Cosmic Ear

Sunday, May 24, at 21:00
main stage

Christer Bothén (donso n’goni, bass clarinet, contra bass clarinet), Mats Gustafsson (tenor saxophone, flutes, clarinet, electronics), Goran Kajfeš (trumpet, pocket trumpet, synth, electronics), Juan Romero (congas, berimbau, percussion), Johan Berthling (double bass)

Photo: Johan Bergmark

This new band, co-founded by Mats Gustafsson and Goran Kajfeš, brings together Swedish musicians from different generations who share a desire to continue the multicultural musical vision pioneered decades ago by trumpeter Don Cherry – bridging jazz with traditional, particularly African, music. A direct link to Cherry’s legacy is 84-year-old Christer Bothén, his close collaborator in the 1970s. Bothén also plays the Malian zither donso n’goni (hunter’s harp), contributing to the band’s multi-genre expression, which skillfully combines free and spiritual jazz, traditional music and elements of experimental music. Alongside the n’goni, the debut album features a range of traditional musical instruments, such as the Brazilian berimbau, the North African karignan, South American percussion, bells and other metal objects. These sounds merge into a vibrant sonic tapestry with trumpet, flutes, clarinet and saxophone, while double bass and electronics contribute to percussion-propelled steady rhythms. The ensemble’s interplay is exceptionally well balanced, given that they all played in Gustafsson’s Fire! Orchestra. Kajfeš is also familiar to our audience from the large band Angles, previously featured at our festival. “A stunning debut is a sonic journey that invites listeners to engage with music as a living, breathing entity.” (UK Vibe, 5 stars)