John Surman & Bergen Big Band - Another Sky (2014)

The British composer and jazz saxophonist John Surman has been regarded as one of the foremost European jazz musicians since the beginning of his career in the early 1960s. On 'Another Sky' he performs six of his own compositions, plus one Thelonious Monk tune alongside Norway's preeminent big band.

John Surman has collaborated with artists such as John McLaughlin, Paul Bley, Karin Krog, Bill Frisell, Ronnie Scott, Paul Motian and Jack DeJohnette and has recorded extensively for Germany's ECM Records. 'Another Sky' presents an hour of energetic, dynamic music from the pen of John Surman, commissioned by Bergen Big Band for a concert in Parma, Italy, in 2011, with the composer himself as soloist.

The Bergen Big Band is one of Norway's leading big bands, and was established in 1991 as a continuation of Bergen Band. They have previously worked with artists including The Core, Phil Woods, Paquito D'Rivera, Joe Henderson, Maria Schneider, Diana Krall, Andy Sheppard, Gianluigi Trovesi and Mathias Eick. The piece the band commissioned from Terje Rypdal, "Crime Scene", was released on CD by ECM in 2009.