Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity feat. Ambrose Akinmusire
The Artist In Residence-drummer, Gard Nilssen, undoubtedly has many irons in the fire and that variation is highly visible in our 2019 program.
However, if one's to find a heartchild among the versatile drummer’s work, then it may very well be his own band Acoustic Unity.
From their debut on the label Clean Feed in 2015, the band has worked a lot together and regularly performed both in the US and Europe. By this they become one of the most inter-playable ensembles in recent years. The band's first album, Firehouse, was nominated for Spellemann (the Norwegian Grammy Awards) back in 2016 and the album, Live in Europe, got critical acclaim from both Norwegian as well as international press.
To take the trio's interaction and music a step further at this year's festival, it became clear that the American trumpeter, Ambrose Akinmusire, was high on Gard's wish list over current collaboration. Putting one of the world's most exciting trumpeters on the same scene as Gard's band is just something we cannot say no to. It is in fact a meeting of two of this generation's foremost musicians – two performers who, from each side of the stage, can lead the way into exploratory and creative scenery in our venue Storyville.
Ambrose Akinmusire – Trumpet
André Roligheten – Sax
Peter Eldh – Double bass
Gard Nilssen – Drums