Windfall (Music by Helge Sunde) Ensemble Denada

• 1The Speedcouch (sic)06:15
• 2Moosic07:13
• 3Seven Winds05:30
• 4(The Road To) Damascus06:54
• 5The Entire Truth07:32
• 6Sidewalk04:50
• 7The Arrow06:47
• Total Runtime45:01

Info for Windfall (Music by Helge Sunde)

The English word 'windfall' describes ripe fruit being blown off trees. As a sweet apple that has fallen off your neighbours tree into your garden can be a pretty nice thing, 'windfall' also serves as a metaphor for an unexpected opportunity.

Ensemble Denada's music is full of windfall. There is plenty of lucky accidents and coincidents, sounds and noises that go together in the most unexpected ways. Even the songs themselves often derive from obscure chances and stories. To say it in the band's own words “A swimming moose, swimming a West Norwegian fjord can become a jazz song in 5/4, a typing error on a sheet of music can lead into a song about a sofa on a wild sleigh ride down a steep hill.”

Of course a musical project can never fully rely on the concept of luck, someone needs to pull the strings and grab the opportunities as they come along. For Ensemble Denada this someone is trombone player Helge Sunde. Being the musical mastermind behind the Norwegian jazz orchestra, Sunde is responsible for all compositions and arrangements.

There is a brass section, woodwinds and a rhythm section with bass, drums, piano and guitar in Endemble Denada, but Sunde still somehow manages to create a compact, yet versatile band sound that is at it's best in the cinematic moments of 'Windfall'. You can see an old cartoon film before your inner eye, than a car chase scene followed by an atmospheric Arthouse film and a modern ballet. The transparent recording made at the Sendesaal Bremen, an old radio concert studio, makes sure there are no distractions on your mind's journey.

Sunde draws his inspirations mostly from American acts like Weather Report, Frank Zappa, Bill Evans or Miles Davis but Ensemble Denada clearly has it's very own vibe, putting more emphasis on telling musical stories and the poetic aspects of music.

This said, it seems only logical that three of the seven tracks on 'Windfall' are dedicated to Olav H. Hauge, a Norwegian poet much admired by Sunde. Hauge also inspired the album title as he is a true man of chance and lucky coincidences. His break through as a poet only came when he was already 60 years old, after someone gave him a guide book about poetry. Ten years later, at age 70 Hauge found the woman of his life and got married. And as if that wasn't enough he also worked as an apple farmer in West Norway before he became a full time poet. Who could ever know more about windfall than he?

Frank Brodahl, Trumpet
Marius Haltli, Trumpet
Anders Eriksson, Trumpet and flugelhorn
Helge Sunde, Composer and Trombone
Erik Johannessen, Trombone
Arild Hillestad, Trombone
Frode Nymo, Soprano saxophone
Børge-Are Halvorsen, Alto saxophone, alto flute
Atle Nymo, Tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
Nils Jansen, Bass saxophone, tubax, contra alto clarinet, alto flute
Peter Baden, Sampling, rhythmic and harmonic electronics
Jens Thoresen, Guitar
Olga Konkova, Piano
Per Mathisen, Bass
Håkon Mjåset Johansen, Drums

Ensemble Denada This ensemble from Oslo may look at first sight like a big band, but it is truly an oversized quintet. The size and the line-up generates some unique musical opportunities, boosting the interaction between composer/bandleader Helge Sunde and his formidable players. Helge Sundes innovative writing for large jazz ensembles was for several years a well known "secret" in Scandinavia. It is not so anymore – with the release of the album “Denada” on ACT in 2007, Sunde's extraordinary abilities became known to the world. The album received rave reviews, and the release opened the doors to European festivals and venues for the ensemble.

Helge Sunde's ties to European art music combined with his intuitive perception of the African-American tradition is clearly reflected into the music formula. The compositions represent a blend of strictly composed music, directed sequences and free improvisation. This requires a group of musicians able to approach chamber music interpretation in one movement, and to deliver hardcore jazz improvisation in the next. It also requires an ensemble capable of contributing to the development of the compositions, without interfering with the artistic direction of the composer.

This innovative exchange between the performers and composer Helge Sunde is the main asset of Ensemble Denada. And it might explain why the band receive many positive comments from audiences and press for being something else then a bunch of well trained musicians performing good scores.

We couldn't have said it better than the London's newspaper 'Evening Standard' recently did: "Bring Ensemble Denada back to London! This is one of the most versatile, high-spirited and original 14-piece bands heard in London for years. As they strode up to the bandstand, playing spiky counterpoint, an evening of free-form New Orleans beckoned. Moments later, their four saxes, three trumpets and three trombones punched out meaty ensembles with the precision of a top Las Vegas showband."

Booklet for Windfall (Music by Helge Sunde)