Kim Myhr [guitars, mechanical effects]
Jim Denley [saxophones, flutes, clarinets ]
A meeting of maximal contrasts - this is what the duo constellation of Jim Denley and Kim Myhr might seem on the face of it. Two generations from diametrically opposed geographic backgrounds joining up with string and wind instruments.
Astonishingly enough, the resulting music is so homogenous, melodic, playful, responsive that one might be tempted to think of structured compositions. No such thing.
During live concerts, as well as on their first CD published this spring, there are no prearranged verbal concepts. Accordingly, terms from notated music like ostinato, melody, harmony, rhythm, beat are not really helpful here. "I'm happier not knowing" is how Denley comments these attempts at explanation. Maybe "dance" is a more appropriate description than "language" for what happens in the duo's interaction - physical totality rather than analytical dissection.
Gebhard Ullmann [bass clarinet]
Jürgen Kupke [clarinet]
Michael Thieke [alto clarinet, clarinet]
The most conspicuous aspect of Gebhard Ullmann's Clarinet Trio is its lineup: three clarinets and nothing else. No strings, no piano, no percussion. A trio in the traditional sense of the word, without entertainment ambitions and unneeded frills. That is, without electronics. Also, dispensing with artificial gimmicks or cheap appeals to current trends in life style.
The music is a mix of imaginatative composing and delicate improvising. But it is also capable of growling, onomatopoeia and melodic swing. Owing to its resourcefulness and brilliant technique, it can do without special effects.
Michael Vorfeld [perkussion, stringed instruments]
Chris Heenan [alto saxophone, batyphone bass clarinet]
Jeremy Drake [guitar]
Team Up is an electroacoustic trio featuring Jeremy Drake (Los Angeles), Chris Heenan (Berlin) and Michael Vorfeld (Berlin).
After an initial phase, when Drake and Heenan played with various percussionists (Brian Christopherson, Jerome Byerton, Andreas Axelsson, Martin Blume, Tatsuya Nakatani), Michael Vorfeld has become a constant member of the team in 2005. Combining percussion instruments with self-conceived string instruments, he is substantially contributing to the group's sonic-sensible esthetics.
The music of Team Up thrives on the union of electroacoustic and purely acoustic sounds, flickering between extremely fragile forms and massive walls of sound. As a powerful live act, the trio knows how to captivate their audience with atmospherically dense textures and sonic layers.
Malcolm Goldstein [violin]
Barre Phillips [bass]
The meeting of violinist Malcolm Goldstein and bassist Barre Phillips in 2004 was quite unusual. Their first duo performance at the Densités Festival in Metz came about by accident after a planned trio concert had to be cancelled owing to circumstances. But this became an initial spark for the future. Eighteen months later they met again to further explore their newly discovered common territory on a short tour through the South of France.
Both are American, about the same age, they both lived and worked in New York City in the 60's (and never met) where they made their first encounters with free improvisation - Goldstein in a contemporary music setting and Phillips on the free jazz scene. They've both worked a lot with contemporary dance. In the 70's both left the buzz of metropolitan life to live in the countryside, without electricity and telephone: Goldstein in Vermont and Phillips in the French Provence.
Wolfgang Schliemann [percussion]
Joachim Zoepf [soprano saxophone, bass clarinet]
Ulrich Phillipp [bass]
The Ensemble 2013 was founded in 2006 by Joachim Zoepf. Stylistically, it belongs to the new improvised music that came about in the 60s of the 20th century as an independent music genre, combining the expressive energy of free jazz with the rich sounds of new composed music.
Time and again the Ensemble 2013 manages the tightrope walk between these poles. This trio is looking for challenges, not least in interdisciplinary projects like dance and performance. There is a winsome transparency and openness of communication among the group's members and with the ever changing concert situation. Hesitation, seeking, euphoria, childlike joy of playing, a desire for experiments on the basis of longtime familiarity and technical prowess - all these factors are conveyed authentically and spontaneously.
John Butcher GB [saxophones]
John Edwards GB [bass]
Two unique musicians!
