BALLISTER: Dave Rempis, Paal Nilssen-Love & Fred Lonberg-Holm

BlueStem Jazz.

media release: This free-wheeling trio first came together at a closed session in 2009, and as any fan of improvised music can imagine, the band hit hard from the first note and hasn’t looked back since. The unabashed energy of Rempis and PNL, coupled with the electrified cello antics of Lonberg-Holm, make for a powerful listening experience that combines driving grooves with noisy textures and occasional melodic interjections. These sliding and overlapping rhythms often give the music a feeling as if a rug is slowly being pulled out from underneath the listener while the music still maintains a strong forward momentum. Reference points include the Julius Hemphill groups of the 70's and 80's featuring Abdul Wadud, Ornette Coleman's Prime Time, and the early-70's explorations of Miles Davis' electric bands.

The band currently has eight releases under its belt, including Bastard String (self-released, 2010) Mechanisms (Clean Feed Records, 2012) Mi Casa es en Fuego (self-released, 2013),  Both Ends (Bocian Records, 2014, LP only), Worse For The Wear (Aerophonic Records, 2015) and The Ballister Monologues (Astral Spirits, 2015, cassette only/limited edition). Slag (2017), Low Level Stink (Dropa Disc, 2017), and Znachki Stilyag (Aerophonic Records, 2020). They’ve also toured both North America and Europe extensively in that time.