''Action Jazz'' is an album by The Thing, the trio of saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, bassist

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (born 23 September 1971 in Oppdal, Norway) is a Norwegian double bass, bassist active in the jazz and free jazz genres. (in Norwegian) Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian) Career Flaten played electric bass in local f ...

and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. It was recorded in December 2005 and released the following year by Smalltown Superjazz.

Recording and music

The album was recorded on 19 and 20 December 2005 at Atlantis Studio in Stockholm. "Ride the Sky" by Lightning Bolt "begins as an act of riff worship, the trio united in devotion to that primordial stomp, before Gustafsson breaks loose, howling pterodactyls fleeing the arcs of hot lava sputtering from his horn."Smith, Stewart (30 September 2011
"The Strange & Frightening World of... The Thing"
The Quietus. "The Nut/The Light", by Gustafsson's daughter, Alva Melin, are "free-blues" and were recorded earlier by Gustafsson on his solo album ''Catapult''.Hareuveni, Eyal (3 August 2006
"The Thing: Action Jazz"
AllAboutJazz.

Releases

''Action Jazz'' was released on 1 June 2006 by Smalltown Superjazz."Action Jazz"
thingjazz. Retrieved 26 February 2016.

Reception

Stewart Smith of '' The Quietus'' described ''Action Jazz'' as "More accessible than subsequent releases, ..itfinds a balance between the stoopid-fun icof their garage material, the swing of their onCherry inspired free-bop, and the open-form weirdness to come." Writing for All About Jazz, Eyal Hareuveni stated that on ''Action Jazz'', The Thing "deliver one of their heaviest performances," and called the album "another testimony to the success of this group's risk-taking and barrier-shattering attitude." In a review for Rockfeedback Magazine, Thomas Hannan commented: "It might be because they're so adept at it, it might be because they're playing skewed rock songs, it's probably got something to do with the unrelenting pace and wide eyed wonder at sound itself that The Thing seem to possess and display within every track, but ''Action Jazz'' is one heck of a lot of fun."

Track listing

#"Sounds like a Sandwich" (Cato Salsa) – 02:04 #"Chiasma" ( Yosuke Yamashita) – 04:58 #"Broken Shadows" (

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Colle ...

) – 02:28 #"Ride the Sky" ( Lightning Bolt) – 02:13 #"Better Living..." ( Mats Gustafsson,

, Paal Nilssen-Love) – 07:25 #"Danny's Dream" (

Lars Gullin Lars Gunnar Victor Gullin (4 May 1928 – 17 May 1976) was a Swedish jazz saxophonist. Career Lars Gullin was born in Visby, Sweden. He was a child prodigy on the accordion. At age thirteen, he played clarinet in a military band and later l ...

) – 07:33 #"The Nut/The Light" (Alva Melin) – 06:38 #"...Through BBQ" (Gustafsson, Flaten, Nilssen-Love) – 09:10 #"Strayhorn" (Gustafsson) – 07:03

Personnel

* Mats Gustafsson – baritone sax, alto sax, slide sax *

– double bass * Paal Nilssen-Love – drums

References

{{reflist Free jazz albums The Thing (jazz band) albums