The Squid's Ear Magazine


Sestetto Internazionale: Harri Sjorstrom / Alison Blunt / GIanni Mimmo / Achim Kaufman / Veli Kujala (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

A unique sextet of European improvisers active since 2015, comprised of two soprano saxophones, violin, piano, turntables and quarter tone accordion, in their second album of wide-ranging collective improvisation, their orchestration allowing moments of jazz, classical and electroacoustic improvisation to interweave and surprise their listeners; fascinating.
 

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Personnel:



Alison Blunt-violin

Achim Kaufmann-piano

Veli Kujala-quarter tone accordion

Gianni Mimmo-soprano saxophone

Ignaz Schick-turntables, sampler

Harri Sjostrom-soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophones


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UPC: 5905279364592

Label: Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!)
Catalog ID: FSR 01 | 2020
Squidco Product Code: 28479

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2020
Country: Poland
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded at the Munich Underground at Einstein Kultur, in Munich, Germany, on January 18th, 2019, by Bayerischer Rundfunk Radio.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Six sounds, six perspectives, six personalities. The "Sestetto Internazionale" is unique in different ways. You won't find this line up a second time: two soprano saxophones, violin, piano, turntables and quarter tone accordion. Three high melody instruments and three instruments which act rhythmically and harmonically and melodically. But those categories don't exist here. The only thing that counts is listening. These six world class improvisers like to create and expend soundscapes. It's not about one great solo, it's only about the collective. The sound creature of "Sestetto Internazionale" is a wild one, edged, with pleasure, full of life."-Fundacja Sluchaj



"And yet another 'Offene Ohren e.V.' [The Open Ears Society] line-up at the MUG [Underground at the Einstein, Munich], programmed somewhere between the more experimental side of jazz and freestyle contemporary art music: the Sestetto Internazionale, put together by the Finnish soprano saxophonist Harri Sjöström.

Half of the Sestetto consists of the Trio Internazionale - soprano saxophonists Gianni Mimmo and Sjöström together with the Finnish universal accordionist Veli Kujala, who had already impressed at the Einstein venue 3 years ago.

The instrumentation of the other half is no less exceptional: the English Alison Blunt, violin, Achim Kaufmann from Berlin playing the piano, Ignaz Schick operating the turntables.

It's no exaggeration to say that this was a magical evening that took you beyond all established musical categories. The rapport of the six musicians - their somnambulistic awareness of each other - was obvious from Sjöström's first delicate sax tones onward. Mimmo leads with a melancholic melody line, transforms it into animated passages, then accents from Kujala'salmost imperceptible quarter-tone accordion. The piano starts, Blunt takes on Mimmo's melody and expands, followed by the first turntable samples that sound as if they simply can't help but glisten and twinkle at exactly this moment in time, in exactly this sequence. By then you are trapped, subject to the spell of these six musicians who most of all listen to each other.

No-one plays to be the first, no-one needs to prove their ego, and yet there are six distinct individuals - weaving an acoustic fabric with feeling for detail, an infallible sense of how to develop this group composition, and with much humour.

This first part, some 40 minutes long, gives rise to much anticipation for the duo miniatures promised to follow. The duos! Mimmo and Blunt tenderly swirl around each other unisono, diametric and emotionally charged in a veritable cascade of sound. Then piano and turntables carry us off to intergalactic aural spheres where jollity and drama indulge each other and every sonic development holds new surprises.

The Finnish duo tops: at first microtonal and intricate soundscapes that command utter concentration, only for the soprano sax and accordion to climb into a speedy dervish-like St Vitus' dance that in the end leaves musicians and audience stunned, breathless and in awe. 'You never know it before! You never know it before!'Sjöström celebrates later.

Another sextet piece followed - this time frugal consonant and dissonant expansions of tone and interferences, repetitive sequencing reminiscent of the instruments' linear moods and intonations that soon resolve into multi-melodious modulations. More than once the listeners are tasked to decide which of the complex and simultaneously evolving sound images to follow.

Needless to say, the applause demands an encore - Sjöström announces 'Pikku Pala' (a little piece).

As luck would have it, the public-service radio station Bayerischer Rundfunk recorded this highlight live: BR-Klassik will broadcast the concert on 14th June 2019. This music deserves to be listened to again. Just as much as attention should be paid to the Offene Ohren society'sspirited programming."-Martin Burger, on Jazzpodium 3/19 (Translation Angelika Michitsch)


Artist Biographies

"Growing up in Kenya and Cumbria and starting out as a classical violinist, Alison Blunt has become an internationally respected artist creating music utilising or consisting of improvisation, Her solo and collaborative projects often reach beyond the music stage and involve film, text, dance, theatre and visual art.

