The Squid's Ear Magazine
Victo Buy 5 for $7.00 Sale !



Vandermark, Ken and Mats Gustafsson: Verses (Corbett vs. Dempsey)

Surprisingly after long partnerships with Peter Brotzmann's Tentet and the saxophone trio Sonore, this is the first time that Ken Vandermark & Mats Gustafsson have recorded as a duo, here in 6 incredible improvisations balancing technique, power, and beauty.
 

Price: $13.95


Quantity:

Out of Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 3.00 units

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Ken Vandermark-tenor saxophone, Bb clarinet, bass clarinet

Mats Gustafsson-alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




UPC: B07426TCKM

Label: Corbett vs. Dempsey
Catalog ID: CvsDCD009a
Squidco Product Code: 17942

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2013
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardstock gatefold foldover
Recorded at Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago on March 24th, 2013 by David Zuchowski.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson and Chicago saxophonist and clarinetist Ken Vandermark have worked together extensively since the mid 1990s, in groups of their own and as members of the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet. Oddly, they had never performed duo before March 2013, when they squared off at Corbett vs. Dempsey gallery. The result was a delirious journey through extended techniques, intimate improvisation, and full-throttle flame-throwing, with an emphasis on the more delicate, sensitive side. The CD presents the entire concert, all six pieces in the order they were performed. A pair of today's master improvisers, at the top of their game, in a free music summit built for two."-Corbett vs. Dempsey


Artist Biographies

"Born in Warwick, Rhode Island on September 22nd, 1964, Ken Vandermark began studying the tenor saxophone at the age of 16. Since graduating with a degree in Film and Communications from McGill University during the spring of 1986, his primary creative emphasis has been the exploration of contemporary music that deals directly with advanced methods of improvisation. In 1989, he moved to Chicago from Boston, and has worked continuously from the early 1990's onward, both as a performer and organizer in North America and Europe, recording in a large array of contexts, with many internationally renowned musicians (such as Fred Anderson, Ab Baars, Peter Brötzmann, Tim Daisy, Hamid Drake, Terrie Ex, Mats Gustafsson, Devin Hoff, Christof Kurzmann, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Joe McPhee, Paal Nilssen-Love, Paul Lytton, Andy Moor, Joe Morris, and Nate Wooley). His current activity includes work with Made To Break, The Resonance Ensemble, Side A, Lean Left, Fire Room, the DKV Trio, and duos with Paal Nilssen-Love and Tim Daisy; in addition, he is the music director of the experimental Pop band, The Margots. More than half of each year is spent touring in Europe, North America, and Japan, and his concerts and numerous recordings have been critically acclaimed both at home and abroad. In addition to the tenor sax, he also plays the bass and Bb clarinet, and baritone saxophone. In 1999 he was awarded the MacArthur prize for music."

-Ken Vandermark Website (http://kenvandermark.com/2013/10/made-to-break-biography/)
5/7/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
"Born 1964 in Umeå, Northern Sweden.Saxplayer, improviser and composer. Solo artist and international tours and projects with a.o. Sonic Youth, Merzbow, Jim O´Rourke, Barry Guy, Otomo Yoshihide, Yoshimi, Ken Vandermark and in working groups The Thing, FIRE!, Gush, Boots Brown, Swedish Azz and Fake (the facts). Large ensemble work with Barry Guy New Orchestra,FIRE! Orchestra and the NU - ensemble.over 1800 concerts and over 200 record productions in Europe, Australia, Africa, North & South America and Asia.Collaborations with contemporary dance, theater, art, poetry as well as projects with noise, electronica, contemporary rock and free jazz.Discaholic - running the discaholic corner website.Producer of international festivals and concert tours as well as work with own record labels Slottet, OlofBright Editions and Blue Tower Records."-Mats Gustafsson Website (http://matsgus.com/archives/category/bio)
5/7/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. The Madness of Branches 6:42

2. Ripolin 10:26

3. Fortunate Rust 7:53

4. I Never Dreamed 7:00

5. Beside Me, Images. 4:44

6. We Turn The Page. 4:00

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Chicago Jazz & Improvisation
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Free Improvisation
Ken Vandermark
Mats Gustafsson
Recordings by or featuring Reed & Wind Players
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
Duo Recordings
Duo Recordings
Last Copy of Items that will not be restocked...

