Nils Petter Molvaer - El Molino, Barcelona, 24/4/2025

  by Philamonjaro

published: 8 / 7 / 2025

On this night in Barcelona, Nils Petter Molvaer’s trio gave us an atmospheric jazz fusion journey par excellence. One could hear a pin drop in the intimate space of El Molino. There were no side conversations, and no faces lit up by the otherwise ubiquitous glare of phone screens. Rather what we saw was fans savouring every sonic passage. The whole audience leaned into the mood. In part, Nils-Petter Molvaer’s genius is in subtlety, space and dynamic. Stoically propped on a stool, he would occasionally reach to his left to manipulate some sonic effects, independent of his trumpet playing, in a show of both his deep concentration and his mastery of his instrument. Every note and sound was intentional, and every phrase led into an irresistible soundscape, adding so much more to his playing. Jo Berger Myhre’s bass playing explored low-end melodies while holding down the rhythm. Adding colour to his playing, he started the song 'Lamna Reef' gliding a violin bow across his strings, giving the music the warm tone of a cello. Other passages had a nearly heavy metal crunch to them. Drummer Erland Dahlen played an array of percussion instruments in addition to his kit drums., notably an African slit drum and three uniquely pitched mariner bells. Rhythmically clanging, these bells added so much melody, mood and texture to the music. Much of the evening’s set came from Nils Petter Molvaer’s 2021 release 'Stitches', while the remainder of the set went all the way back, including his 1990s downtempo song 'Ligotage'. He ended the night with “Angels Ahead” moving into his arrangement of Radiohead’s 'True Love Waits'. Molvær has a long CV of diverse projects including collaborating with Sly and Robbie and Tabla Beat Science to name but two. If you are searching for an original, adventurous sound beyond simple categorization, you should check out Nils Petter Molvaer. SET LIST: Frame Work 2 Platonic Years Lamna Reef A Sudden Rash - bass solo Mercury Heart Nearly Invisible Stitches Funeral Ligotage Amed Angels Ahead / True Love Waits (Radiohead) Photos by Philamonjaro www.philamonjaro.com

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