Cut to the Core

The Core, currently one of the most explosive live acts on the Norwegian jazz circuit, will give their last show tonight at the Peking University Concert Hall in Beijing, as part of the ongoing Time Arts Jazz Series. Their music is rooted in the acoustic modal jazz of the 60s, combined with more contemporary grooves grown from funk and rock. This diverse sonic scope, combined with extraordinary stage skills, makes The Core really special on the contemporary jazz scene.

The members of The Core are some of Norway's leading jazz artists. Meeting in 1999 at the jazz academy in Trondheim, Norway, the quartet, consisting of Steinar Raknes on double bass, saxplayer Kjetil Moster, pianist Erlend Slettevoll and composer and drummer Espen Aalberg, immediately hit it off. Having released three acclaimed albums to date, they now arrive with their fourth, Office Essentials.

For their first album, Vision, the band drew inspiration from Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler and John Coltrane.

A quote from a review of one of their concerts in Oslo, in October 2004, gives a good description of what to expect from this group, who made their first public performance in 2001: "The Core has everything that jazz in 2004 should have: Energy, generosity and an unstoppable youthfulness giving the impression that each concert could be the last."

For further info call the theater at 6275-8452/2279. No 5 Yiheyuan Lu, Haidian District. Inside Peking University.

Chen Nan

(China Daily 05/10/2008 page6)