“Friends and neighbors, that’s where it’s at!” Ornette Coleman’s live album from 1970 is the source of name and inspiration for the quintet who have been bombarded with sensationally enthusiastic reviews out in the big world. Down Beat outdid itself by giving an almost perfect score to the album “Hymn for a Hungry Nation”, hailing it as a “neo-New Thing Sensation.”
Energetic and melodious free jazz remains the cornerstone of Friends & Neighbors’ signature style, although it has evolved over the years to become increasingly song-based.
This music is essential for all those needing a little authentic music with political roots, as well as for all those wanting to hear where the spearhead of Norwegian jazz “is at”.
Thomas Johansson – on trumpet
André Roligheten – on saxophone and bass clarinet
Oscar Grönberg– on piano
Jon Rune Strøm – on bass
Tollef Østvang – on drums
Photo: Peter Gannushkin