Search for other titles on the label:
Corbett vs. Dempsey.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Other Recommended Releases:
Guy, Barry / Ken Vandermark
Occasional Poems [2 CDs]
(Not Two)
Capturing an exciting and cohesive live performance at Krakow's Alchemia club, documenting the first duo encounter between Chicago reedist Ken Vandermark and UK bassist Barry Guy, in nine spontaneous duets and soliloquies; Guy's dynamic bass explorations and Vandermark's versatility converge in an inspired interplay of rhythmic energy, textural innovation, and lyrical intensity.
Roebke, Jason
Four Spheres
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Brilliantly unusual approaches to jazz scores from Chicago bassist Jason Roebke in a quartet with legendary saxophonist and clarinetist Edward Wilkerson Jr., pianist Mabel Kwan and drummer Marcus Evans, all four also performing on metronome, and Roebke providing low-fi cassette interruptions, a fascinating merging of jazz forms and methods of making the music stop.
Magill / Hatcher / Kirchen / Kirshner
Whole Abandoned Star
(Kettle Hole Records)
A live concert of collective free improvisation captured at Elastic Arts in Chicago in 2018 between Rob Magill on tenor & soprano saxophones, Gerrit Hatcher on tenor saxophone, Charlie Kirchen on bass, and Julian Kirshner on drums, an energetic and diverse concert in three conversations that allow for great discourse and extended soloing; numbered edition of 150 copies.
Jafrate, Keith / Herve Perez
Tete-a-Tete
(Noumenon)
Recorded live in the studio in Sheffield in a single take, this first time meeting of the UK alto saxophone duo of Keith Jafrate and Herve Perez improvise freely, distinguishable by the stereo channel they reside in, as they display great technical skill and a unique sense of humor on tracks titled like "Something Funky in the Sauce" or "And a Hair in the Pudding".
McPhee, Joe / Mats Gustafsson
Brace For Impact
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Drawing on many collaborations, from Peter Brotzmann's large groups to Gustafsson's The Thing, this duo album recorded in 2008 is finally issued to unleash 1 blistering album of saxophone duos, Joe McPhee on altos sax, alto clarinet, pocket trumpet and voice, with Gustafsson on baritone and slide saxophone, alto fluteophone and live electronics; brace yourself!
Gustafsson, Mats / Jason Adasiewicz
Timeless
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Unexpected directions in this meeting between Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson and Chicago vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, in an introspective album of beautiful tonal conversations, relaxed and sophisticated dialogs that mostly eschews the more aggressive side of both musicians in deference to a thoughtful, reflective and elegant set of tunes.
Vandermark, Ken / Michael Snow
Duol
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Chicago saxophonist Ken Vandermark is fascinated with the visual arts, and was drawn in the 60s to Toronto visual artist, director of the "New York Eye And Ear" film, and most notably here, pianist, Michael Snow; in 2015 they performed together for the first time, this startlingly explosive and informed album the complete recording of that event.
Reid, Tomeka
Hairy Who & The Chicago Imagists
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Chicago cellist and composer Tomeka Reid was commissioned to create original music for the first documentary of the Imagists, mid 60's Chicago post-surrealists artists who exhibited together; Reid reworked the music into a fully realized suite for this CD release.
Parodi, Claudio
Heavy Nichel
(Creative Sources)
Solo improvisations on the Turkish Clarinet from Claudio Parodi, an Italian classically trained pianist who also works with self-built/self-modified electronics, non-western reeds, and selected percussions.
DKV Trio + Gustafsson / Nilssen-Love / Pupillo
Schl8hof
(Trost Records)
Chicago's leading free jazz DKV Trio of Ken Vandermark (reeds), Hamid Drake (drums) and Kent Kessler (bass) are joined by European Free Jazz leaders Mats Gustafsson (reeds), Paul Nilssen-Love (drums) and Massimo Pupillo (bass).



