Jonathan Bäckström Quartet is een akoestisch improvisatiekwartet gevestigd in Helsinki met leden uit Finland en Zweden. Bassist/componist Jonathan Bäckström leidt het. Het kwartet beschrijft de muziek als ‘minimalistische landschappen en explosieve, gelaagde vrije improvisatie’ waarbij de individuele stemmen een ​​sterk, collectief statement creëren. De groep bestaat uit Bäckström, saxofonisten Adele Sauros en Marcus Wärnheim, en drummer Benjamin Nylund – elk een actief lid van de levendige Scandinavische scene.

Tags: 60’s early free jazz, Ornette Coleman, Anthony Braxton, Art Ensemble of Chicago, AACM, Henry Grimes, William Parker, Peter Kowald, Julius Hemphill

Nb Marcus Warnheim is inmiddels een veel gevraagd en gewaardeerd lid van de Amsterdamse jazzscene.

”The compositions made a big impression. There was something irresistibly natural and also a fresh idea in them at the same time. However, fresh is not the opposite of ripe. Something grown up, lingering and wise was found in the whole.”

– Jari Ojala, Jazzkerho -76 Facebook page, translation from Finnish

Album liner notes:

Jonathan Bäckström says: “There are many ways to approach documenting freely improvised music. At the core, this is music best experienced in the presence of now, so documenting this music raises some existential questions. This is a live-group at heart and having done some extensive touring during the last couple of years, I felt it was time to capture the ‘now’ based on our raw live efforts thus far.

Group improvisation is at the centre of our music. Most of the music heard on this album is improvised. One exception is the etude ‘White Like Silver’. While it has a predetermined form, there are still moments of subtle improvisation. Interpretation is key, allowing for micro-improvisations within the written music. This is a common thread throughout my compositions, enabling the performer to be spontaneous in their rendition of the music. Spontaneity is something I encourage in all of my compositions. I aim to give the performer the means to make the music their own and not to interrupt it with my own ego.”

RIYL: 60’s early free jazz, Ornette Coleman, Anthony Braxton, Art Ensemble of Chicago, AACM, Henry Grimes, William Parker, Peter Kowald, Julius Hemphill