Arild Andersen, Jonas Sjovaag - Ancient Land, New Territory (2015) Hi Res

This duo is a meeting between two improvisers and jazz musicians working together to create improvised stretches where Arilds extensive knowledge and experience meets Sjøvaag’s rhythmic musicality. With a percussion setup based on hand drums from the Middle East, tensions between, and auditory images across, genres and cultures are created when the sound of these drums meet Arild’s unique expression that stems from his background in Norwegian folk and jazz music. While some passages are based on composed melodies and other flows freely from a common starting point, the focus is on gentle interaction between two musicians, each with their own strong, personal voice.

Sjøvaag’s output has for many years been presented through ensemble Eple Trio, in Karl Seglem’s Acoustic Quartet and in various other ensembles, where he appears as a composer, arranger and drummer/percussionist. In this context, he takes one step to the side and presents a project where the inspirations are diverse, the soundscape is an extension and retrospective of the rich Norwegian music history where tradition meets improvisation.

At the same time the project itself is unique, new and exploratory; hence the title: Ancient Land, New Territory.