After years of inactivity and persistent calls from fans, the NO Jazz Festival will relaunch its program in November. The festival is known for presenting the “(N)ot (O)nly Jazz” program. In its eleventh edition, at the Vintage Industrial Bar in Zagreb on November 10th, Roy Osa featuring Rob Mazurek will perform, followed by The Necks on November 23rd and the David Murray/Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/Paal Nilssen-Love trio on November 24th at Lauba – House for People and Art. This was an opportunity to talk with Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, a multiple award-winner, including the prestigious Buddy Award, Norway’s highest jazz honor. Håker Flaten has performed several times at NO Jazz in different configurations. “It’s been a long time since I last played in Zagreb, but with different collaborators,” he says. “It was always special to come to Zagreb. Always! Both the audience and Mate Škugor, the festival organizer – it was always a warm feeling. I loved it. Knowing I’ll return is incredible.”

Håker Flaten has performed in Zagreb with various lineups, but this year’s NO Jazz marks his first time playing in a trio with versatile American tenor saxophonist and bass clarinetist David Murray and Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. The trio started in 2019 and has since toured several times. Open-minded and known for incorporating elements of New Orleans jazz and blues into his free-jazz performances, Murray has developed a unique connection with his Norwegian colleagues, connecting as improvisers, communicators, and on a spiritual level. Among other things, the trio is known for unexpected interventions during performances. “Paal and I have been playing together for over 30 years,” he explains. “We’ve collaborated in many different bands and projects, from more traditional jazz to total free improvisation. We share many of the same ideas. The reason we still play together and enjoy it is that we challenge each other. We constantly surprise each other. It’s essential in musical relationships never to settle into habits, as even in improvised music, that can happen. You get used to a certain way of playing and end up repeating patterns, losing spontaneity. So, constantly challenging each other is crucial, and that’s something Paal and I have always done.”

In this trio, they experience this dynamic with David Murray, who comes from a different musical tradition. “Of course, he’s a legend,” he says. “We all know his music. I’ve been listening to him for a long time. So, naturally, playing with someone you’ve long admired is significant and special. It’s just fantastic. It took him a little while to adjust to our style, as sometimes we open things up differently. But every band has its working rhythm. We meet through the language of jazz and have mutual respect for it. The material we play reflects a lot of the tradition we all know. It’s fun to open up all these areas, and that’s increasingly happening with this trio. We play a lot of Murray’s compositions. We started with his music, but Paal has also written several pieces for the band. We touch on blues, free improvisation, and structures characteristic of Murray. His saxophone playing is extraordinary—he’s unstoppable, limitless. For us, that’s remarkable. When we click, it’s a fantastic trio. You can expect a great concert. We love to play and are excited to return to Zagreb. It will be amazing.” In this trio, Håker Flaten fully expresses his creativity, with Murray and Nilssen-Love bringing out his communicative skills and free improvisation approach. Regardless of his collaborators, he emphasizes improvisation, freedom, spontaneity, instant creation, and direct communication—all of which inspire his creative mind and artistic ethos.

“Free improvisation covers a lot,” he explains. “One part of it is a language that has existed for a long time. Calling it ‘free improvisation’ might be misleading because it’s now a tradition. We have European improvised music and free-jazz, both different traditions. Knowing the history and tradition is essential. When we talk about free improvisation, it’s also about communication. Knowing your instrument well allows you to respond and communicate. Free improvised music can be highly exciting due to the way people connect. It’s challenging; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s just playing a written composition or material that suits the group. So, improvisation happens on many levels. Conversely, I’d go crazy if I had to play music that sounded the same every day. I could never do that. My twin brother writes music for theater, arranges, and plays piano. He’s amazing at it and works as a music director in a theater, playing the same music daily for months. He loves it—that’s his passion. I’d go insane doing that. It takes a certain kind of person. People are different. Some do one thing, others something else. I love that music can be different every day. Variations can be small but significant when working in this genre. That’s how we keep the music fresh.”

For Håker Flaten, exploring sound is paramount, and he’s a master of turning inspiration into music. “Inspiration can come from so many things,” he reflects. “We could mention Anthony Braxton, for instance, and how he uses all these tools, writing in different musical languages, capturing ideas in symbols, graphic notations, or other written signs. He knows how to bring more abstract thinking into music. What he’s done for music is incredible, especially regarding the philosophy and language around it. He’s helped musicians better understand how to structure abstract music. Abstract music is like abstract visual art; you can decide to go elsewhere or create a space. It’s all very interesting. It’s also based on emotional states and connects on many levels. First and foremost, you have to listen, and only then can you make quick decisions. You could say, philosophically, it’s all in the moment. If you’re present, your mindset is different. You choose what to do, but you need tools and an understanding of them. It takes time to develop all that, and we’ll never finish that journey. It’s continuous exploration. Also, we have to let go of our ego in some way. That, too, is abstract.”

Exploration has been crucial in Håker Flaten’s career, and with this trio, he continues to explore, refreshing and enriching his vocabulary while sharing his experiences with younger generations. “I recently taught at a week-long improvisation camp in Denmark,” he shares. “The participants ranged from their early twenties to early thirties. It was inspiring to be around professors and students, to discuss music, and create together. We aimed to understand different ways of thinking and hear the kids’ perspectives. It’s a much more open approach. So much depends on listening to music. I listen in various settings, including contemporary scenes—any kind of music. I want to understand all styles that contribute to my music. It’s not just about listening to jazz, of course. There’s so much out there, which can be overwhelming for young people. Everything is accessible now, but it’s not necessarily good; it can be overwhelming. Where to start? Where to go? Education works if there are people willing to share their background and provide examples. That’s crucial. It’s like mentorship. Finding someone to learn from is invaluable. That’s how you begin the journey. It never ends.”