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Recorded during the 2019 Kraków Jazz Autumn Festival, NY trombonist Steve Swell leads a series of small groups and a large ensemble, recording at Radio Kraków and at Alchemia with some of Europe's most active improvisers: Gebhard Ullmannm, Elisabeth Harnik, Niklas Barno, Paal Nilssen-Love, Jon Rune Strom, Carlos Zingaro, Mikolaj Trzaska, Signe Emmeluth, Hanne de Backer, Elisabeth Coudoux, & Per Ake Holmlander.
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Sample The Album:
Steve Swell-trombone
Gebhard Ullmann-bass clarinet, tenor saxophone
Elisabeth Harnik-piano
Jon Rune Strom-bass
Niklas Barno-trumpet
Carlos Zingaro-violin
Per Ake Holmlander-tuba
Paal Nilssen-Love-drums, percussion
Signe Emmeluth-alto saxophone
Mikolaj Trzaska-alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
Hanne De Backer-baritone saxophone
Per Ake Holmlander-tuba
Jon Rune Strom-bass
Elisabeth Coudoux-cello
Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.
UPC: 5906395187973
Label: Not Two
Catalog ID: MW1034
Squidco Product Code: 33957
Format: 3 CDs
Condition: New
Released: 2023
Country: Poland
Packaging: Cardstock Foldout in Plastic Sleeve w/ 3 CDs in individual paper sleeves
CD 1 and 2 recorded during the 17th Krakow Jazz Autumn Festival Alchemia, in Krakow, Poland, on October 7th and 8th, 2019, by Rafal Drewniany.
CD 3 recorded at Radio Krakow, in Krak—w, Poland, on October 9th, 2019, by Rafal Drewniany.
"Born in Newark, New Jersey, Steve Swell has been active in the New York City creative music scene since 1975. His breadth and versatility have seen him tour and record with mainstream artists such as Lionel Hampton and Buddy Rich previously, in addition to several of the most exciting avant-garde artists, such as Anthony Braxton, Bill Dixon, Cecil Taylor and William Parker. He has made over 50 CDs as leader or co-leader, and has contributed to more than 125 other releases. He runs workshops around around the world and is a teacher in the New York City public school system focusing on children with special needs.
This recording, which is a triple CD, he has with him some of Europe's most exciting free improvising musicians, recorded as a project at the Kraków Jazz Autumn Festival in Poland on 7, 8 and 9 October 2019. Here we first get a series of small band compositions, before the last song on CD2 and CD3 is with the full ensemble, which consists of Carlos Zingaro (violin), Elisabeth Coudoux (cello), Mikolaj Trzaska (alto and baritone saxophone), Signe Emmeluth (alto saxophone), Gebhard Ullmann ( bass clarinet), Hanne De Backer (baritone saxophone), Niklas Barnö (he is called Niklas Brano in the cover) (trumpet), Per Åke Holmlander (tuba), Elisabeth Harnik (piano), Jon Rune Strøm (bass) and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums ), plus Swell himself on trombone, It is also Swell who is responsible for the compositions, although much is left to the musicians themselves, as is often the case in this form of jazz music.
And they go out fresh and free with "20:21", (which, like the other improvisations, is not the name of the song, but the time it takes. The songs do not have titles, but for the sake of simplicity we have chosen to use the lengths as titles) with Swell, Ullmann, Harnik and Strøm, where Swell's distinctive and "raw" trombone takes the lead. But the rest of the band is not on the "lazy side", but follows and contributes freely in the improvisation process, over Strøm's fine bass playing.
And so it continues throughout the first disc. With different band constellations. In the second track, "18;20", we meet Barnö, Zingaro, Holmlander and Nilssen-Love, in a song where I feel it is Swedish Holmlander who keeps track of the development, but Nilssen-Love "whipping" in the background, before we get others set with the song "12:01" with Emmeluth, Ullmann, Swell and Nilssen-Love, where they move a good distance into the musical landscape we have become used to hearing Nilssen-Love and Emmeluth recently. But it is Swell who cuts through the soundscape with his trombone all the way, and becomes the one who rules, but not without the Stavanger drummer's driving playing as an important ingredient, and a typical, energetic alto saxophone solo from Emmeluth, which could well have been mixed a little higher. .
Then follows "11:44" with Trzaska, De Backer, Holmlander and Strøm, a line-up that requires you to take it down a bit. And it's Strøm and Holmlander who start a long way down there, with Strøm's fine bow playing under Holmlander's lovely tuba playing and De Backer's distinctive baritone sax together with Trzaska's alto and baritone sax. This song is more thoughtful, but just as deep and beautiful as the others. It develops in a kind of minimalist direction, which can remind a lot of the music of Philip Glass's film scores, and where the music is relatively different from the other meetings. Then this second set ends with "13:15" where we meet Zingaro, Barnö, Coudoux and Harnik, where the subdued atmosphere continues, before Harnik "takes action" and takes the music in a tougher direction. Then we also get tough play from Zingaro as the ending, which perhaps comes a little too soon.
The second CD was made on October 8, and we get six quartet compositions, where it starts with "5:53" with Holmlander, Harnik, Trzaska and Ullmann in something that I associate with something that could have been done by Anthony Braxton or Henry Threadgill in Europe -visit. And it's Harnik who "takes action" with a piano that sounds a little prepared (it's not a grand piano anyway!), with a nice solo that swings beautifully when the others come in and complete the nice improvisation, before we get "10:25" with Barnö, Swell, Coudoux and Emmeluth. Here, too, it is Swell who is the boss, and who "takes the others with him" on an exciting, improvised journey in the avant-garde.
