Author: Muse

On Friday, February 2^nd, 2018, Georg Graewe, Damon Smith, and Michael Vatcher recorded at Oktaven Audio in Mt. Vernon, New York for the next nuscope recordings release, due this coming September.

This is our 20th anniversary recording, and hearkens back to the great sessions in Germany in 1995 that provided the music for Subsymbolism and Impressions of Monk with Vatcher, Graewe, and bassist Marcio Mattos.

The resulting music is very different, with a more taut rhythmic feel, a pronounced lyricism, and fresh improvisational directions.

Achim Kaufmann has won a major prize in Germany!

This year, pianist Achim Kaufmann will be awarded the prestigious Albert Mangelsdorff Prize in Germany. According to the Berlin Buhnen website:

Pianist Achim Kaufmann will be awarded the Albert-Mangelsdorff-Preis, which is bestowed biannually by the Union of German Jazz Musicians and includes prize money of 15,000 Euros. The award is donated by the GEMA-Foundation, the Society for the Administration of Neighbouring Rights (GVL) and the Promotion- and Support Fund of the German Composers’ Association.

“For many years, Achim Kaufmann has been one of the most inspiring and exciting personalities of the European jazz and improvisation scene. His music bears witness to great harmonic subtlety and structural depth. A brilliant pianist and composer, his reflected exploration of tradition has led him to a nuanced, contemporary sound language that encompasses poetry, energy and abstraction in equal measure.”
-Julia Neupert, member of the jury

The Heberer/Kaufmann/Filiano session was a smashing success, with all three musicians in great form. Even given the eight compositions that the musicians brought collectively to the session, the free improvisations were all top-notch. More details forthcoming on what promises to be a very notable release.