Raoul Björkenheim & Paal Nilssen-Love (FI/NO)

Guitarist Raoul Björkenheim and Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love have known each other for over 25 years, recording together on several occasions. The ensemble that first brought them together was the Scorch Trio, whose music straddled the borderlands between jazz and rock. As the name suggests, the band played with a scorching and burning energy, tearing about with fiery abandon, usually with the understanding that ‘no one solos – everyone solos’. This trio performed at Tampere Jazz Happening in November 2003, a couple of months before the recordings of their second album Luggumt.

Be that as it may, Björkenheim and Nilssen-Love have actually only performed together once, and even this opportunity to see them perform was probably missed by most of those interested. The duo concert, which was part of the We Jazz Festival programme, was held in the banquet hall of an old horse farm in Vantaa in December 2021, but the performer was not revealed to concertgoers until they arrived at the venue.

The day after their clandestine gig, Björkenheim (b. 1956) and Nilssen-Love (b. 1974) met again at the Cable Factory in Helsinki, where they recorded their first album, PING. Its release will be celebrated on Saturday at Telakka, now with more publicity and almost five years after their first performance.