Alison Blunt was born in Mombasa, Kenya, grew up in Nairobi and subsequently in the Lake District, UK. Finding her way from a classical violin training at Birmingham Conservatoire and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Alison's fascination with sound, motion and space has led her into national and international projects exploring the boundaries between art forms and genres and creating, performing and recording new music.

She has performed new and creative work in contrasting environments including Royal Albert Hall, BFI, Southbank Centre, Barbican, Sage Gateshead, Sesc Pompeia (Brazil), MS Stubnitz (Germany), Boat Ting, Colourscape Music Festival, Little Angel Theatre, Vortex Jazz Club, Cafe Oto, Colston Hall, Symphony Hall, Buckingham Palace Gardens, Latitude Festival, Bimhuis (Holland), SoundOut Festival and ACME (Australia), Musikhuset Aarhus (Denmark), St Magnus Festival & Mull Theatre (Scotland), European Storytelling Marathons (Holland & Belgium), Alte Gerberei (St Johann, Tirol), MS Stubnitz, Radialsystem, & B-Flat (Germany), Stockwerk Jazz Club (Styria), Wunderbar (South Island NZ) and The Kosmos (New Mexico USA) with a diverse array of creative artists including Apartment House, Apocryphal Theatre Company, Renee Baker, Julia Barclay-Morton, Barrel, Barcode Quartet, Cristiano Calcagnile, Lawrence Casserley, Viv Corringham, Guy Dartnell, John Edwards, Vinny Golia, HANAM Quintet, Elisabeth Harnik, Tristan Honsinger, Cat Hope, Birthe Jorgensen, Tony Marsh (RIP), Hannah Marshall, Lisa Mezzacappa, Gianni Mimmo, Phil Minton, Lode, London and Berlin Improvisers Orchestras, Evan Parker, Pierette Ensemble, Reciprocal Uncles, Gino Robair, Mark Sanders, Guillaume Viltard, Ove Volquartz and Michael Zerang.

Alison's activities range from composing for film, visual arts, theatre and contemporary dance productions to touring solo musical storytelling performances, from performances with interdisciplinary ensembles to arranging and recording children's albums, from gigging with rock bands to gigging with world folk music artists, from writing about new music to performing and recording new music. Alison resists being pigeonholed."

-Alison Blunt Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/AlisonBluntMusic/about/?ref=page_internal)
3/27/2024

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

"Achim Kaufmann was born into a musical family in Aachen, Germany, in 1962, and became fascinated by jazz and the possibilities of improvisation as a teenager. He started writing tunes around that time. Later he studied music at the Conservatory in Cologne and also took classes with creative masters such as Dave Holland, Steve Coleman, Muhal Richard Abrams, George Lewis, and Steve Lacy.

From 1996 to 2009, he lived in Amsterdam where he became part of that city's internationally renowned improvised music scene.Since 2002, he has been touring internationally with the trio Kaufmann/Gratkowski/de Joode, an improvising unit which has released four CDs so far, to much critical acclaim.

In the late '90s and '00s, Achim led two groups with reed player Michael Moore: trio kamosc and gueuledeloup quartet.In 2007, he recorded kyrill, a set of compositions for piano trio featuring Valdi Kolli and Jim Black. Their follow-up cd, entitled verivyr, was released in 2011.

He has also collaborated with his wife, poet/painter Gabriele Guenther, on the audiodrama Borderline - From the Shadows of a Journey, and has written music for various chamber ensembles.In his solo work, mixed techniques are used to create a fluctuating world of sounds and gestures. Resonance and reverberation, space and density play an important role in both his solo and ensemble work.

Since his move to Berlin, he got involved in various new projects, such as the trio grünen with Robert Landfermann and Christian Lillinger, Oni Kramler (with Matthias Schubert, Antonio Borghini, and various guests), and a trio with cellist Okkyung Lee and trumpeter Axel Dörner.

In 2013, the sextet SKEIN (Kaufmann/Gratkowski/de Joode plus Richard Barrett, Okkyung Lee, and Tony Buck) had its premiere at the dOeK festival in Amsterdam and subsequently recorded for SWR radio.

He recently released duo albums with long-standing collaborators Michael Moore and Thomas Heberer.

