Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra

"Supersonic Orchestra is a dream come true for me, with all my absolute favorite musicians on board! I'm very proud to be on the road with this band in Europe, presenting their brand new material in some of my favorite venues and festivals."

Because of his 16-member ensemble, Norwegian drummer, composer and producer Gard Nilssen gets enthusiastic. As the 2019 Molde International Jazz Festival's "Artist In Residence," he brought the band to the stage for the first time. 'If You Listen Carefully The Music Is Yours', the band's album debut is the live recording made in the Norwegian harbor city.

The now 39-year-old began drumming as a two-year-old because, "My father, grandfather, uncle and two cousins played drums. There were drums everywhere." He hasn't stopped since, and has been extraordinarily productive in the process. Since 2007, he has recorded over seventy albums, most of them with small groups such as the trios Bushman's Revenge, Amgala Temple, and Acoustic Unity. With the latter, Nilssen released the album 'Elastic Wave' on ECM Records in July 2022, together with Petter Eldh and André Roligheten.

His website says about the Norwegian: "He loves music in general and doesn't care about genre at all." What does that mean for his Supersonic Orchestra? The music is energetic, evocative, dynamic, creative and explosive, inspired by Ornette Coleman, Fela Kuti, Alice Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Chris McGregor, Louis Moholo and Curtis Mayfield, with plenty of room and space for each musician to add his or her own voice.