And so they continue with different temperatures depending on who is sitting in the individual quartets, before rounding off this two-day happening with the "Finale" with all the musicians. And here, in many ways, all the threads from the first two records come together in a joint happening, where it is clear that Nilssen-Love is enjoying herself. He races off, and the others have more than enough to keep up with the "dance". But the good drummer drags the others with him into a fierce drive, which makes it a fantastic end to two days of concerts in Kraków.
It's an exciting project they've done, putting together different quartets, where the musicians get to try themselves against each other, before they finally meet in a joint happening, where they really get to "let themselves go". And it is Nilssen-Love and Harnik who lead the way, and who drag the others along in a fierce concert ending.
The third CD was recorded on 9 October with the whole band on stage at the same time. Here they perform Steve Swell's "work" "Dances With Questions", to which the last track on the second CD was a kind of introduction. This is just over 70 minutes of free improvisation, where we are taken back to the first big band of Carla Bley and Michael Mantler, Barry Guy and Peter Brötzmann, where collective freedom is what matters. Here it is important for the musicians to listen intently to each other, while following the small instructions of band leader Swell, but where the freedom to express their own "opinions" is great. In between, a few riffs are inserted where some of the musicians lay a foundation for the improvisations of the other musicians, and all the way the landscape changes, and we get a fierce and extremely "sweaty" performance, where I especially feel that the two Norwegian representatives in the "compet ", Nilssen-Love and Strøm, should be allowed to take a shower first, because here they work intensely throughout the hour or so.
But all the musicians contribute with energetic and raw playing. And it's all possibly put together after Steve Swell's text Dances With Questions, which goes like this: "Moves With Now / and Fire /Each Leap asks / a New Question / The Floor Disapears / You Float / You Fly /Where There are No Questions / and No Answers / Only Dancing".
These are three discs that build nicely towards the end of CD2 and the third CD. All the way we get brilliant and free-flowing music from some of Europe's best in free improvisation, led by one of the Commonwealth's leading trombonists. And it all ends in a celebration of a final record, which should be remembered as one of the toughest, organized free jazz happenings we've heard in a very long time."-Jan Granlie, Salt Peanuts (translated by Google)
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Artist Biographies
• Show Bio for Steve Swell "Born in Newark, NJ, Steve Swell has been an active member of the NYC music community since 1975. He has toured and recorded with many artists from mainstreamers such as Lionel Hampton and Buddy Rich to so called outsiders as Anthony Braxton, Bill Dixon, Cecil Taylor and William Parker. He has over 40 CDs as a leader or co-leader and is a featured artists on more than 100 other releases. He runs workshops around the world and is a teaching artist in the NYC public school system focusing on special needs children. Swell has worked on music transcriptions of the Bosavi tribe of New Guinea for MacArthur fellow, Steve Feld in 2000. His CD, "Suite For Players, Listeners and Other Dreamers" (CIMP) ranked number 2 in the 2004 Cadence Readers Poll. He has also received grants from USArtists International in 2006, MCAF (LMCC) awards in 2008 and 2013 and has been commissioned twice on the Interpretations Series at Merkin Hall in 2006 and at Roulette in 2012. Steve was nominated for Trombonist of the Year 2008 & 2011 by the Jazz Journalists Association, was selected Trombonist of the Year 2008-2010 , 2012 and 2014-2015 by the magazine El Intruso of Argentina and received the 2008 Jubilation Foundation Fellowship Award of the Tides Foundation. Steve has also been selected by the Downbeat Critics Poll in the Trombone category each year from 2010-2016. Steve is presently a teaching artist through the American Composers Orchestra, Healing Arts Initiative , Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center (Bronx), the Jazz Foundation of America and Leman Manhattan Preparatory School. Steve was also awarded the 2014 Creative Curricula grant (LMCC) for the project: "Metamorphoses: Modern Mythology in Sound and Words" which was taught in a month long residency at Baruch College Campus High School in Manhattan." ^ Hide Bio for Steve Swell • Show Bio for Gebhard Ullmann "Born on November 2, 1957 in Bad Godesberg, Germany saxophonist (tenor and soprano), bass clarinetist, bass flutist and composer Gebhard Ullmann studied medecine and music in Hamburg and moved to Berlin in 1983.Since then he has recorded more than 50 CDs as a leader or co-leader for prestigious labels such as Soul Note (Italy), Leo Records (UK), Between The Lines (Germany), CIMP (USA), NotTwo Records (Poland), Clean Feed (Portugal) Unit Records (Switzerland) and others. For many years he is considered one of the leading personalities in both the Berlin and international music scenes and has received numerous awards for his work including the Julius Hemphill Composition Award in two categories ('99), the Deutsche Phonoakademie award ('83), one of the first SWF Jazz Awards ('87) and the nomination best-jazz-CD-of-the-year by the German Schallplattenkritik for his CD Tá Lam in 1995. His CDs Final Answer (2002) The Bigband Project (2004) New Basement Research (2008) News? No News! (2010) Mingus! (2011) Clarinet Trio 4 (2012) were all listed in Downbeat Magazine among the best CDs of those years. The CD Transatlantic received the prestigious Choc of the French Jazz Magazine in 2012. Since 2005 Gebhard Ullmann is listed in the Downbeat Critics Poll, 2015 for the first time in three categories. Since 1993 Ullmann was a recording artist for Soul Note and has been living in New York City and Berlin. He has toured with his music throughout Europe as well as Africa, the Middle East, Canada, New Zealand, the USA, South East Asia, Mexico and China and performed on most of the world's most prestigious jazz festivals." ^ Hide Bio