Matthieu Michel / trumpet, flugelhorn
Franck Tortiller / vibraphone
Steve Swallow / electric bass
Intelligent, contemporary and unique: John Downland’s Renaissance compositions in an improvised context between chamber music and jazz.
Classical music versus jazz. A rigid distinction between composed and improvised music is not only wrong, but also pointless. Improvisation has always been a part of classical music – from baroque to Mozart, although the high esteem of the interpretation in romantic tradition distorted this fact. Similarly, composition and arrangement have always been parts of jazz. Fortunately, in recent years this artificial gap has been overcome by several musicians of both genres. Austrian trombonist, pianist, composer and conductor Christian Muthspiel, who converts the master of English Renaissance music John Dowland (1563-1626) to jazz on his ACT debut “Seaven Teares”, also confirms this fact: “The parallels that become apparent between both styles and eras indicate how significant improvisation is for Dowland’s music.” ACT
