Wavemakers / Alex Ventling

February 9, 2026 / JazzLocal32.com

Wavemakers, Alex Ventling’s recent release, has him working with a new sound palette. During his time in Trondheim, he has developed an expansive and beautifully Nordic sound. He has always possessed an open and explorative spirit, but here, he has found a formula that allows his compositions to breathe unencumbered. His compositions float effortlessly, while depth and raw beauty fuel every phrase.

There is pulse and groove throughout, but the patterns morph and shift. Without a bass, the centre is more fluid, leaving room for a variety of interactions. The moody opening number, ‘Tracking’, is a good example with its gentle loping swing feel. Like footprints in a snowscape, it invites you into a beguiling, allusive world.

The piano opens with ostinato chords, followed by a lovely melodic progression. The lines rise seamlessly above the vamp, with violin and vibraphone mirroring the right hand of the pianist. The drummer adds gentle accents. This is very fine writing, and the execution is superb, with violin, vibraphone, piano and percussion playing as if one entity.

On Track two, a human voice is added, not singing lyrics but integrated as another instrument. This is something that the northern European world can lay a claim to; think Norma Winstone, Sidsel Endresen, and Urszula Dudziak. Throughout the album, these unusual instrumental pairings open up new vistas. ‘Trondheim 1, 2 & 3’ are open and crystalline. In those tracks, minimalism is to the fore; the voices arising and disappearing in succession.

Most impressive, though, is the final track, ‘Four Refractions’. This is an evocative folkloric piece of music. It brings joy to the listener, as it dances into the consciousness, and along with the rest of the album, it deserves to be listened to without outside distractions intruding. Tuva Halse, the violinist, is an impressive musician, and I first came across her when I was a judge in an international jazz competition. I knew within minutes that she and her band would be the winners in their category, and so it was. There is no greater pleasure than hearing young musicians living up to their promise.

Ventling has many talents, including filmmaking, as evidenced in the YouTube clip of the title track. Within days of posting, it had had an impressive 66k views. The album has attracted favourable notice, and the band will return to the studio sometime this year. Ventling is in Auckland over February, where you can hear him at the Audio Foundation on the 12th & 21st Feb.

The credits are: Alex Ventling, piano, synth, and compositions. Tuva Halse, Violin. Amund Stenøien, Vibraphone. August Giännestrand, drums & drum machine. Sissel Vera Pettersen, voice. The album is available through Bandcamp.

JazzLocal32.com was rated as one of the 50 best Jazz Blogs in the world by Feedspot. The author is a professional member of the Jazz Journalists Association, was a Judge in the 7VJC International Jazz Competition, is a poet & writer. Some of these posts appear on other sites with the author’s permission.

Khmer Live in Bergan (Nils Petter Molvær)

July 31, 2025 / JazzLocal32.com

Nearly 30 years have passed since ECM released Nils Petter Molvær’s popular ‘Khmer’ album. It was a departure from the ECM fare of the day, and not without risk, but it found a receptive audience and sold like hot cakes. NPM (Molvær) laid down a new direction for Jazz, and the 1990s saw a subsequent rise of ambient-leaning improvised music (a genre variously labelled as Jazz acoustic/electronica, future jazz, Nu jazz, etc). It has exerted an increasingly pervasive influence on other Jazz forms over time.

Since the release of ‘Khmer’, NPM has released dozens of albums, and his status on the European jazz scene is unimpeachable. Many of his albums, such as the original ‘Khmer’, were studio-recorded, but, superb as those albums are, this music thrives on live performance. It is mostly danceable, and the club lighting and pulsating audience create a feedback loop, intensifying the atmosphere. In ‘Khmer Live in Bergen’, you can sense that added energy.

There is an unmistakable filmic quality to this mood-dominant music, conjuring up imaginary worlds that linger on the outer edge of reality. The listener is invited on a journey, and a narrative unfolds, but it remains elusive. Unless you immerse yourself. The song titles hint at a narrative, but the ebb and flow of the music fleshes it out. Ambient-leaning music always exalts mood over the strictures of form.

Song of Sand

Despite the title, this is not an exact recreation of the original ‘Khmer’ album. There is no ‘Khmer’ track, for instance, but there are four tracks from the original. As much as a fresh take on the title track might have appealed, the inclusion of ‘Song of Sand’ more than makes up for it. If ever a track evokes powerful dreamscapes, it is this. A distant pulse is heard, soft at first, followed by muffled voices – then the trumpet as the music becomes more immediate, the sound of a caravan navigating its way through dunes, perhaps – each step evenly paced, as it advances over the vast sand-blown landscape. Five of the tracks have appeared on other albums. Of those, I particularly liked ‘Vilderness’, with its Jon Hassell-like resonance, punchy basslines and soaring multiphonic interludes.

