KAJA DRAKSLER SOLO – ELKA (Alistair Payne, Tancrède Kummer, Uldis Vitols)
Kaja Draksler piano,
ELKA
Alistair Payne trumpet, Tancrède Kummer drums, Uldis Vitols bass
Unfortunately, Alexander Hawkins caught covid and cannot perform. His duo with Angelika Niescier will be replaced by ELKA. Trumpeter Alistair Payne, drummer Tancrède Kummer and bass player Uldis Vitols bring their affinity for different musical genres together by merging contemporary composing, improvisation, and live electronics.
Pianists Kaja Draksler and Alexander Hawkins both have special relationships with Amsterdam and our stage. Here they regularly perform in various formations, and have curated concerts and festivals for improvised music. Kaja Draksler opens this concert with a solo performance, followed by the duo of Alexander Hawkins with alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier.
Improvisation and prepared piano are key ingredients in the music of Slovenian pianist Kaja Draksler. She left a great impression with her solo improvisations. For years she has lived in Amsterdam, where she formed her octet and duos with Terrie Ex, Susana Santos Silva, Eve Risser, and Onno Govaert. Currently she lives between Copenhagen and Trboje, Slovenia.
Alexander Hawkins and Angelika Niescier share not only fire and devotion but also a whole range of obsessions and mindtrips. Their recent album Soul in Plain Sight explores just how far they can push things musically. British pianist Alexander Hawkins has proven himself here in various formations, playing everything from ethio-jazz with Mulatu Astatke and South-African jazz with Louis Moholo-Moholo to hardcore improv with Han Bennink. Polish-German alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier is equally versatile, composing for film and theatre, and playing with singular artists such as Sylvie Courvoisier, Tyshawn Sorey and Kris Davis.