brooklyn cover

Live in Brooklyn

John O'Gallagher
Song for Mother E cover

Song for Mother E

Amina Claudine Myers
The Glare cover

The Glare

Michael Nyman, David McAlmont
Unloved cover

Unloved

Maciej Obara
Brolt cover

Brolt

Scorch Trio
Thumbscrew cover

Thumbscrew

Thumbscrew
Naked City cover

Naked City

John Zorn, Naked City