Mette Rasmussen Trio North (Denmark-Norway)
Mette Rasmussen - as
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten - db
Olaf Moses Olsen - Dr
These selected improvisers were brought together by Trondheim. The Danish saxophonist Mette Rasmussen, based in this Norwegian city, took the lead of a trio of friends in 2019 after receiving an offer to present an original project at the Oslo jazz club "Victoria". A talented improviser, a brave explorer of the possibilities of the saxophone, she decided to try herself in music creation by presenting a fiery original program prepared with a trio on the famous Oslo jazz scene.
Last year, M. Rasmussen's trio, in which O. M. Olsen was replaced by the American drummer Chris Corsano, already applauded the jazz festivals of Berlin, Tampere, Sarajevo, "Porgy & Bess" in Vienna, "Bimhuis" in Amsterdam, "Unterfahrt" jazz clubs in Munich, "Cankarjev Dom" in Ljubljana, Cologne Stadgarten audience. New works of the trio's leader were played on prestigious stages.
Louis Sclavis Quartet (France)
Louis Sclavis - cls
Benjamin Moussay - Mr
Sarah Murcia - db
Christophe Lavergne - dr
On the occasion of his 70th birthday, Louis Sclavis, one of the most prominent free jazz and avant-garde clarinetists, goes on tour with a classical jazz quartet, which he returned to after a long break. He gathered these musicians for the first time in 2017 for the project "Loin dans les Terres", and this time he recorded with them his 13th album for the ECM record label "Characters on a Wall". It was inspired by the street art works of artist Ernest Pignon-Ernest, an old friend of L.Sclavis.
The traditional composition of the quartet was not chosen by chance: E. Pignon-Ernest is also a classic among his colleagues: his art stands out for its elegance, subtle color and emotional drama. L. Sclavis took inspiration from his friend's work and recorded the 2002 album "Napoli's Walls", which received wide recognition. But then the artist's works for Naples became a creative impulse, and this time the music was inspired by the eight collages of E. Pignon-Ernest decorating the cities of the world, from Ramallah in Palestine to Rome in Italy: the jazz virtuoso dedicated a composition to each of them.