In addition, Achim has played and/or recorded with Han Bennink, Mark Dresser, George Lewis, Steve Swallow, Tobias Delius, Wolter Wierbos, Mark Helias, Paul Rutherford, Thomas Lehn, Ab Baars, Paul Lovens, Dylan van der Schyff, Peggy Lee, Chris Speed, Tomász Stanko, Gerd Dudek, Bill Elgart, Paul Lytton, Harri Sjöström, Andrea Parkins, Harris Eisenstadt, Ingrid Laubrock, Tristan Honsinger, Shelley Hirsch, Steve Swell, Thomas Heberer, Urs Leimgruber, Roger Turner, Fay Victor, Fred Lonberg-Holm, John Hollenbeck, Bob Brookmeyer, Simon Nabatov, Lê Quan Ninh, Gerry Hemingway, John Hébert, Al Foster, Adam Nussbaum, and many more.

He was awarded the German SWR Jazz Award in 2001, and the prestigious Albert Mangelsdorff award in 2015.

"For many years, Achim Kaufmann has been one of the most inspiring and exciting personalities of the European jazz and improvisation scene. His music bears witness to great harmonic subtlety and structural depth. A brilliant pianist and composer, his reflected exploration of tradition has led him to a nuanced, contemporary sound language that encompasses poetry, energy and abstraction in equal measure." "-Julia Neupert, SWR radio

-Achim Kaufmann Website (http://www.achimkaufmann.com/bio.html)
3/27/2024

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

"Veli Kujala (b. 1976) has gained a solid reputation of an outstanding interpreter of contemporary music on the accordion. In 2010 he completed his Doctor of Music degree with distinction from the Sibelius-Academy. He is a prizewinner of many international competitions for soloists and for composition in the field of classical music. Kujala's compositional output covers a wide variety of genres ranging from electro-acoustic to orchestral works. His composer portrait CD 'Hyperorganism' (Alba Records) was nominated for the best Finnish classical album of the year 2016. From the beginning of his career Kujala has also been very active in the field of jazz and improvised music, with an open mind upon all genres of popular music, from progressive rock to tango, ethnic music to French chanson. Pipoka, Gourmet sextet and Kalle Kalima K-18 count among the most relevant bands he is involved in.

Kujala has performed as a soloist with ensembles including Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Insomnio, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, the Tapiola Sinfonietta with conductors such as Stefan Asbury, Hannu Koivula, Hannu Lintu, Susanna Mälkki, Ari Rasilainen, Dmitri Slobodeniouk and John Storgårds. He has co-operated with a number of contemporary composers and has premiered accordion concertos by Pekka Pohjola, Markus Fagerudd and Olli Virtaperko. Moreover he has premiered concertos by Sampo Haapamäki, Joachim Schneider and Jukka Tiensuu for the quarter-tone accordion; a new instrument, which he developed together with Haapamäki.

Veli Kujala has performed in whole Europe, in major festivals and venues. He has also toured in the USA. Since 2005 Veli Kujala has been teacher of concert accordion and improvisation at the Sibelius-Academy."

-Veli Kujala Website (https://velikujala.com/biography/)
3/27/2024

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

"Gianni Mimmo: Improviser and composer in the fields of jazz and experimentation on his own original projects, mainly focused on relationship among distant artistic declinations, Gianni Mimmo (1957) has built an international reputation for his unique treatment of musical timbre and his exploration of advanced techniques on the soprano saxophone.

His style has developed a unique blend of abstract lyricism and contemporary flavours and his works have been excellently reviewed by international magazines and webzines.

Based in the Milano area, Italy, Gianni started his research at the end of the '70s playing as saxophone player (mostly alto and baritone saxes) with several Italian experimental bands and investigating the relationship between music and spoken word in countless performances in theatres, communities, houses, streets, political sit-ins, auditoriums and small houses.

In 1994 Gianni Mimmo switches to soprano sax after some lessons/conversations with Steve Lacy who opens him the door to a different attitude and perspective in music.

Since then Gianni dedicated himself to soprano sax only.

The music-text formula drove him to work with poets, writers and singers. [...]"

-Gianni Mimmo Website (http://www.giannimimmo.com/sites/default/files/bioENG.pdf)
3/27/2024

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

"Ignaz Schick is a Turntablist, sound artist, performer and composer. He was born in Bavaria and since the late 1995 he works and lives in Berlin where he became an active and integral force of the so-called "Berlin Nouvelle Vague" and the blossoming "real time music" scene. He has collaborated with numerous international artists (most notably Don Cherry & Charlemagne Palestine) and toured and performed in clubs & festivals all over Eastern- and Western Europe, Australia, Finland, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand and USA. He released many albums on several labels and he was part of radio broadcasts and productions for ORF-Kunstradio, ORF-Zeitton, BR2, DLR, DLF, WDR3, DRS2 or Radio Copernicus. Furthermore he has been curating festivals of experimental music from the early 90s onwards (FAM, Erase & Reset, Tim Shifts, The International Turntable Orchestra...)."

