Line & the Lions - Mountain Solitude (2018)

Line Falkenberg alto sax, soprano sax
Hayden Powell trumpet
Andreas Haddeland guitar, barytone guitar, rubab
Finn Guttormsen bass
Jarle Vespestad drums

Line Falkenberg, born in 1963, graduated in classical saxophone performance at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo in 1989. “Deep inside, I always wanted to play in several styles, especially improvised jazz, fusion and progressive rock. From 2004, I became really serious about following my dreams and attended jazz courses, had lessons with several high-profile jazz musicians and practiced hard in order to make the transition from classical to jazz. On one of these courses I was encouraged to write an original song that was to be performed in front of the others on the course. Their response encouraged me to continue composing and I eventually had enough songs to record an album.

With the musicians I now have in my band, Line and The Lions, I feel that the songs are being expressed exactly as I always wanted. Jarle, Finn and Andreas (who happen to live close by on Nesodden, a peninsular just a short boat ride from the centre of Oslo) capture the essence of and help give character to the material. To further add spice to the music I invited an old friend, the great trumpeter Hayden Powell, to join the recording session and working with him was a truly wonderful experience. When composing I always have a little back story in mind that in a way comes out in the themes and riffs. However, these songs don’t always follow the jazz “rule book”…nor any other book!

Tracklist:
01. Line & the Lions - Vårflow (6:33)
02. Line & the Lions - Loke (4:38)
03. Line & the Lions - Vassdraget (5:00)
04. Line & the Lions - Afterski (6:24)
05. Line & the Lions - Alene På Fjellet (6:49)
06. Line & the Lions - Shannon (5:19)
07. Line & the Lions - Vandreren (3:59)
08. Line & the Lions - Sorry (5:51)
09. Line & the Lions - Under Terskelen (5:24)
10. Line & the Lions - Novembertone (4:43)
11. Line & the Lions - Happy (5:29)
12. Line & the Lions - That´s It (4:33)
13. Line & the Lions - Chicky (6:29)