Nezelhorns is an experimental jazz quintet that plays original compositions by Petter Hängsel and Nana Pi. The music has harmonious freedom, creating sound images that both have a diatonic and dissonant character, where traditional and abstract grooves meet tonal and anti-tonal melodies. The band plays with great emphasis on sound and improvisation, and they are known for their raw and powerful expression.
Nezelhorns released their second album, ‘Sentiment’ in April 2021 on the record label ‘Barefoot Records’. The album is nominated for DMA Jazz 2021 in the category ‘Jazz Release of the Year’ and in April 2021 it was named ‘The Best Jazz on Bandcamp’ by Dave Sumner. Sentiment is the sequel to their debut release ‘Nezelhorns In An Elephant String’.
“Nezelhorns is an ensemble that demonstrates a harmonious nature, even when it feels like they’re coming apart at the seams. Strong melodies curl around bursts of dissonance, their clarity achieving greater definition by the way they warp on the journey from the first note to the last. The synchronicity of the wind instrument trio of tenor saxophonist Nana Pi, trombonist Petter Hängsel, and trumpeter Erik Kimestad, and the propulsive nature of the double bass and drums of Johannes Vaht and Kristoffer Rostedt combine to attain a sound much bigger than might otherwise be expected of a quintet.” – Dave Sumner, ‘The Best Jazz on Bandcamp’ April 2021
“Barefoot Records have long been a label that celebrates the boundless wonders of jazz. Continually championing artists and encouraging them to step outside of the box in a bid to provide fascinating new perspectives on what constitutes jazz in the 21st century. Nezelhorns are a collective that are indicative of those very values and their mesmerising new release ‘Sentiment’ sits high amongst Barefoot’s finest. Led by saxophonist Nana Pi, also credited for handling the bulk of the project’s compositions, ‘Sentiment’ is a joyous record that marvels in its ability to explore itself through the notion of free improvisation. Even the song titles point towards the type of personality and charm that Nezelhorns bring to their recordings – ‘Ultra Magnus’ for example seems to tip its hat towards the one-time leader of the Autobots and while ‘Moobs’ may well mean something different in Scandinavian countries than it does in the UK it certainly made me smile. ‘Frontless’ kicks the album off in fine fashion, ‘Red Ballet Shoes’ has some fantastic energy but the more ballad-like numbers like ‘The Worst Case Scenario’ and ‘Långsamt’ are just exquisitely performed.” – Imran Mirza, Blue In Green Radio
The band consist of:
Nana Pi – tenor saxophone
Petter Hängsel – trombone
Erik Kimestad – trumpet
Johannes Vaht – double bass
Kristoffer Rostedt – drums
Nezelhorns 