-Binaural Media (https://binauralmedia.org/news/en/arquivo/portfolio-items/ignaz-schick)
3/27/2024

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

"Harri Sjöström (soprano & sopranino saxophone)

""""

Born 29 February 1952 in Turku, Finland. Played piano, guitar and drums in his childhood. Studied music and fine art photography in San Francisco from 1974 - 1978; later film studies at the San Francisco Art Institute. Saxophone and flute with Harry Man, Leo Wright, Friedhelm Schönfeld, Steve Lacy; further piano studies at the San Francisco Conservatory; attended special class for contemporary improvised music at the Lone Mountain College led by trombonist Johannes Mager; composition studies at the electro acoustic music department at Hochschule Für Musik Wien, Austria; composition class led by composers Prof. Haubenstock-Ramati and Prof. Friedrich Cerha.

""""

The joyful, creative and intensive experiences with contemporary music, contemporary improvised music studies, and visual art studies captivated him so much that he has worked intensively ever since with contemporary improvised music, precent tme composition and in mixed media projects including film, photography, visual arts, theater and dance. Has participated in master courses and workshops held by John Cage, George Russell, Steve Lacy, Bill Dixon, Daniel Kientzy, Vinko Globokar, Evan Parker, Cecil Taylor.

""""

In 1980 -1985 he lived in Vienna, Austria, which became his doorway to the European contemporary music scene; formed his first groups and organized numerous artist exchange-projects in Finland and elsewhere. Brought many most notable innovators on the international contemporary improvisation scene to Finland. One of his early projects included a tour with Derek Bailey Company, which was their first in Finland; Bailey's visit in Finland was largely commented by the finish press as "the occurrence" of the year in the contemporary music scene; moved to Berlin in 1985.

""""

Founded the international Quintet Moderne and; co-founded the The Player Is -trio with Teppo Hauta-aho and Philipp Wachsmann, Harri Sjöström as well as founding the groups: Quartetto Finlandia, Wait, Motström, Up and Out, ECIO, (European Composers Improvisors Orchestra), Sestetto Internazionale; Trio Internazionale; co-founded the MOVE - quintet; City Of Pyramids -Casserley, DJ Illvibe, Morgan, Sjöström; since 1989 in collaboration with the British guitarist John Russell in Russells international Mopomoso (MOdernism POstMOdernism) projects.

""""

In 1990, Harri met Cecil Taylor in Berlin and has an extensive working relationship with the legendary pianist and composer on many projects like; Cecil Taylor Quintet Desperados: (Cecil Taylor, Paul Lovens, Teppo Hauta-aho, Tristan Honsinger, Harri Sjöström) Cecil Taylor Quartet- Qua, Cecil Taylor "New Unit" : (Cecil Taylor, Tony Oxley, Okkyung Lee, Jackson Krall, Harri Sjöström); and five recording releases with different C.T. ensembles; since the late 70s Harri performed at numerous international jazz and contemporary music festivals.

""""

Additional collaborations in different projects with a.o. Bernahrd Arndt, James Andean, Yoko Arai, Matthias Bauer, Guy Bettini, Tony Buck, Sergio Castrillón, Angelo Contini, Markus Fagerudd, Emilio Gordoa, Frank Gratkowski, Teppo Hauta-aho, Steve Heather, Tristan Honsinger, Kalle Kalima, Achim Kaufmann, Veli Kujala, Jukka Kääriäinen, Okkyung Lee, Francesco Miccolis, Gianni Mimmo, Dag Magnus Narvesen, Heikki Nikula, Adam Pultz Melbye, Luca Pissavini, Günter Baby Sommer, Jone Takamäki, Janne Tuomi; Occasionally performs solo and is involved in making film music.""Harri Sjöström has been a saxophone teacher since 1980 and is a vital member of the European contemporary improvised music scene; he has composed music for film and is still active today with his photography."

""-Harri Sjostrom Website (http://www.harrisjostrom.com/biography.html)
3/27/2024

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Track Listing:



1. Quasars 1 (36:48)

2. Notturno (07:26)

3. Anak 1 (09:12)

4. No Niin (06:27)

5. Quasars 2 (14:12)

6. Pikku Pala (05:42)

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
Collective Free Improvsation
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
Sextet Recordings
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms

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Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!).


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Sediments
(Creative Sources)
Portugal's Lisbon String Trio of saxophonist Nuno Torres, electric guitarist Abdul Moimeme and violist Ernesto Rodrigues, are joined by Red Trio/ Rodrigo Amado Motion Trio drummer Gabriel Ferrandini for this concert performance at O'Culto da Ajuda, in Lisbon, Portugal as part of the CreativeFest XIII, finding inspired balance in introspective sections and periods of exciting activity.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

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