for Gebhard Ullmann • Show Bio for Elisabeth Harnik "Elisabeth Harnik, free-lance composer and pianist, was born 1970 in Graz and lives in Gams (County of Styria/Austria). She studied classical piano and later - with Beat Furrer - composition at what is now the Univer sity of Music and Performing Arts, Graz. The "repertoire" and it's extensions in composition and improvisation is her central focus. Harnik works within an electro-acoustic inspired sound-world, using unique preparations and extended techniques. Performances include: Easterfestival Graz 2002, Hörfest Graz 2003/04/05, Styrian Chamber Music Festival 2003, Klangmühle Orth an der Donau 2005, Munich Ope ra Festival 2006, Mozart- Year Vienna 2006, Paul Hofhaimer Musiktage 2006, Composers' Forum Mittersill 2008, Haydn Year 2009, Festival 4020 Linz 2009, Sou ndings Festival London 2010, Opera Graz, Musikprotokoll/Steirischer Herbst 2011, E_MAY Festival Vienna 2011/2012, Klangspuren Schwaz 2012, Transart Festiv al Bozen 2012, Wien Modern 2013, Estonian Harpsichord Society Festival 2014, A udio ArtFestival Pula 2014 a.o. She has worked with renowned artists and ensembles such as the Ensemble Zeitfluss Graz, the Ensemble 09 Linz, the Ensemble MusikFabri kSüd, the Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, the Klangforum Vienna, the Ensemb le "die reihe" Vienna, the Ensemble Kontrapunkte Vienna, the ensemble Reconsil Vienna, the Ensemble PHACE Vienna, the Ensemble Platypus Vienna, the Hay dn-Trio-Eisenstadt, the Trio AMOS Vienna, the Trio EIS Vienna, the Thürmchen Ens emble Cologne, the Fidelio Trio London, the Cantus Ensemble Zagreb, the Ensemble mise-en New York and various national and international soloists. She received a great number of rewards and prizes, most recently she was Artist in Residence at the OMI International Arts Center New York 2010 and Composer in Residence 2013 at the IZZM in Ossiach/Austria. In addition to her work as composer she appears as improvisator at various national and international festivals such as the V:NM-Festival, the Ulrichsberger Kaleidophon, the Nickelsdorfer Konfrontationen, the Artacts Festival St. Johann, the Music Unlimited Festival Wels, the Soundgrube Vienna, the Comprovise Festival Cologne, the Beethoven Fest Bonn, the A L'ARME! Festival Ber lin, the Jazz & More Festival Sibiu, the Alpenglow Festival London, the All Ears Festival Oslo, the Umbrella Music Festival Chicago, the Okka Fest Milwaukee, the Musi cacoustica Beijing, the SoundOut Festival Canberra/AUS a.o." ^ Hide Bio for Elisabeth Harnik • Show Bio for Jon Rune Strom "Strøm grew up on an island in the north-west of Norway. Influenced u. A. By Gary Peacock and Frode Gjerstad , with the first shots were (East of the West, 2011), he plays in the Norwegian free jazz scene with Paal Nilssen-Loves Group Large Unit, Petter Wettre and Mats Gustafsson Nu Ensemble, also with musicians like Mats Äleklint , John Dikeman , Martin Kitchen , Thomas Johansson and Tollef Østvang in formations such as SAKA Trio, Universal Indians, All Included and Friends & Neighbors. 2013, it issued a solo album Jøa. ^ Hide Bio for Jon Rune Strom • Show Bio for Niklas Barno "Niklas Barnö Probably the best trumpeter player from Sweden. Best, just simply because he is the musician most far away from defining something with being best, or worse for that part. Pure honesty, in its best way. Or worse way. As honest is neither good or bad. Niklas is. And is becoming. Niklas is human. This is heard in his playing; the haunting crescendo of thoughts, spanning over 50.000 years, blown out through the mouthpiece of his trumpet. Why? What? Who? How? Now? He is his own foghorn (Mistlur). Clearing out the dim and artificial with ignited instinct. He is the leader of the herd of musicians, Je Suis!. And active in groups like Kege Snö, Snus, Se&Hör... Niklas Barnö and Joel Grip has known each other since they learned how to crawl musically and have been crucial for the development of their music as heard playing together as well as in the music organized together; Umlaut Records Sweden and unique festival Hagenfesten in Dala-Floda." ^ Hide Bio for Niklas Barno • Show Bio for Carlos Zingaro "Carlos Zíngaro (or Carlos "Zíngaro" Alves, born 1948 in Lisbon, Portugal) is a Portuguese violinist and electronic musician active in free improvisation. He studied classical music in Lisbon and began working with a number of leading improvisers in the mid-1970s, becoming one of the European top improvisers presently. He has worked with such musicians as Richard Teitelbaum, Joëlle Léandre, Peter Kowald, Barre Phillips, Daunik Lazro, Derek Bailey, Jon Rose, Ken Vandermark, Ken Filiano, Rodrigo Amado, Ned Rothenberg, Rüdiger Carl, Dominique Regef, Evan Parker, Annick Nozati, Theo Jörgensmann and Paul Lovens. Zíngaro has performed at new and improvised music festivals in Europe, Asia, and North America, produced several film scores, and collaborated with dance companies. He is also a prolific illustrator and comics author." ^ Hide Bio for Carlos Zingaro • Show Bio for Per Ake Holmlander "Per-Åke Holmlander... ...born in 1957 in Skellefteå in the very north of Sweden. Holmlander received his diploma in classical tuba in 1983 at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm with Michael Lind as a teacher. Holmlander has always worked simultaneously with improvisation, jazz and rock music as well as classical and contemporary music. As an improviser Holmlander has worked with - Eje Thelin, Marilyn Crispell, Paul Lovens, Folke Rabe, Phil Minton, Sten Sandell, Sven-Åke Johansson, Mats Persson, Gunter Christmann, Kjell Westling, Keith Rowe, Jan Allan, Georg Riedel, Position Alpha, DJustable, Jon Vanderlander Trio, The Swedish Radio Jazz Group, Ken Vandermark - Territory Band & Resonance Ensemble, The Frontroom Ensemble, London Jazz Composers Orchestra, Torden Kvartetten & Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet...among many others. Holmlander works a lot with theatre music, sometimes he plays solo and he regularly works with Fire! Orchestra, Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit, Barry Guy New Orchestra, Fredrik Ljungkvist and his Yun Kan 5 & 10 and recently with Parti&Minut, Swedish azz, Inner Ear & Mats Gustafsson NU-Ensemble. Per-Åke has participated in more than 100 records and 1800 theatrical performances. He has given concerts in 38 countries and he is since December 2008 a member of the government run - Musikalliansen." ^ Hide Bio for Per Ake Holmlander • Show Bio for Paal Nilssen-Love "Paal Nilssen-Love was born in Molde, Norway, Dec 24. 