This is an ensemble in the truest sense, and in many ways, a traditional offering in fresh raiment. Everything you hear, including the samples, is created in real time. This is a collective improvisation that moves freely inside a flexible form. Sculpting sound in this way requires many deft hands. Four of the musicians played on the original ‘Khmer’ album: Molvær, Jan Bang, Eivind Aarset and Rune Arnesen. The full ensemble: Nils Petter Molvær (trumpet), Eivind Aarset (guitar & electronics), Jan Bang (live sampling), Pål “Strangefruit” Nyhus (DJ, MPC, programming), Audun Erlien (bass), Per Lindvall (drums), Rune Arnesen (drums, percussion).

It is on Edition Records and will be released on August 5, 2025. You can pre-order from Bandcamp now.

JazzLocal32.com was rated as one of the 50 best Jazz Blogs in the world by Feedspot. The author is a professional member of the Jazz Journalists Association, a Judge in the 7VJC International Jazz Competition, and a poet & writer. Some of these posts appear on other sites with the author’s permission.

John Pal Inderberg Trio (Norway)

January 15, 2018January 17, 2018 / JazzLocal32.com / Leave a comment

It is rare to have a Viking encounter in New Zealand as our Geographical isolation makes it difficult. A foolish few, claim, that Eric the Red visited here after he sailed to America. That is as fanciful as Trump’s claim to possess genius IQ. I have had four significant Viking encounters in my life. The first was when I visited Yorvik in York. The second occurred in a crowded hall when a booming female voice hushed everyone by proclaiming – ‘Lookout a Viking has entered the room’ and pointed directly at me. Wives were gathered close as all eyes turned nervously in my direction (the embarrassment subsided after extensive counselling). The third occasion was when my DNA revealed that I was 21% Viking (the woman was right). A few nights ago, I had another Viking encounter and this one was perfect. A descendant of Eric’s finally made it, with a baritone battle horn and batterie in tow.

It was 10 degrees below when John Pal Inderberg left Norway and 40 degrees above when he and Hakon Johansen landed in Sydney. By the time they visited Auckland, there was only a 38-degree temperature differential. This gig, was as unexpected as my previous Viking encounters – coming out of nowhere. Jeff Henderson had pulled it together at short notice and those who attended will be eternally grateful that he did. Henderson and Inderberg go back some way. Baritone saxophone gigs are extremely rare; baritone chordless trio gigs like hens’ teeth. Inderberg opened with a long intro; a beautiful Norwegian folk-influenced melody – the deep resonant notes bubbling up from the depths – pleasurable from the first instance. His rich tone, northern European, his ideas as he improvised, an endless stream of Nordic sagas. I have only heard one baritone player who sounds like that – John Surman (who also lives in Norway).

The setlist was a mix of originals and standards – the standards sounding wonderfully original, as breathy stories were unpicked. Woven into the tunes, were snatches of multiphonics – between the tunes, a cornucopia of humour. This was Nordic humour and extremely funny. At one point, he told us that a particular tune was difficult and required a lot of rehearsal. “This tune has a lot of de-crescendos and Vikings are very crescendo orientated. Loud shouting is embedded in our DNA after all of that pillaging”. He later explained that the band were enjoying their new uniform (although no one was dressed the same). “Not one of us is wearing underpants on stage,” he added. “In Norway at 10 below, our underpants stretch from here to here,” indicating his chest and ankles. In this heat, they are not welcome.

Inderberg has an impressive resume. He has toured and recorded with Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Chet Baker, Gil Evans and Bob Brookmeyer. He teaches at Trondheim, is a multi-award-winning musician and a key member of many ensembles and Jazz orchestras. He has definite Tristano leanings and this shows in his approach to improvisation. We discussed Warne Marsh’s sad final performance – dying as he played ‘Out of Nowhere’. We call it ‘Out of Norway’ he told me.

We were extremely lucky to have both Inderberg and the trio drummer Hakon Mjaset Johansen in New Zealand. Johansen was also extraordinary – whether as a colourist or laying down a steady pulse, he showed himself to be the perfect partner (the percussively finicky Lenny would have approved – no kick drum bombs). On bass was the Auckland musician Eamon Edmundson-Wells. Was the Nordic-sounding name an X-factor? It may have been as he played as if he had been with the trio for a long time. It is always gratifying when our local musicians kill it alongside the greats.

Inderberg has over 30 albums to his credit. He will likely return before too long. Watch out for that, as his gigs are not to be missed. The Trio recorded an album in 2016 titled ‘Linjedalsleiken’ and it is superb. I have embedded two gig clips, just case people need further convincing and a sound clip from the album.

The above album is recorded for Ponca Jazz Records and is available from that site, or from iTunes. Also available, are a number of recordings of Inderberg with Lee Konitz – ‘Steps towards a Dream’ is astonishingly beautiful. Well worth the download if you have a fondness for the post-Tristano movement as I do.