"Breath-taking", the "biggest surprise" of the five-day festival, "a discovery, very original, very exciting". Although the daily press and music journals are seldom in agreement, in this case they were united in their opinion. They heaped praise upon a big band that was up to that point virtually unknown outside their Norwegian homeland.

Under the direction of the Swedish trombonist Nils Landgren, the legendary Berlin Jazz Festival’s 2001 programme successfully celebrated a new departure with a Scandinavian focus. One particularly unwieldy-sounding name stood out from the rest: The Geir Lysne Listening Ensemble. One reason for the prominence of saxophonist Geir Lysne’s 20-piece jazz orchestra’s was that it is just as musically unorthodox and enigmatic as its name. But the band’s music has a decided advantage: it sticks in the ear much better than its name.

After 100 years of jazz and approximately 75 years of big band tradition Lysne’s band comes out with a finished, completely unusual, fresh, brand new sound. And this is not just in relation to the elephantine herds of American big bands, which are too often ensnared in a mesh of standards, something which also holds true for many independent European examples. The line-up, which includes two percussion players, electric bass, electric guitar, piano, and three flutes, provides for a unique mix of tonal textures.

But that alone is not what has caused the sensation that lies behind this band. Bandleader Geir Lysne writes extremely complex compositions that are nevertheless filled with a tremendous sensuousness - compositions that have developed into a distinctive individual style, a style that expertly draws out the potential of his different soloists.

Under the direction of the Swedish trombonist Nils Landgren, the legendary Berlin Jazz Festival’s 2001 programme successfully celebrated a new departure with a Scandinavian focus. One particularly unwieldy-sounding name stood out from the rest: The Geir Lysne Listening Ensemble. One reason for the prominence of saxophonist Geir Lysne’s 20-piece jazz orchestra’s was that it is just as musically unorthodox and enigmatic as its name. But the band’s music has a decided advantage: it sticks in the ear much better than its name.