1974, and raised at a jazz club in Stavanger, run by his parents. It was natural to choose his fathers drums as his instrument and jazz as his work. From 1990 on he took actively part in the jazz milieu in Stavanger and joined bands with established musicians such as trumpeter Didrik Ingvaldsen and saxophonist Frode Gjerstad. In many ways, these collaborations were essential as they pointed out the directions for Paal's later musical development and career. During his studies at the Jazz dept at the University in Trondheim, where the first self initiated bands were established, things developed really fast - and Paal was nationally acknowledged at the age of 20. The forming of the quartet Element in 1993 in many ways represented the start of a new phase in Paal's musical life. Element musically became a platform for several other groups with bassist Flaten and pianist Wiik, and lead to collaborations with Iain Ballamy and Chris Potter, amongst others. Paal moved to Oslo in 1996, where he joined and/or took part in the forming of bands like Vindaloo, SAN, Håkon Kornstad Tio, The Quintet and Frode Gjerstad Trio. He later on got more into self initiated projects and collaborations with Swedish musicians, such as pianist Sten Sandell and saxophonist Mats Gustafsson. Paal played his first solo concert in 1999, and since then the solo concept has been an important part of his work: "Everyone should try doing some solo work, just to feel who you really are and what gets you going". His solo album "Sticks and stones" was put out in 2001 on SOFA Rec. Being active in several bands at the same time has always been Paal's deliberate working method. He is constantly conscious about the projects he is in, as his participation in each and one of them is fully dedicated. Playing is not about getting from start to goal, but rather being in an everlasting process, a continuous movement where each new piece of music performed is a prolongation of the latest. Hence, keeping focused and concentrating all energy around what's happening there and then is of greatest importance - as is the freedom in the music, the ability of being free within the expression. All bands, although various styles and musical versatility in general, represent important pieces that make up a total, and all bands are formed or joined with a clear vision. Today Paal's portfolio includes Atomic, School Days, The Thing, Frode Gjerstad Trio, Sten Sandell Trio, Scorch Trio, Territory Band, FME, and various duo projects such as with reedmen Ken Vandermark, John Butcher, Mats Gustafsson, organist Nils Henrik Asheim and noise wizard Lasse Marhaug. And not to forget the recently joined Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet." ^ Hide Bio for Paal Nilssen-Love • Show Bio for Signe Emmeluth Signe Krunderup Emmeluth is a Danish saxophonist, known for the groups Andreas Røysum Ensemble, Barrage, Emmeluth's Amoeba, Kasper Agnas Cirkus, Owl, Skarbø Skulekorps, Spacemusic Ensemble, and Tigerfish & Lioncats. ^ Hide Bio for Signe Emmeluth • Show Bio for Mikolaj Trzaska ^ Hide Bio for Mikolaj Trzaska • Show Bio for Hanne De Backer Hanne De Backer is an Antwerp, Belgium-based saxophonist, known for his work with his own Gabbro project, and with The Ex, Paal Nilssen-Love, and Expats. ^ Hide Bio for Hanne De Backer • Show Bio for Per Ake Holmlander "Per-Åke Holmlander... ...born in 1957 in Skellefteå in the very north of Sweden. Holmlander received his diploma in classical tuba in 1983 at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm with Michael Lind as a teacher. Holmlander has always worked simultaneously with improvisation, jazz and rock music as well as classical and contemporary music. As an improviser Holmlander has worked with - Eje Thelin, Marilyn Crispell, Paul Lovens, Folke Rabe, Phil Minton, Sten Sandell, Sven-Åke Johansson, Mats Persson, Gunter Christmann, Kjell Westling, Keith Rowe, Jan Allan, Georg Riedel, Position Alpha, DJustable, Jon Vanderlander Trio, The Swedish Radio Jazz Group, Ken Vandermark - Territory Band & Resonance Ensemble, The Frontroom Ensemble, London Jazz Composers Orchestra, Torden Kvartetten & Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet...among many others. Holmlander works a lot with theatre music, sometimes he plays solo and he regularly works with Fire! Orchestra, Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit, Barry Guy New Orchestra, Fredrik Ljungkvist and his Yun Kan 5 & 10 and recently with Parti&Minut, Swedish azz, Inner Ear & Mats Gustafsson NU-Ensemble. Per-Åke has participated in more than 100 records and 1800 theatrical performances. He has given concerts in 38 countries and he is since December 2008 a member of the government run - Musikalliansen." ^ Hide Bio for Per Ake Holmlander • Show Bio for Jon Rune Strom "Strøm grew up on an island in the north-west of Norway. Influenced u. A. By Gary Peacock and Frode Gjerstad , with the first shots were (East of the West, 2011), he plays in the Norwegian free jazz scene with Paal Nilssen-Loves Group Large Unit, Petter Wettre and Mats Gustafsson Nu Ensemble, also with musicians like Mats Äleklint , John Dikeman , Martin Kitchen , Thomas Johansson and Tollef Østvang in formations such as SAKA Trio, Universal Indians, All Included and Friends & Neighbors. 2013, it issued a solo album Jøa. ^ Hide Bio for Jon Rune Strom • Show Bio for Elisabeth Coudoux "Elisabeth Coudoux (born Fügemann) is a cellist at the interface of different musical genres: free improvisation, experimental music, new composed music and jazz. After studying classical studies as a basis, a jazz study was conducted in Cologne with Frank Gratkowski and Prof. Dieter Manderscheid. In addition to her own project (eg Emissatett for what she composed), she is a cellist in many ensembles and works in interdisciplinary projects with dancers, visual artists and writers. She is the initiator and member of IMPAKT, a newly founded collective for free improvisation in Cologne." ^ Hide Bio for Elisabeth Coudoux
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Born on 07.04.1966, Gdańsk (Poland)
Composer, saxophonist, bass clarinetist.
