Scorch Trio

"12 Minuten "Kjøle Høle" zu Beginn der CD, das heißt: 12 Minuten unglaubliche Power, ein entfesselter Raoul Björkenheim, der darin die Essenz von Hendrix, Sharrock, Ulmer und Fripp verdichtet, nein, verdampft, verschmelzt zu einem gitarristischen Parforce-Ritt ohne gleichen. In der Folge lassen's die Drei etwas ruhiger angehen, ohne jedoch an Spannung zu verlieren. Drummer Paal Nilssen-Love ist der ideale Gegenpol zu Björkenheim, ein Berserker am Drumkit, aber was er tut, hat Hand und Fuß, bzw. Sinn und Ziel. Dazwischen bewahrt mit großen Ohren Ingebrigt Håker Flaten am Bass Ruhe und Bodenhaftung …ein Power-Trio der Extraklasse, mit viel frei improvisierter Musik, die auf diesem Niveau derzeit kaum ihresgleichen findet." (tjk)

Burning with an untamed, but still focused energy this is neither jazz nor rock, but rather a free spirited music that in places reminds us of another trio, the criminally underrated Band Of Gypsys, the group where Hendrix sought refuge when he needed to get back into the music and away from burning guitars and delivering old hits.
The Scorch trio came about as a result of Raoul Björkenheim and Ingebrigt Håker Flaten's meeting at the Jyvaskyla Summer Jazz Festival in 1998. Hearing each other play, it was immediately obvious to both of them that a collaboration would lead to some highly inspired energetic music. Flaten knew that his heavy rhythm section partner from the group Element, Paal Nilssen-Love, was the perfect choice of a drummer, and so several concerts in Finland and a recording for the Finnish radio were set up in early 2000 (part of that recording is included on the compilation CD produced by Wolf Kampman). From the very first sounds they made together, they knew that they were on the same wavelength and subsequent concerts were arranged in Copenhagen, Gothenburg and Oslo. This led to their first recording for Rune Grammofon in 2002, which received very good reviews and was voted as one of the 10 best jazz CDs of the year in The Wire. A second CD was recorded in the winter of 2004 and released on Rune Grammofon during the fall same year.
Björkenheim gained recognition on the international scene with his own band Krakatau, recording two CD's for ECM, and performing at many major European festivals. He developed a shamanistic intensity in his playing which reflects the influences of Hendrix, James Blood Ulmer and Ayler, bringing him to collaborations with Finnish drummer Edward Vesala, Toshinori Kondo, Bill Laswell, Ronald Shannon Jackson and Paul Schútze. Together with Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Paal Nilssen-Love, the trio will emerge as a very interesting constellation a cross the borders. The trio works with free improvisation.