<p>Simmons has been in Norway in 2005 and recorded several sessions together with some of the most exciting and experienced young Norwegian jazz artists. <br /><br />The Traveller is the first album in a trilogy by Sonny Simmons on Jazzaway Records. It also features piano player Anders Aarum, bassist Mats Eilertsen and drummer Ole Thomas Kolberg. <br /><br />They are all performing superbly troughout this session composed and conducted by Vidar Johansen who also plays the flute parts. <br /><br />Johansens compositions for string quartet + rythm section are modern, fresh and exciting, and does not have the sweet/mellow atmosphere usually assosiated with the mix of jazz and strings. The album features an elite classical string quartet from Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra/ Kringkastningsorkesteret. <br /><br />The Traveller is the result of Sonnys desire to do something he had never done before, to be recorded with strings. This is also the firs time he is doing a record not playing his own original compositions (except for some old "standars" recorded in the past).</p>
