THE THING
(photo by Rune Mortensen)
MATS GUSTAFSSON (Sweden) REEDS
INGEBRIGT H. FLATEN (Norway) BASS
PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE (Norway) DRUMS
The Thing was established in the spring of February 2000 when the three musicians met to play several concerts and to record the first CD on Crazy Wisdom, a sub label of Swedish Universal. In 2001, they also recorded another CD on the same label as a quartet with Joe McPhee. There is also a limited edition LP on Anagram records, where the trio collaborates with the members of School Days, playing tunes by Norman Howard.
The trio was a long wanted constellation where several musical styles meet in a very high energetic outlet. All members are influenced by different traditions of free music derived from both Europe and America. When the trio started out, the book contained mainly of tunes by Don Cherry. Since Joe McPhee`s participation, the group's reportuar has included other free jazz standards by Butch Morris, Frank Lowe and Norman Howard. Also, the group´s enthusiasm towards rock came clear on the second CD, where "To Bring You My Love" by PJ Harvey was played with very heavy spirit. Today, the book has expanded to include tunes by The White Stripes, The Sonics and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. This is just an example that shows how close musical styles are today, how similar the energy is and can be, and how much today`s audience is melted together, devoted to creative music. The Thing´s music can easily be described as "garage jazz", where the raw power, filthy sound and fury of garage rock, is expressed through the directness of the spiritual energy and emotions one finds in free jazz.
The Thing is now signed on the Norwegian label Smalltown Superjazz, run by Joakim Haugland, who released their latest CD "Garage" which was recorded in January 2004.
Mats Gustafsson is today Sweden's and one of Europe's biggest name on the free music scene. Through groups like Gush, Peter Brötzmann`s Chicago Tentet and collaborations with Sonic Youth and David Grubbs, he has established himself as a very powerful saxophonist, and has somewhat reinvented the way of playing the saxophone.
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Paal Nilssen-Love has become known as Norway`s heaviest rhythm-section. Since they`re long time collaboration started in 1992, they have been working in several groups which today also includes School Days with Ken Vandermark, Scorch trio with Raoul Björkenheim, and the Swedish/Norwegian jazz-group Atomic.
The Thing does collaborate with Joe McPhee today, though more sporadic.
Some reviews:
Garage-rock covers in a free-jazz wig-out style by Swedes: this easily constitutes the week's leftfield release. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, White Stripes and The Sonics all get songs contorted in a frenzy of saxophones and upright bass, and Garage’s own creations are just as nutty. A sonic mess that is never the less enjoyable brainfood.
***
Tim Perry
The Independent
15th January 2005
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Last year, jazz squares got excited by the Bad Plus, who tastefully jazzed up rock standards by Black Sabbath, the Pixies and Abba on Columbia, creating a kind of Mike Flowers Pops in-joke for pretentious losers. The Scandinavian trio the Thing, led by the Swedish saxophonist and sometime Sonic Youth collaborator Mats Gustafsson, have better taste, more talent and the sense of the absurd of true artists, rather than the frat-house sense of humour of musicians nerds. On Garage, they play free jazz as if it's garage punk, a remit that includes finding new routes out of tunes by the Yeah yeah Yeahs, the White Stripes and the 1960s Seattle primitives the Sonics whose Have Love Will Travel, covered here, has gone from obscurity, via car-advert ignominy, to experimental reinterpretation in the space of the last 12 months.
****
(4/5)
Stewart Lee
The Sunday Times
16th January 2005
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The Thing Garage (Smalltown Superjazz)
Free jazz is well beyond the remit of a pop columnist, but it's worth mentioning this release by this Scandinavian outfit because it takes rock as its starting point. As the title implies, there are covers here of garage songs by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs ('Art Star') and the White Stripes ('Aluminum') done in the free jazz manner. They are joined by a version of 'Have Love Will Travel' (covered by the Sonics), plus a couple of original Thing compositions. It all seems a bit of an entertaining wheeze, like those Muzak renditions of 'Wonderwall', until the ferocity and commitment with which the players handle their task hits you. Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson is an especially explosive presence, but bassist Ingebrigt Flaten and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love are no slouches either, obviously relishing playing like a punk band. It will clear the cobwebs from your ears, at the very least.
Kitty Empire
The Observer
16th January 2005
RECORDINGS:
2005 ”Live at Blå” smalltown superjazz
2004 ”Garage” smalltown superjazz
2001 "She knows featuring Joe McPhee" Crazy Wisdom/Universal -006/014756-2 (out of print)
2000 “the thing” Crazy Wisdom/Universal -001/159 073-2 (out of print)
The Thing with School Days, "…plays the music of Norman Howard", Anagram LP 001
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