Mats Gustafsson – alto tenor and baritone saxophone
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten – double bass
Paal Nilssen-Love – drums
The Thing is another long-running (since 2000), Scandinavian collaboration. This trio between myself and colleagues Mats Gustafsson and Paal Nilssen-Love, deals with improvisation in its most open form. The Thing utilizes everything from atmospheric improvisation via jazz classics to garage rock standards as a starting point for our music.
Listen/buy our music; MONO – SHINJUKU CRAWL with OTOMO YOSHIHIDE – SHINJUKU GRAWL with JIM O’ROURKE – BAG IT – GARAGE – SHE KNOWS with JOE McPHEE – THE THING
Read The Thing Bio here
Recently, the great Spanish journalist and comic-maker, Naiel Ibarrola created a comic/concert review using impressions from our two day residency at Cafe Oto in London, October 2011. I think it describes what we are doing in a great way:
Label: SmallTownSuperJazz,
Web: The Thing’s Site,
Agent: Danielle Oosterop
Facebook page: ThingJazz
“Tapping into rock’s most primal forces with the fire and fury that’s something to behold” Moro
“The Thing convert nouveau punk and vintage garage-rock into a roaring scream-up, but the sheer energy and love of the music keep gimmickery at bay” Uncut
“The sheer power they generate from wood, metal, breath and muscle is stunning” BBC
“Absurdly cool” DJ Magazine
Recordings:
“Now and Forever” 4-disc box set (Smalltown Superjazz – 2008)
The Thing with Ken Vandermark “Immediate Sound” (Smalltown Superjazz – 2007)
“Action Jazz” (Smalltown Superjazz – 2006)
Two Bands and a Legend “I See You Baby” EP (Smalltown Superjazz – 2005)
The Thing, “Have Love Will Travel/Art Star” 7” (Smalltown Superjazz – 2004)
The Thing with Joe McPhee, “She Knows…” (Crazy Wisdom – 2001)
The Thing (Crazy Wisdom – 2000)
