Mats Gustafsson
Mats Gustafsson | |
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Mats Gustafsson during a concert in 2010 | |
Background information | |
Born |
Umeå, Sweden | 29 October 1964
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Saxophone, fluteophone |
Website | matsgus.com |
Mats Olof Gustafsson (born 29 October 1964) is a Swedish saxophone player and a stalwart on the Scandinavian free jazz scene. He is known for his tonal belligerence and intensity when improvising.
Career
Gustafsson first came to the attention of lovers of improvised music as part of a duo with Christian Munthe (started in 1986), as member of Gunter Christmann's Vario project and the band Gush (started in 1988). He later played widely with musicians such as Gunter Christmann, Peter Brötzmann, Joe McPhee, Paul Lovens, Barry Guy, Yoshimi P-We, Derek Bailey, Magnus Broo, Otomo Yoshihide, Jim O'Rourke, Thomas Lehn, Evan Parker, Misha Mengelberg, Zu, The Ex and Sonic Youth.
Since the early 1990s Gustafsson has been a regular visitor to the United States, forming a particular affinity with Chicago musicians such as Hamid Drake, Michael Zerang and Ken Vandermark and recording for the city's OkkaDisk label. This resulted in a more traditional "free jazz" style in contrast to his innovative early work with European improvising musicians.
In addition to projects with musicians, Gustafsson has worked extensively with artists from the worlds of dance, theatre, poetry and painting.
Gustafsson was awarded the 2011 Nordic Council Music Prize.[1]
Gustafsson currently lives in Gärsnäs, Skåne, Sweden and Vienna, Austria.
Selected projects
- The Thing
- Fire! Orchestra
Major collaborators
- Gunter Christmann
- Barry Guy
- Paul Lovens
- Raymond Strid
- Kjell Nordeson
- Paal Nilssen-Love
- Ingebrigt Håker Flaten
- Joe McPhee
- Ken Vandermark
- Mademoiselle Karen
- Sonic Youth on Hidros 3 (To Patti Smith) and SYR8: Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth
- Zu on How To Raise an Ox
- Colin Stetson on Stones
Festival curator
Gustafsson curated the Perspectives festivals in Västerås, Sweden in 2004, 2007 and 2009. This festival of musical improvisation is noted for its cross-genre character and creative atmosphere among musicians.[2] The festival slogan for 2004 was "Fight Global Stupidity", 2007 "Fight Local Stupidity" and for 2009 it became "Fight (y)our stupidity".
Gustafsson was also joint curator of the 2010 Konfrontationen festival in Nickelsdorf, Austria.[3]
Gallery
Photos: Hreinn Gudlaugsson
Discography
Solo albums
- 1991: Nothing to Read (Blue Tower Records), with Paul Lovens
- 1995: Parrot Fish Eye (Okka Disk)
- 1995: For Don Cherry (Blue Tower Records), with Hamid Drake
- 1996: Mouth Eating Trees And Related Activities (Okka Disk), with Barry Guy & Paul Lovens
- 1997: Frogging (Maya Recordings), with Barry Guy
- 1997: Impropositions. Solo Saxophone (Phono Suecia)
- 1999: The Education of Lars Jerry (Xeric), solo Saxophone
- 1999: Hidros One (Caprice Records), with Nu-Ensemblen
- 2000: Port Huron Picnic (Spool), with Kurt Newman & Mike Gennaro
- 2002: The School Days and Thing (Anagram Records), the music of Norman Howard presented by Mats Gustafsson
- 2003: Blues (Atavistic), with David Stackenäs
- 2004: Hidros 3 (Smalltown Supersound), Sonic Youth With Friends
- 2005: Slide (Firework Edition Records), solo Saxophone
- 2005: Catapult (Doubtmusic), solo Baritone saxophone
- 2007: It Is All About... (Tyfus), solo Baritone saxophone & flute
- 2007: Words on the Floor (Smalltown Superjazzz), with Yoshimi P-We
- 2008: Mats G Plays Duke E (Qbico)
- 2008: Cosmic Debris Volume IV (Opax), with My Cat Is An Alien
- 2008: The Vilnius Implosion (NoBusiness Records), solo Baritone saxophone & flute
- 2008: Mats G Plays Duke E (Qbico)
- 2009: Mats G. Plays Albert A. (Qbico)
- 2012: Baro 101 (Terp Records), with Paal Nilssen-Love & Mesele Asmamaw
- 2012: Mats G. Plays Gullin (Sagittarius A-Star)
- 2012: Birds (dEN Records), with John Russell & Raymond Strid
- 2012: Bengt (Utech Records), solo Saxophone
- 2013: Eissalon (Live) (Rock Is Hell Records), with Didi Kern
- 2013: Vi Är Alla Guds Slavar (Otoroku), with Thurston Moore
- 2014: Hidros6 Knockin' (Not Two Records), with NU Ensemble
- 2015: Hit The Wall! (Smalltown Superjazzz), with Thurston Moore
- 2016: Piano Mating (Blue Tapes and X-Ray Records)
- With AALY Trio + Ken Vandermark
- 1998: Hidden in the Stomach (Silkheart)
- 1998: Stumble (Wobbly Rail)
- 1999: Live at the Glenn Miller Café (Wobbly Rail)
- 2000: I Wonder If I Was Screaming (Crazy Wisdom)
Collaborations
- With Per Henrik Wallin & Kjell Nordeson
- 1995: Dolphins, Dolphins, Dolphins (Dragon Records)
- With Jaap Blonk & Michael Zerang
- 1996: Improvisors (Kontrans)
- With Ken Vandermark
- 1997: FJF: Blow Horn (Okka Disk)
- 2013: Verses (Corbett vs. Dempsey)
- With Jim O'Rourke
- 1999: Xylophonen Virtuosen (Incus Records)
- With David Grubbs
- 1999: Apertura (Blue Chopsticks)
- 2002: Off-Road (Blue Chopsticks)
- With Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo & Steve Shelley
- 2000: New York – Ystad (Olof Bright)
- With Greg Goodman & George Cremaschi
- 2002: They Were Gentle and Pretty Pigs (The Beak Doctor)
- With Agustí Fernández
- 2005: Critical Mass (psi)
- With Paal Nilssen-Love
- 2005: Splatter (Smalltown Superjazzz)
- With Sonic Youth & Merzbow
- 2008: Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth (Sonic Youth Records)
- With Barry Guy Solo/Duo
- 2009: Sinners, Rather than Saints (NoBusiness Records)
- With Gord Grdina Trio
- 2010: Barrel Fire (Drip Audio)
- With Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid
- 2011: Live at the South Bank (Smalltown Superjazzz)
- With The Sons Of God
- 2011: Reception (Firework Edition Records)
- With Masami Akita & Jim O'Rourke
- 2011: One Bird Two Bird (Editions Mego)
- With Colin Stetson
- 2012: Stones (Rune Grammofon)
- With Ich Bin N!ntendo including Christian Skår Winther, Joakim Heibø Johansen & Magnus Skavhaug Nergaard
- 2012: Ich Bin N!ntendo & Mats Gustafsson (Va Fongool)[4]
- With Agustí Fernández & Ramon Prats
- 2013: Breakin the Lab! (Discordian Records)
- With Correction
- 2013: Shift (Otoroku)[5]
- With Merzbow & Balázs Pándi
- 2013: Cuts (RareNoise)
- 2015: Live in Tabačka 13/04/12 (Tabačka Records)
- With Merzbow, Balázs Pándi & Thurston Moore
- 2015: Cuts of Guilt, Cuts Deeper (RareNoise)
Bibliography
- T. Millroth: "Aaly Trio", Orkester journalen, lvi/4 (1988), 11 .
- M. Chaloin: "Mats Gustafsson", Improjazz, no.19 (1995), 6.
- W. Montgomery: "Mats Gustafsson: Flow Motion", Wire, no.164 (1997), 18.
- J. Hale: "Mats Gustafsson", Coda, no.288 (1999), 17.
References
- ↑ "Mats Gustafsson wins the Nordic Council Music Prize 2011". Musikpris.org. 2011-06-01. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ↑ "Perspectives 2004 - Festival for Creative Music". NyaPerspektiv.se. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ↑ "Konfrontationen Nickelsdorf 2010". Konfrontationen.at. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ↑ "MIch Bin N!ntendo & Mats Gustafsson". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ↑ "Mats Gustafsson Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
External links
- http://www.mic.stim.se/engelsk/11/facts/gustafssonm.html (1999) (unavailable?)
- http://www.shef.ac.uk/misc/rec/ps/efi/mgustafs.html (1999) [incl. discography].
- J. Guthartz: discography and index of compositions (2000).
- http://www.matsgus.com/ The official Mats Gustafsson web page
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