JONES JONES / Mark Dresser, Larry Ochs, Vladimir Tarasovas (Lithuania, USA)
Mark Dresser - b
Larry Ochs - saxes
Vladimir Tarasovas - perc
Jones Jones is a project, all members of which have left a significant mark on the jazz history. The trio has no single leader, but all its members are equal masters of improvised music, who have proven their talent time and time again in a variety of outstanding projects. However, you probably won't be offended if we mention one of them first - just because he lives and works in Lithuania, which is the main reason why you will see this concert.
Legend of the Lithuanian jazz scene, the drummer Vladimir Tarasov, can be safely described as a faithful friend of Vilnius Mama Jazz. Since the start of the festival, he has contributed a lot to the history of this event - with advice, dissemination, acquaintances, and, of course, more than one spectacular concert. This year, we are delighted to invite him back to the stage again - and this time with another title, of which he has many. Vladimir Tarasov has been announced as the first ambassador of Vilnius Mama Jazz - and this is an honour first and foremost for us.
Lithuanian jazz audiences probably need no introduction to Vladimir Tarasov. Tarasov is a member of the legendary trio awarded the National Prize for Culture and Art (with Vyacheslav Ganelin and Vladimir Chekasin), a composer and performer of music for theatre performances, a painter and a book author, whose playing has been described by the US Wall Street Journal as "a drummer of rare subtlety, who touches his instruments with sensual pleasure".
This group, which was active for several years, performed in almost all European countries and became famous outside the Soviet Union, was able to draw inspiration from free jazz, folk and chamber music and create something completely new and original.
The album Con Anima, released in 1976, is considered to be the first jazz album released in Lithuania. The trio, which existed until 1986, is still considered to be the most unrivalled Lithuanian jazz phenomenon, both in terms of creativity and music lovers' recognition. The group's history is immortalised not only in dozens of recordings, but also in Vladimir Tarasov's own autobiographical book Trio.
From Vilnius to New Orleans, Vladimir Tarasov's playing has been heard everywhere where there are ears that crave jazz experiments. Vladimir Tarasov, who has played with many of the world's leading musicians and recorded more than 100 albums, is considered to be one of those who have contributed significantly to the development of experimental and avant-garde jazz.
Drummer Vladimir Tarasov has collaborated with the Lithuanian Symphony Orchestra, as well as with the symphony, chamber and jazz orchestras in Lithuania, Europe, and the USA. He has worked on collaborative projects with renowned musicians and artists such as Andrew Cyrille, The RovaSaxophone Quartet, Anthony Braxton, Lauren Newton, Didier Petit and others.
Music for orchestras, films and plays is an important part of Vladimir Tarasov's work. His music has been featured in Russian, Swiss and German films, and on the theatre stages in New Orleans, New York, Paris and other cities.
Individually and with artists from different countries, he has created many visual art projects, including the Venice Biennale, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, and the Southbank Centre for the Arts, London, among others.
One of Lithuania's most prominent jazz personalities returns to the festival this time with his friends, well-known on the improvised jazz scene: in Jones Jones, he is joined by two prominent members of the US improvised and free jazz scene.
Markas Dresser Markas Dresser, a double bassist, is a composer, educator, and a participant of interdisciplinary art projects, and a musician who has played professionally since 1972. His performance technique has been documented in books and his playing is heard on more than 100 albums, over 30 of which he has recorded as a leader of various ensembles.
One of the most important milestones in his career is his association with the renowned American jazz and avant-garde instrumentalist and composer Anthony Braxton, who has recorded several albums as a member of his groups. The double bassist has also played with John Zorn, Ray Anderson, Tim Berne and other jazz and improvisational heavyweights, is a founding member of the famous string trio Arcado, and has been nominated for a Grammy Award, He has composed music for the silent film masterpieces The Dog of Andalusia and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and has written numerous special works (including for the New York Shakespeare Festival and the German WDR Radio Big Band).
The musician, who has lived and worked in New York for two decades, is Professor of Music at the University of California, where he also teaches at other universities. He is a board member of the International Society of Bassists and the International Society for Improvised Music.
Larry Ochs is a founding member of the Rova SaxophoneQuartet, which debuted four decades ago. Inspired by composers as diverse as John Cage and John Coltrane, the ensemble has become one of the most important avant-garde jazz groups in the world.
The saxophonist, who founded Metalanguage Records in 1978, has had a varied and colourful career, from projects with British experimentalist Fred Frith (in Maybe Monday) and vocal jazz legend Peggy Lee, to the band Kihnoua, formed with Korean singer Dohee Lee.
He has also played with John Zorn, Kronos Quartet, Steve Lacy, Anthony Braxton and Wilco guitarist Nels Cline. Looking at the list of albums he has recorded, it seems that his phone book is probably an encyclopaedia of some of the biggest names in avant-garde and jazz.
Having recorded dozens of albums, the musician has toured more than forty times in Europe and Japan. This time, he will be making several appearances with Jones Jones, most notably in Vilnius.
Jones Jones first played together in San Francisco in 2006. From the very first show, it was clear that this band was special. No leaders or compromises - just a raw, moving, meditative exploration of three musical hearts.
A volcano of improvised music that has erupted and subsided over the past 17 years. In 2008, the band played in the Netherlands and Lithuania, and later performed at the New American Music Festival in California.
The riveting musical dialogues are also recorded on the album We All Feel The Same Way, and in early 2018, a recording of the California performance was released on the album A Jones In Time Saves Nine by the Lithuanian NoBusiness Records, a label famous in the worlds of jazz and the avant garde.
Jones Jones doesn't perform often - the band members' schedules are full of projects and ideas, so every performance can be considered an exceptional opportunity. During this short series of European dates, Jones Jones will play the Czech Republic, Italy, Slovenia and Germany. But perhaps the most anticipated show is in Vilnius.
Needless to say, the mood tonight is going to be special. Every Jones Jones performance, performed by powerful improvisational virtuosos, creates something unique. The dialogues of the sounds that emerge before your eyes will make this an evening that cannot be repeated.
SATOKO FUJII TOKYO TRIO (Japan)
