Jazz / Post-Bop
Recorded June 1993
Jens Petter Antonsen lead trumpet
Per Jorgensen trumpet, vocals
Morten Halle alto saxophone
Tore Brunborg tenor and soprano saxophones
Gertrud Okland violin
Trond Villa viola
Jonas Franke-Blom cello
Jon Balke piano, keyboards
Anders Jormin bass
Marilyn Mazur percussion
Audun Kleive drums
Bill Holman has written for the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra on several occasions. This 1997 CD finds the huge ensemble performing his four-part "Further Adventures," "Issues and Answers" and Holman's interpretation of Alfred Newman's "Moon Of Manakoorah." Although the orchestra lacks any famous names, and the occasional soloists are not given (although a full personnel listing is included), it is one of the great large big bands in the world, filled with technically brilliant players. Since Holman's arrangements are always challenging to play, this matchup works quite well and the music is often quite memorable. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Jon Balke
Active Decades: '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: 1955 in Norway
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Modern Creative, Modern Free, Post-Bop, Modern Composition, Folk-Jazz, Experimental Ambient, Structured Improvisation
Norwegian pianist Jon Balke is an avant-garde-leaning musician with a bent toward mixing various stylistic influences, including contemporary jazz, post-bop, rock, folk, world, and classical. He released his debut album, On and On, in 1991. A year later he made his ECM debut with Nonsentration. A member of the Magnetic North Orchestra, Balke has also released several albums with the ensemble, including Kaynos in 2002 and Diverted Travels in 2004. In 2009, Balke paired up with a similarly inclined group of musicians -- including trumpeter Jon Hassell, violinist Kheir Eddine M'Kachiche, vocalist Amina Alaoui, and others -- for the experimental ethnic fusion album Siwan.
---Matt Collar, All Music Guide |