In 1989 he starts studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, Painting Institute in Gdańsk in Włodzimierz Łajming's atelier. At the same time fascinated by jazz from the 60-ties, especially by music of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman he starts to learn by himself how to play alto saxophone.
Soon afterwards he joins the group of the bassist Tymon Tymański "Sni Sredstwom Za Uklanianie". This group was a germ of the biggest ferment in Polish jazz of the 80-ties and the 90-ties - Miłość.
In 1991 he leaves the Academy and devotes himself to music.
1992-2001 cofounder and saxophonist of Miłość, one of the main pillars of so called yass scene. The group cooperated with among others Lester Bowie and Tomasz Stańko. They recorded five albums together.
In 1993 he tries his hand at composing and as a leader, he founds Łoskot which made its debut on the first Gdynia Summer Jazz Days Festival.
In April 1994 together with Ryszard Tymański they found duet Masło, known of pure nonsense sense of humour. They performed their favourite rock and jazz standards in various, often strange versions.
In October 1994 the first common tour of Miłość and Lester Bowie crowned with recording of the album "Not Two".
In 1995 he records his first solo album ?Cześć, Cześć, Cześć? for Gowi Records publishing house. In the album he?s accompanied by Jowita Cieślikiewicz, Tomasz Hesse and Jacek Olter.
In 1996 Mikołaj starts a yearlong cooperation with Świetliki ? a group from Cracow, recording an album "Cacy, cacy Flaeishmaschine" with them. Later he decides to cooperate with Marcin Świetlicki in a project which combines poetry with improvisation on saxophone and bass clarinet. In 2000 they record the album "Cierpienie i Wypoczynek".
In July 1997 there was a second tour of Miłość with Lester Bowie resulting in recording of the album "Talkin' about life and death" in the studio of Radio Gdańsk.
In 1998 quartet NRD that is Jerzy Mazzol, Ryszard Tymański and Jacek Olter start their few months? activity. The lineup played a few concerts and recorded the album "Sport i Religia".
In 1999 project The Users together with Robert Brylewski, Marcin Świetlicki, Ryszard Tymański, Milo Kurtis. and Jacek Olter. Album "Nie Idź Do Pracy" is recorded.
In 2000 together with his wife Ola Trzaska he founded a publishing house Kilogram Records, which publishes Mikołaj?s albums and impro-free jazz music.
In 2001 he starts cooperation with Andrzej Stasiuk, writer and publicist, six years later they publish an album entitled "Kantry".
2001- 2004 he cooperated with an instrumental ? composing duet - Marcin and Bartłomiej Oleś. Their first album "Mikro Muzik" is thought to be a very important event in contemporary Polish jazz. Next albums are "La sketch up" and Trzaska's album with participation of Oleś brothers ? "Danziger Strassenmusik" ? recorded on the streets of Gdańsk. They also recorded an album "Suite For Trio + 4", together with a French trumpeter Jean Luc Cappozzo.
In 2003 when he was in Ukraine he created a music ? literary project with an outstanding Ukrainian writer and poet Yuri Andrukhowych. The result of their cooperation is the album "Andruchoid".
In Autumn 2003 he meets a French guitarist Noël Akchoté with whom he plays concerts and spends one day in the Warsaw Music Academy studio.
In May 2003 on the Festival ?Blooms Days? in Dublin he plays with Austrian cellist and composer Clementine Gasser, it is the beginning of a long cooperation in duet and other lineups.
In September 2003 during his stay in Scandinavia Trzaska starts a permanent cooperation with musicians who form Peter Brötzmann's rytmical section - bassist Peter Friis Nielsen and drummer Peeter Uuskyla. They record albums (2004) "Unforgiven north" and (2006) "Orangeada".
In Spring 2004 on the occasion of Polish Year in Germany Trzaska starts cooperation with musicians from Germany: drummer and electronic engineer Paul Wirkus and double bassist Johannes Firsch. They go on two concert tours in Germany.
In April 2005 Peter Brotzmann joins the trio Trzaska/Friis/Uuskyla. In this way North Quartet is founded and the album "Malamuth" is recorded.
Also in 2005 in trio with Danish musicians Peter Friis Nielsen and Peter Ole Jorgensen. In April 2007 in Copenhagen, the premiere of their common album "Volumen" published by a Danish publishing house Ninth World Music took place. The same year he cooperates with Paul Wirkus recording an album inspired by Andrzej Stasiuk's prose "Nacht".
In May 2006 project Shofar with participation of guitarist and composer Raphael Rogiński and drummer Macio Moretti is started. The idea of the project is to find a common denominator for traditional Jewish music and contemporary creative jazz. In 2007 their album "Shofar" is published.
In Autumn 2006 he starts cooperation with Joe McPhee and Jay Rosen - he records the album "Intimate conversations" with them. In 2007 he plays a common concert tour with Trio X, and shortly after that they record material for a common album under a working title "Magic".
In October 2007 on the occasion of Gunter Grass' 80th birthday he forms an orchestra consisting of twelve people: Johannes Bauer, Wacław Zimpel, Przemek Dyakowski, Tomasz Ziętek, Kristofer Winckel, Marcin Dymiter, Adam Witkowski, Olo Walicki, Kuba Staruszkiewicz, Michał Goss, Paweł Nowicki - Mikołaj Trzaska Mottlau River Band, the orchestra performs a suite devoted to the writer in St John?s church in Gdansk.
In November 2007 he is invited to join an international project of Ken Vandermark "Resonanse", where he cooperates with Tim Daisy, Steve Swelle, Magnus Broo, Yuriy Yaremchuk, Marek Tokar, Dave Rempis, Michael Zerang and Per-Ake Holmlander.
In December 2007 he founds a quartet with American pianist Noah Rosen, Danish drummer Peter Ole Jorgensen and Belgian double bassist Peter Jacquemyn ? they record an album as Trzaska/Rosen Quartet and go on a concert tour in Poland and Ukraine.
In January 2008 he records an album in trio with Peter Brotzmann and Johannes Bauer.
In Spring 2008 drummer from Chicago Tentet - Michael Zerang joins the duet with Clementine Gasser. They go on a concert tour in Poland and record material for a common album with a magic title Nadir & Mahora.
In Spring 2008 he implements two musical projects in Vienna together with Clementine Gasser and Bernhard Loibner for Essl Museum and with Joachim Roedelius and Clementine Gasser ? Secret Love. On that occasion he is invited to take part in Vienna Improvise Orchestra conducted by saxophonist and violinist Michael Fisher.
In June 2008 Mikołaj forms a quartet consisting of bass clarinets called IRCHA and invites Wacław Zimpel, Paweł Szamburski and Michał Górczyński to the group. The group has its debut on the Jewish Culture Festival in Cracow.
In October 2008 trio Trzaska/Gasser/Zerang goes on an international tour with concerts in Austria, Germany and Poland. At the same time Trzaska meets an Australian double bassist Clayton Thomas with whom he plays concerts in Germany and Poland and records material for an album in club Dragon in Poznań.
At the end of October 2008 the artist goes on a concert tour in the USA: he plays a few concerts in New York with Joe McPhee, Dominik Duval and Jay Rosen among others in The Living Theater within the program RUCMA series. Then he plays in New Haven, CT in Firehouse, concert and recording the material for an album. In Philadelphia in International House Philadelphia within a series prized by the critics Ars Nova Workshop. It was a tour promoting the album "Intimate Conversation" published by Not Two record company.
The second part of the tour are Mikołaj Trzaska's performances in Chicago during Umbrella Music Festival "European Jazz Meets Chicago" called by the critics the most important jazz meeting in Chicago. On 5th November in Chicago Cultural Center Trzaska performed together with Chicago jazz-impro stars ? bassist Kent Kessler and Michael Zerang. The tour was concluded by a concert in The Hideout club in Chicago on 8th November together with guitarist Evan O'Reilly, bassist Christian Weber and drummer Tomas Fujiwara. Moreover he played with Tim Daisy, Elizabeth Harnik and Taylor Ho Bynum.
When he comes back from the USA Trzaska implements a project planned a long time ago called Warsong with Raphael Rogiński on the guitar and Tomek Sowiński on the drum.
In the middle of November 2008 there was a tour of Reed Trio founded by Ken Vandermark accompanied by clarinetist Wacław Zimpel ended with the recording of the material for a CD and LP album. A few days later a British drummer Mark Sanders invites Trzaska to his trio where Peter Friis Nielsen also performs."-Mikolaj Trzaska Website (http://www.trzaska.art.pl/page16.html)
4/24/2024
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
4/24/2024
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
4/24/2024
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
4/24/2024
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
Track Listing:
CD1
1. Set 1 - Group A 20:23
2. Set 1 - Group B 18:27
3. Set 2 - Group A 12:03
4. Set 2 - Group B 11:47
5. Set 2 - Group C 13:22
CD2
1. Set 2 - Group A 5:56
2. Set 1 - Group B 10:28
3. Set 1 - Group C 11:14
4. Set 2 - Group A 11:11
5. Set 2 - Group B 12:14
6. Set 2 - Group C 8:44
7. Finale 15:12
CD3
1. Dances With Questions 1:10:48
Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Large Ensembles
Box Sets
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
New in Improvised Music
Search for other titles on the label:
Not Two.
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| Three innovative cellists at the intersection of improvisation, contemporary compositional and experimental forms — Tomeka Reid from Chicago, Isidora Edwards from Chile and based in London, and Elisabeth Coudoux from Germany — meet in Wiesbaden to record these four multi-layered improvisations merging their unique perspectives with great concentrative expression. | |
 | PNY Quintet (Swell / Brown / Edelin / Giron / Betsch) Over The Wall (RogueArt) |
| While NY trombonist Steve Swell and alto saxophonist Rob Brown were in Paris, flutist Michel Edelin, who has recorded and performed with Swell over more than a decade, organized this session with Paris-based American ex-pats, drummer John Betsch and bassist Peter Giron, recording three Swell compositions, two by Brown, one from Edelin and four collective improvisations; magnifique! | |
| Reid / Edwards / Coudoux (Relative Pitch) |
| Three innovative cellists at the intersection of improvisation, contemporary compositional and experimental forms — Tomeka Reid from Chicago, Isidora Edwards from Chile and based in London, and Elisabeth Coudoux from Germany — meet in Wiesbaden to record these four multi-layered improvisations merging their unique perspectives with great concentrative expression. | |
 | Friends & Neighbors (Roligheten / Johansson / Gronberg / Strom / Ostvang) Circles (Clean Feed) |
| An exuberant album of modern jazz from the Norwegian quintet of Andre Roligheten on tenor saxophone, Thomas Johansson on trumpet, Oscar Gronberg on piano, Jon Rune Strom on double bass and Tollef Ostvang on drums & percussion, their 6th full album of lyrically rich, energetic free jazz taking the 60's & 70s New Thing movement into new modern directions; excellent! | |
 | Cambien, Jonas Maca Conu (Clean Feed) |
| Commissioned by Norway's Motvind festival, Belgian-born, Oslo-based composer & keyboardist Jonas Cambien takes a sly approach to his compositions, incorporating contemporary & experimental forms with solid free jazz playing, performed with drummer Andreas Wildhagen, bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, saxophonist Signe Emmeluth and guest trombonist Guro Kvale (Scheen Jazzorkester). | |
 | Shipp, Matthew / Steve Swell Space Cube Jazz (RogueArt) |
| The first duo recordings from fellow New York jazz musicians, trombonist Steve Swell and pianist Matthew Shipp, having brushed shoulders together with Whit Dickey, Dom Minasai, Jemeel Moondoc, Allen Lowe &c., they bring a wealth of familiar knowledge and language to their binary concentration, through twelve concise dialogs themed around the dark expanse of space; masterful and intimate. | |
 | Brotzmann, Peter / Paal Nilssen-Love Chicken Shit Bingo [VINYL] (Trost Records) |
| Often performing together as a duo after their initial 2004 Chicago Tentet encounter, drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen and multi-reedist Peter Brötzmann typically released albums of live performances, this 2015 studio date in Antwerp unique in their catalog, an exemplary set of recordings, particularly with Brötzmann on a new contra-alto clarinet and Paal adding gongs to their improvisations. | |
 | Brotzmann, Peter / Paal Nilssen-Love Chicken Shit Bingo (Trost Records) |
| Often performing together as a duo after their initial 2004 Chicago Tentet encounter, drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen and multi-reedist Peter Brötzmann typically released albums of live performances, this 2015 studio date in Antwerp unique in their catalog, an exemplary set of recordings, particularly with Brötzmann on a new contra-alto clarinet and Paal adding gongs to their improvisations. | |
 | Harnik, Elisabeth / Steve Swell Welcome to the Troposphere (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!)) |
| An explorative album of collective free improvisation from the transatlantic duo of German pianist Elisabeth Harnik and New York trombonist Steve Swell, following up on their 2020 album Tonotopic Organisation, this 2022 live concert at Offene Ohren, in Munich brings listeners current to both improvisers immense creative drive, masterful skill, and their mutual, exuberant rapport. | |
 | DUOT & ZARM Ensemble (Cirera / Prats / Zingaro / Alves / Mitzlaff / Rosso) DUOT with Strings (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!)) |
| The DUOT pairing of Argentinian, Barcelona-based sax player Albert Cirera and Spanish drummer Ramón Prats is joined on their 6th album by the Portuguese string quartet ZARM Ensemble of Carlos Zingaro on violin, David Alves on violin, Ulrich Mitzlaf on cello and Alvaro Rosso on double bass for a dynamic concert at Igreja do Espírito Santo in Caldas Da Rainha, Portugal. | |
 | Unknown Shore (Joao Pedro Viegas / Silvia Corda / Adriano Orru) w/ Carlos Zingaro & Helena Espvall) The House Of Memory (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!)) |
| Punctuated with a Prelude, Interlude and Epilogue, the core Unknown Shores trio of Portuguese improvisers, bass clarinetist João Pedro Viegas, pianist Silvia Corde and double bassist Adriano Orru, are joined by guests Carlos Zingaro on violin and Helena Espvall on cello for a 10-part work of spontaneous composition, a conceptual collection of exquisite chamber jazz. | |
 | Ballister (Rempis / Lonberg-Holm / Nilssen-Love) Smash And Grab (Aerophonic) |
| "Smash", "Even More Smashing" and "Grab" sums up the intense energy that the Ballister trio brought to their 2022 performance at Elastic Arts in Chicago as part of the Catalytic Sound Festival, impelled by Paul Nilssen-Love's powerful drumming and Fred Lonberg-Holm's demanding cello work, with Dave Rempis roaring on alto, tenor and baritone saxophones; wow! | |
 | Foussat, Jean-Marc / Urs Leimgruber / Carlos "Zingaro" L'Aile D'Icare (Fou Records) |
| A remarkable journey in free improvisation and free form electroacoustic improv from the trio of Jean-Marc Foussat on synth & effected voice, Urs Leimgruber on soprano & tenor saxophones and Carlos Zingaro on violin, three masterful improvisers who employ unusual sonic palettes and remarkable technique in a carefully controlled conversation drawing on diverse styles. | |
 | Swell, Steve / Joe Mcphee / Chris Corsano Sometimes The Air Is (Mahakala Music) |
| A masterful album of collective free improvisation captured in Brooklyn's Park West Studios by Jim Clouse, of the trio of tenor saxophonist Joe McPhee, trombonist Steve Swell and drummer Chris Corsano, ten conversations of diverse approach, from reflectively abstract to uncompromisingly assertive discourse that is ultimately fueled by a joyful camaraderie. | |
 | Kravanja, Ana / Elisabeth Harnik Vrtinci Minljivosti = Vortices Of Impermanence (Creative Sources) |
| The working duo of Slovenian violinist Ana Kravanja and Austrian pianist Elisabeth Harnik present nine dialogs of freely improvised playing that draws on contemporary composition, using their primary instruments along with preparations, objects, frame drums, voice and ringing stones, a mood of tense mystery and wonder pervading their excellent and unusual discourse. | |
 | Niggenkemper, Pascal Bloc [BOX SET] (Subran Music) |
| A 6-CD box set in a magnetic snap case compiling double bassist Pascal Niggenkemper's musical journey between the years 2017-2022, in a variety of creative approaches improvising in acoustic and electroacoustic settings, from solo work through collaborations in trio, quartet and large ensembles; an absolutely magnificent presentation of his diverse work. | |
 | Large Unit (Paal Nilssen-Love) Clusterfuck (PNL) |
| One of a pair of albums--New Map and Clusterfuck--recorded in the studio in Oslo, Norway by percussionist and composer Paal Nilssen-Love's Large Unit, a 15-piece, incredibly flexible and open-minded ensemble, here improvising over a work of graphic notation where the composed structures are balanced with blocks of improvisation, allowing for quick dynamic shifts in direction. | |
 | Large Unit (Paal Nilssen-Love) New Map (PNL) |
| One of a pair of albums--New Map and Clusterfuck--recorded in the studio in Oslo, Norway by percussionist and composer Paal Nilssen-Love's Large Unit, a 15-piece, incredibly flexible and open-minded ensemble, here performing a work where the improvisers are provided with a series of open-form "cells"--concrete ideas, notes and directions--to which they must respond. | |
 | Rempis / Harnik / Lonberg-Holm / Daisy Earscratcher (Aerophonic) |
| Formed in 2019, the quartet of Dave Rempis on alto sax, Elisabeth Harnik on piano, Fred Lonberg Holm on cello and Tim Daisy on drums celebrate Elisabeth Harnik's 50th birthday in 2020, originally planned as part of a European tour that year but prevented by pandemic, instead recording this well-balanced and often unbridled 2022 concert at Alte Gerberei, St. Johan in Tirol, Austria. | |
 | Lazro, Daunik / Carlos Zingaro / Sakis Papadimitriou / Jean Bolcato Periferia (Fou Records) |
| Reissuing the 1995 In Situ album of the sublime 1993 concert at Vandoeuvre-Les-Nancy in France from the free improvising quartet of Daunik Lazro on alto & baritone saxophones, Carlos Zingaro on acoustic and electroacoustic violins, Sakis Papadimitriou on piano and Jean Bolcato on double bass & voice, in a highly focused set of concentrative collective expression. | |
 | Zingaro, Carlos / Pedro Carneiro Elogio Das Sombras (Clean Feed) |
| Translating to "Eulogy of the Shadows", the free improvising duo of violinist Carlos Zingaro and percussionist Pedro Carneiro performing on marimba with a damper pedal, structure their work as though emerging out of the dark night, each step subtly increasing the glow of luminescence through intensity of interaction until receding again into obscurity; sublime. | |
 | Carter, Daniel / Steve Swell / Federico Ughi Concrete Science (577 Records) |
 | Harnik, Elisabeth / Didi Kern / Jaap Blonk Steamology (Klanggalerie) |
| Joyfully assertive and somewhat twisted, the first of three improvisations on this live album at Wels Unlimited 2020 is the duo of Austrian pianist Elisabeth Harnik and drummer Didi Kern, starting at high speed then shifting to unusual approaches in a quirky dialog, made quirkier with Jaap Blonk adding wonderfully nonsensical vocalizations on the last two pieces. | |
 | Rempis / Harnik / Zerang Astragaloi (Aerophonic) |
| The 3rd release for the trio of Chicago saxophonist Dave Rempis, German pianist Elisabeth Harnik and Chicago percussionist Michael Zerang, performing live at the 2020 ArtActs Festival in St Johan Austria for five outstanding improvisations fueled by their previous trio & duo work and flavored with inside piano preparations, hand percussion and superb soloing from all three. | |
 | Ballister (Dave Rempis / Fred Lonberg-Holm / Paal Nilssen-Love) Chrysopoeia (Not Two) |
| Two burning improvisations from the Chicago / Norwegian trio Ballister of Dave Rempis on alto & tenor saxophones, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello & electronics and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums & percussion, performing live at Alchemia in Krakow, Poland in 2019 in an exuberantly assertive concert from three incredibly active artists in the trans-Atlantic community of improvising musicians. | |
 | Jon Doe One (d'Hoine / De Backer) Sol Invictus [VINYL w/ DOWNLOAD] (esc.rec.) |
| An album celebrating the unconquerable sun, imagined through rhythm, reeds, bass and sonic landscape, composed by Antwerp double bassist Hannes d'Hoine with multi-reedist Hanne De Backer on bass clarinet & baritone saxophone, slowly unfolding in light and dark tones and steady momentum, neither ambient nor excessive but richly building arrangements through which light emerges. | |