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought:
Wick, Jacob Ensemble
Something in Your Eyes
(Full Spectrum)
Trumpeter & vocalist Jacob Wick leads an ensemble of Mexico City's vibrant experimental musicians with Gibran Andrade, Mabe Fratti, Alina Maldonado, Saul Ojeda, and Federico Sanchez, in a deconstructed exploration of pop, jazz, and country, transforming fragments of songs by Emmylou Harris, Alice Coltrane, Kylie Minogue, and Billie Holiday into improv scores that transform tradition into new sonic forms.
Ackerley / Prymek / Turner
All Hope With Sleeping Minds [CASSETTE]
(Full Spectrum)
Born from remote exchanges between Jessica Ackerley (guitar, voice, synth), Nick Turner (guitar, mellotron, synth), and Chaz Prymek (guitar, lap steel), this debut album emerges as an evocative imaginary soundtrack, blending improvisational noise with Americana-inflected ambience in an expansive meditation on post-apocalyptic contemplation.
No Tears Project
Humantics
(Mahakala Music)
A powerful and insightful fusion of jazz, spoken word, and improvisation, this evocative album led by Christopher Parker and Kelley Hurt explores themes of resilience, justice, and shared humanity through compositions by Oliver Lake, Donald Brown, and Bobby LaVell, with gripping performances by a stellar ensemble that includes Marc Franklin, Chad Fowler, Rodney Jordan, Darrian Douglas, Treasure Shields Redmond, &c.
Copland, Marc Quartet (Robin Verheyen / Drew Gress / Mark Ferber)
Dreaming
(Inner Voice Jazz)
Expanding their intuitive interplay, the Marc Copland Quartet — featuring Robin Verheyen, Drew Gress, and Mark Ferber — explores harmonic depth and rhythmic layering through a dynamic set blending originals with reinterpretations of Monk and Kern, weaving lyrical free ballads, intricate compositions, and rich improvisational dialogs with great spontaneity, cohesion, and warmth.
Hobbs and Shanko
The Depression Tapes
(Relative Pitch)
Alto saxophonist Jim Hobbs and bassist Timo Shanko, co-founders of the Fully Celebrated Orchestra, present their first duo recording, nine improvisations recorded in the studio in Massachusetts, expressing their three-decade synergy through intimate, exploratory playing that blends passionate and deep-seated melodic interplay with free jazz elements and a strong sense of the blues.
Tamura / Fujii / Lopez
Yama Kawa Umi
(Not Two)
Reuniting after their acclaimed Mantle album, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, pianist Satoko Fujii, and drummer Ramon Lopez return with Yama Kawa Umi (Mountain River Sea), a powerful exploration of musical landscapes where wild seas crash into cliffs, rivers flow with melodic clarity, and peaceful mountains rise in serene, introspective moments, reflecting the deep, dynamic interplay from years of collaboration.
Amanojaku (Yoshida / Fujii / Tamura)
Bishamonten
(Magaibutsu)
Emerging from an improv session during the pandemic, Natsuki Tamura (trumpet), Satoko Fujii (piano), and Tatsuya Yoshida (drums) formed Amanojaku, named after the contrarian demon of Japanese folklore, embracing a balance of composition, improv and mischievous interplay with a uniquely Japanese sensibility through virtuosic spontaneity and irreverent humor, captured live at Koen-dori Classics.
Booker T & The Plasmic Bleeds
Ode To BC/LY... And Eye Know BO.... da Prez
(Mahakala Music)
Underground saxophone legends Booker T. Williams and Gary Hammon lead a powerhouse ensemble with Marc Franklin, Chad Fowler, Kelley Hurt, Christopher Parker, Luke Stewart, and Chad Anderson, blending post-Coltrane jazz, reggae inflections, and balladry in a vibrant session that revisits their decades-long musical journey while honoring resilience, friendship, and cultural legacy.
Lossing, Russ Trio
Ways
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
An essential part of the New York jazz scene since the mid-80s, pianist Russ Lossing's compositions employ concept and space in unique and personal ways, as heard in these 8 original works performed with his trio of long-time collaborators, double bassist Masa Kamaguchi and drummer Billy Mintz, for an album of highly evolved and lyrically sophisticated music.
von Orelli, Marco / Tommy Meier / Luca Sisera / Sheldon Suter
Lotus Crash
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Trumpeter Marco von Orelli's piano-less quartet with Tommy Meier on tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, Luca Sisera on double bass, and Sheldon Suter on drums is caught live at Theater am Gleis, in Winterthur, Switzerland in 2018, and at Boudoir au Revoir, the same year, performing von Orelli's compellingly clever compositions, plus one each from Adam lane and Tommy Meier.
Zorn, John (Roeder / Wollesen / Zorn / Lage)
New Masada Quartet, Volume Three
(Tzadik)
The third volume in John Zorn's New Masada Quartet — Zorn on alto sax, Jorge Roeder on bass, Kenny Wollesen on drums, and Julian Lage on guitar — captures a packed 2024 concert at Roulette in Brooklyn, where fervent interplay and exceptional soloing bring six Zorn compositions to life in a single, seamlessly indexed track before an enthusiastic audience.
Ayler, Albert Trio
New York Eye And Ear Control, Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
DINGED COPIES
Devouring the Guilt (Bill Harris / Gerrit Hatcher / Eli Namay)
Not To Want To Say
(Kettle Hole Records)
Releasing their first album in 2017, the collective trio of Chicago improvisers Bill Harris on drums, Gerrit Hatcher on tenor saxophone and Eli Namay on bass (now based in Pittsburgh), this third release is their first studio album, in two long-form improvisations that work on a spontaneous canvas of edgy contemplation and assertive conversation.
Ayler, Albert Quartets
Spirits To Ghosts Revisited (remastered)
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
DINGED CORNERS
Gallio, Christoph / Dominic Lash / Mark Sanders
Live At Cafe Oto London
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Joining with two of London's finest free improvisers, Swiss saxophonist Christoph Gallio of DAY & TAXI fame and performing on alto, soprano & c-melody saxophones, meets drummer Mark Sanders and double bassist Dominic Lash at London's Cafe OTO for a remarkable concert of free collective playing in two large works: "Wildlife" in three parts, and "Homelife" in two parts.
Lytton, Paul / Erhard Hirt
Borne on a Whim: Duets, 1981
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
The first release from Corbett vs. Dempsey drawing on the Paul Lytton Archives, this recording of electronic & acoustic improvisation from UK percussionist Paul Lytton and German guitarist Erhard Hirt was recorded in Belgium in 1981 for the German Po Torch label, founded in 1976 by Paul Lovens & Paul Lytton to release forward-looking forms of free improvisation.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC