2014-03-05
7:30PM
n/a
"Reijonen's musical universe has no frontiers. It is a beautiful, sensual mosaic of traditions and influences."
-Eyal Hareuveni, AllAboutJazz.com
Jussi Reijonen: un
Featuring: Jussi Reijonen - fretless/fretted guitar, oud
Juan Pérez Rodríguez - piano, voice
Bruno Råberg - acoustic bass
Tareq Rantisi - percussion
Naseem Alatrash - cello
Bringing together four seasoned musicians from Finland, Spain, Sweden and Palestine, JUSSI REIJONEN: un traverses the boundaries between musical cultures, paying tribute to the traditions of American and Scandinavian jazz and the folk musics of the Middle East and Africa in its search for new sounds and textures. Reijonen’s original music draws from a wide pool of influences and experiences gathered growing up in five different countries on three different continents; in both his original compositions and his playing, the open spaces and silences of Scandinavia effortlessly rub shoulders with the maqamat of the Arab world and the rhythmic richness of India and West Africa, creating a truly enchanting musical mosaic.
Between the four of them, the Quartet - Reijonen (FIN) on fretless/fretted guitars and the 11-string Arabic lute oud, Juan Pérez Rodríguez (ESP) on piano, Bruno Råberg (SWE) on acoustic bass, and Tareq Rantisi (PST) on percussion – shares an impressive resume that reads like a who’s-who of contemporary jazz and world music: the members have worked with the likes of Jack deJohnette, Pepe de Lucía, Simon Shaheen, Javier Limón, Vicente Amigo, George Garzone, Ben Monder, Mick Goodrick, David Fiuczynski, and Steve Smith. The Quartet traverses the supposed boundaries between musical cultures effortlessly, with a blend of humility, grace, and presence.
Joining the quartet for this special performance at the legendary Regattabar in Cambridge MA will be Palestinian cello virtuoso Naseem Alatrash.
Reijonen’s eagerly-anticipated debut album un was released to great critical acclaim in early 2013 on the unmusic label.
