Toivo Quintet - View (2020) [Hi-Res]

Surviving jazz is quite simple: learn the tradition, poke it in the eye, and then run as fast as you can. Despite his young age, bandleader Arne Toivo Fjose Sandberg has already mastered the art of looking into the future while keeping an eye on the past, his music sounding both fresh and familiar at the same time. Imagine a caring Charles Mingus – Fjose Sandberg’s double bass is in the center of the music, but each note he selects is chosen to support the songs and his band members. Straight out of Voss – via jazz studies at The Grieg Academy in Bergen – has put Arne Toivo Fjose Sandberg in high demand as a diverse freelancer, from wild jazz to composing and performing for theatre plays. For his main project TOIVO, Sandberg has put together an exciting mix of musicians originating from his time at the Grieg Academy. Sigurd Steinkopf on drums seems to be telepathically linked to the bass, whether it is intense grooving or contrasting counterplay. Guitar player Mathias Marstrander is given
enormous freedom, weaving his tasteful lines in and out of the music, sounding part Marc Ribot, part Nels Cline, but mostly like himself. On top of that saxophonist Aksel Røed and trumpeter Andreas Hatzikiriakidis take turns dishing out intense solos and beautiful melodies. Imagine Don Cherry with guitar… Or rather five immensely talented young musicians falling in love with 60s jazz and having a lot of fun in doing so.

Arne Toivo Fjose Sandberg bass
Axel Øvreås Røed saxophone
Andreas Hesselberg Hatzikiriakidis trumpet
Mathias Marstrander guitar, pedal steel
Sigurd Steinkoph drums