Prolific Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love’s big band ensemble LARGE UNIT came to life in 2013. Nilssen-Love stepping up as band leader had been a long time coming – but it was worth the wait. LARGE UNIT hit the music scene like “one hell of a monolithic jazz colossus”.
First came a string of well-received festival appearances, where the band quickly found its sound. Then in the fall of 2014 PNL Records (Nilssen-Love’s own label) released the monolithic debut album “Erta Ale” – available in four different formats: tripple cassette, tripple CD, digital, and the elaborate four LP-box deluxe edition.
The album and shows received positive reactions all over, with reviewers pointing out LARGE UNIT’s ability to come across both strong and with compact onslaughts –but also how the band just as easily could veer into subtle and textural passages. LARGE UNIT sounded fresh and brought something new to the large ensemble format.
Now it’s 2015 and it’s time to get on the road. From late April to mid June LARGE UNIT will play some 25 shows across Europe and North America. No small achievement for a 12-piece ensemble. A second European tour is also set for fall.
Equally dynamic as the music is the line-up, and the 2015 tour brings three new musicians to the band: Per Åke Holmlander (Sweden) has taken over on tuba, Tommi Keränen (Finland) handles electronics, and Julie Kjær (Denmark) has joined the front row on reeds. These three new faces also marks the shift of LARGE UNIT from being a Norwegian band to a Nordic tornado.
For the tour LARGE UNIT will release a new tour-only 12” EP + have a number of limited edition merchandise items for sale.
“As exciting and quixotic as many of the parts were, it was the architecture and mystique of the whole ensemble that prevailed and impressed most deeply.” – Josef Woodard, Downbeat
For ticket cost, please contact Don Metz at metzdj@buffalostate.edu.