CCAP

The Sound Of Stavanger

Free jazz

Kitchen Orchestra with Alexander von Schlippenbach

Kitchen Orchestra with Alexander von Schlippenbach
Release date: 1. November
Cat # CCAP168
Format: CD digipak and digital




On November 1st, Stavanger, Norway’s Kitchen Orchestra releases their debut record with jazz legend Alexander von Schlippenbach.

“The Schlippenbach project is our first recording because we’ve had the luxury of working with him over a long period and it seemed natural and a good progression to record with him,” says Petter Frost Fadnes, who plays baritone in the Orchestra.

Formed in 2005, Kitchen Orchestra is a music collective built around 24 members of locally based improvisers exploring the improvisational relationship between the individual and the ensemble in the context of modern and jazz music.

“This is an interesting band,” says Schlippenbach. “They have unexpected instruments, such as accordion, keyboard and electronics which I love but have not worked with much in the past. This band has great musical potential!”

Starting at the beginning of 2010, Kitchen Orchestra began working with legendary German free jazz pianist/composer/band leader Alexander von Schlippenbach. From The Globe Unity Orchestra in 1966, to his trio with Evan Parker and Paul Lovens, Schlippenbach can well be called one of the biggest free jazz band leaders in improvisational music. His music mixes free and contemporary classical elements often using slashing solos as the link between the two elements in his compositions. In the context of Kitchen Orchestra this translates into an explosion of color and sound. So how did his connection with the Kitchen Orchestra come about?

“In 2009 I got an invitation to do a workshop with them,” Schlippenbach says. “I accepted because I am always interested in working with large ensembles and prepared my music in that direction. I took pieces from my own orchestra and I also arranged a few jazz pieces. I was quite surprised how flexible they are and they could play everything quite easily.”

By the time Schlippenbach arrived on the scene, the Kitchen Orchestra had been going for some five years. It was formed at the initiative of co-founders Petter Frost Fadnes, Didrik Ingvaldsen, Gunhild Seim  and Nils Henrik Asheim, and was a creative response to bringing the very best of Stavanger’s musical community together in a collective, ongoing project,

“We could see the need for it,” says Frost Fadnes about the orchestra, “There was a community to build an orchestra – we kind of just did it, you get the right people in the room together and that’s an orchestra and that’s a concert, and off you go.”

They debuted the Schlippenbach project under Maijazz 2010 in Stavanger, Norway to surprising enthusiasm. Jazznytt called it a “transformative surprise of intellectual free jazz.” And in July 2011 they recorded their debut album with Schlippenbach at Nærlandsheimen Church/ Bekk Studio, with producer Ashley Stubbert (better known for more harder metal and rock acts such as Purified In Blood, and Helldorado but has a keen interest in improv.)

“This is a dynamic record! With a wide range of melodic, and compositional elements uniquely blended with free improv. Schlippenbach’s arrangments masterfully used the talents of such a diverse group of musicians to create a massive sound. A fantastic record to work on!” – Ashley Stubbert

Kitchen Orchestra with Alexander von Schlippenbach will be released to the digital world 1. November.

Release concert with Schlippenbach will be held under Kitchen Orchestras annual festival What’s Cooking 2-3 of November at Spor 5 in Stavanger

CCAP2012
UA-28503945-1