In the organizer's words:

Fire! Orchestra plays Echoes

"Echoes" is the name of the latest project by the Swedish Fire! Orchestra led by saxophonist and composer Mats Gustafsson, which was released as a triple LP in 2023, exactly ten years after the first release "Exit!". It consists of a single two-hour piece that is divided into seven movements and seven interludes and includes improvisation, electronics and elements of new music. Gustafsson, bass guitarist Johan Berthling and the original drummer Andreas Werliin expanded their collective trio Fire! back in 2011 to form a 28-piece orchestra of free improvisers for a complex experimental work of sound art, for "Echoes" even to 43 members. The core duo is now coming to Cologne with drummer and singer David Sandström, trombonist Mats Äleklint, violinist Anna Lindal and keyboardist Alexander Zethson. For this performance of Gustafsson's composed suite, the orchestra will be joined by musicians from Cologne - including trumpeters Pascal Klewer and Frederik Köster, Matthias Muche on trombone, saxophonists Christina Fuchs and Julian Fossert as well as Victor Fox, saxophone and clarinet, and cellist and improviser Emily Wittbrodt.

Mats Gustafsson - sax/cond
Mats Äleklint - trb
Anna Lindal - viol
Alexander Zethson - key
Johan Berthling - b
David Sandström - dr/voc
Pascal Klewer - trp
Frederik Köster - trp
Matthias Muche - trb
Christina Fuchs - sax
Julian Bossert - sax
Victor Fox - sax/cl
Emily Wittbrodt - cel
tbc - viol

Stemeseder & Lillinger - Umbra (feat. Tim Lefebvre & Craig Taborn)

With their trilogy duo project "Penumbra", "Umbra" and "Antumbra", Austrian pianist, electronic musician and composer Elias Stemeseder and German percussionist, sound researcher and composer Christian Lillinger explore the physical possibilities of sound. Using historical instruments such as the spinet as well as sound alienation, noise surfaces, samples and drones, they create an improvisational soundscape of multiple textures that refer to early compositional processes by Messiaen and Scelsi, as well as to the spectral music developed in Paris in the 1970s, which investigated the physical-acoustic characteristics of sounds. "Umbra II" is a purely acoustic quartet in contrast to the electro-acoustic "Umbra". Guests include pianist Craig Taborn, who will also be performing his solo program during the festival, and US bass guitarist Tim Lefebvre, who has also played with Elvis Costello, Sting and David Bowie, among others.

Christian Lillinger - comp/dr/samp/synth
Elias Stemeseder - comp/spin/synth/efx
Tim Lefebvre - eb
Craig Taborn - p

More info on jazzweek.de