John Butcher and John Edwards continue the long British tradition of duo-improvisation enhancing it in many surprising ways. Given the conventional instruments - saxophone and bass - one would expect an equally conventional programme. If you do, you had better brace yourselves for disillusionment. Rather expect two grandmasters of improvisation.
Departing from their virtuoso accomplishments on their respective instruments, the two of them keep exploring new sounds, unusual techniques and amazing effects. And listening to them you may not always be absolutely sure which of them is producing which sounds.
There is even more! Both of them love „precisely not“ doing what the partner may be expecting at any given moment, or, in a double bluff, doing exactly that. And then there are phases when their playing seems to be the music of two instruments controlled by one common brain, only to be followed by episodes of the players‘ seemingly entire ignorance of one another. As a consequence, the listeners can never be sure of what will come next. The two improvisers‘ means of expression are just too different and too wide-ranging. The result can be a minimalistically and extremely densely woven sound carpet or an eruptive dialogue full of power. A feast for Open Ears!
We are looking forward to a unique concert experience, for although this duo has existed for more than a decade there are not too many occasions when it actually gets together.
Hannes Wienert [soprano saxophone, trumpax, tubes, sheng ]
Sascha Demand [electric guitar]
Sirenen und Blüten (sirens and blossoms) is the title of the latest CD production of the two Hamburg artists Sascha Demand (electric guitar) and Hannes Wienert (soprano saxophone, sheng, trumpax, tubes). The two musicians generate fragile sound-worlds characterised by introverted intensity and pragmatic conciseness.
"A grindingly eruptive affair producing a surprising mix of outlandish sounds. With his wind instruments, Hannes Wienert chokes and woos Sascha Demand's guitar, the whole resulting in colourful abrasions." (Zipo, auf Abwegen)
John Tilbury [piano and rezitation]
Offene Ohren presents an exclusive performance by the pianist, experimentator and outstanding interpreter of New Music, John Tilbury.
However, due to recent personal developments, we decided to adapt the subject of the evening to a certain degree. While the music and thoughts of Cornelius Cardew (1936 - 1981, biography published by Tilbury) still will be part of the picture, the central theme will be a discussion around notation and improvisation, compared and contrasted with performing notated/improvised music. This will be based on Tilbury´s own experience as an improviser, like a personal credo.
To round up the evening, also short musical (audio and video) examples will be given, to illustrate some, partly radical, approaches of Tilbury and his musical coevals to musical performances.
With this presentation, Offene Ohren e.V. enters the meta-level of their mission - rather than simply give outstanding examples of improvisation concerts, we try to enlighten the thoughts and philosophies behind. and we are glad to have one of the Grand Masters here to lead us.
Welcome to an evening full of insights and surprises!
Nils Ostendorf [trumpet]
Michel Doneda [Bb sopransaxophone, C sopransaxophone]
At their first meeting on a concert stage during last year’s Moers Festival, Michel Doneda and Nils Ostendorf immediately felt a close musical affinity.
The direct play with the physicality of a wind instrument as a generator of sounds and tones, the colourful use of air-sounds, overtones, percussive blowing techniques or circular breathing, as well as the tightrope walk between the inaudible and the unplayable allowed the two instruments to fuse into one organic sound that pulsates, grows into a polyphonic weave, and suddenly freezes only to lead to a crescendo bursting with energy.
The intuitive play with density and dynamics combined with the artful use of silence and duration results in a vibrant, refreshing music that is bound to intoxicate the listener.
Gino Robair [drums]
Laura Konjetzky [piano]
Christoph Reiserer [saxophone]
Jürgen Schneider [percussion]
It has become a sort of tradition for Offene Ohren to invite international guests for musical conversations with members of the Munich improvisers‘ scene. This year we are looking forward to meeting the American Gino Robair. He is a drummer, composer and sound experimentator from the San Francisco Bay area. Energized Surfaces is his term for describing his enhancements of the conventional drumkit, which he has turned into a resonator for a great variety of other objects. Robair has improvised and composed with, among others, the ROVA Saxophone Quartet, Anthony Braxton, Fred Frith, John Zorn and John Butcher.
Robair will interact with the Munich-based musicians Laura Konjetzky, Christoph Reiserer und Jürgen Schneider in thrilling dialogues, solos and explorations of musical territories.