ARILD ANDERSEN

    PAOLO VINACCIA                                        TOMMY SMITH

When this trio released the album «Live at Belleville» in 2008   ( ECM records ), they were met with great enthusiasm from both the public and the press( reviews), Arild Andersen received the prize “European Jazz musician of the Year 2008” by the “Academie du Jazz “ in France for the release.

Arild Andersen is a well-known name in the jazz world. He is a legend in Norwegian and international jazz.

Andersen is known for his collaboration with Jan Garbarek from the 1960’s, and this time he also played with musicians like Don Cherry, Sam Rivers and George Russell, Stan Getz

In 1982 he started the legendary band “Masqualero “with Jon Christensen, Nils Petter Molvaer, Jon Balke and Tore Brunborg. The band existed for 10 years, releasing four albums and won three Norwegian Grammy Awards.

From 1990 he has enjoyed as a musical center of gravity to combine Norwegian folk music with improvised music.

He has worked with   Bill Frisell, Stan Getz, Paul Bley , Ralph Towner , Nana Vasconcelos , John Scofield, Pat Metheny  among others.

Andersen was «Artist in Residence» at the Molde Jazzfestival 2005.

From 2007 he has played and toured with the new trio with Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith and Italian/Norwegian drummer Paolo Vinaccia. USA, Japan, Scandinavia ,Europe, UK,  Nicaragua, Argentina, India. Egypt,

JANUARY 2014 they released a new trio record on ECM named «MIRA» which already has received great reviews.

 

Tommy Smith  is a leading light in European jazz, first and foremost as one of the finest saxophonists of his generation, and latterly as the founder and current director of The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra (SNJO).

His prolific career began in earnest when, aged only sixteen, he recorded his first album Giant Strides. He was rewarded with a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, an experience that has shaped his affirmative approach to jazz.

Smith has also earned the regard, support and friendship of the many respected jazz figures with whom he has collaborated and created great jazz. They include, but are not limited to, Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Kenny, Barron, John Scofield and Trilok Gurtu.

Tommy Smith is also founder/director of The Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra and is current Artistic Director of the first ever full-time jazz course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Paolo Vinaccia   Italian drummer and composer  has worked with Arild Andersen for many years in a wide range of projects. He has lived in Norway since 1979 and has been extremely active in the Norwegian and European jazz scene and a central improviser with Nils Petter Molvaer, Ketil Bjornstad, Terje Rypdal, Bugge Wesseltoft, Palle Mikkelborg, Bendik Hofseth, Mike Mainieri and many others. In 2006 he was commissioned by Canal Street Jazz Festival for the original work “Landkjenning” with Terje Rypdal, and can be heard on over 100 recordings that range from world music to pop.

Arild Andersen (bass), Paolo Vinaccia (dr), Tommy Smith (sax)


Go here for high-res photos.

Some info in French here.