Action Jazz

At the end of “Sounds Like a Sandwich,” the blazing opening track on The Thing’s 2006 album, saxophonist Mats Gustafsson takes the tenor saxophone from his lips and releases a gust of exhausted, exhilarated laughter. The group, a power trio featuring Ingebrigt Håker Flaten on bass and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums, makes some of the most raucous, hard-charging jazz around — Action Jazz is a perfect name for their music, as it has elements of Peter Brötzmann-esque improvised blare, punk rock, R&B, and raw force. The disc includes interpretations of tunes by Japanese pianist Yosuke Yamashita (“Chiasma”), Ornette Coleman (“Broken Shadows”), postpunk duo Lightning Bolt (“Ride the Sky”) and Swedish jazz legend Lars Gullin (“Danny’s Dream”), as well as one piece credited to Gustafsson’s daughter. There are blowouts and ballads, but it all feels of a piece, high-energy and swinging when it’s not battering your walls down.