Arild Andersen Quartet Feat. Tommy Smith, Helge Lien & Paolo Vinaccia

When this trio released the album in 2008 ( ECM records ), they were met with great enthusiasm from both the public and the press( reviews), Arild Andersen received the prize "European Jazz musician of the Year 2008" by the "Academie du Jazz" in France for the release.

Arild Andersen is a well-known name in the jazz world. He is a legend in Norwegian and international jazz.

Andersen is known for his collaboration with Jan Garbarek from the 1960's, and this time he also played with musicians like Don Cherry, Sam Rivers and George Russell, Stan Getz,

In 1982 he started the legendary band "Masqualero" with Jon Christensen, Nils Petter Molvaer, Jon Balke and Tore Brunborg. The band existed for 10 years, releasing four albums and won three Norwegian Grammy Awards.

From 1990 he has enjoyed as a musical center of gravity to combine Norwegian folk music with improvised music.

He has worked with Bill Frisell, Stan Getz, Paul Bley , Ralph Towner , Nana Vasconcelos , John Scofield, Pat Metheny among others.

Andersen was at the Molde Jazzfestival 2005.

From 2007 he has played and toured with the new trio with Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith and Italian/Norwegian drummer Paolo Vinaccia. USA, Japan, Scandinavia ,Europe, UK, Nicaragua, Argentina, India. Egypt,

JANUARY 2014 they released a new trio record on ECM named which already has received great reviews.

Tommy Smith is a leading light in European jazz, first and foremost as one of the finest saxophonists of his generation, and latterly as the founder and current director of The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra (SNJO).

His prolific career began in earnest when, aged only sixteen, he recorded his first album Giant Strides. He was rewarded with a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, an experience that has shaped his affirmative approach to jazz.