(in Klagenfurt und Cormons tritt Heiri im Quartett auf)

Heiri Känzig Quintett:

Buenos Aires
– Fresh Air from Argentina for European Jazz

With his new CD, bassist Heiri Känzig, winner
of the 2005 Zurich* prize for composition, stretches a musical thread between
Europe and Argentina. Känzig is a true cosmopolitan: Son of a native
Argentinean, he was born in New York. Afterwards, he lived for some years in
Vienna, Munich and Paris, where he played with the international stars of those
jazz scenes. He began his career in Vienna with Art Farmer and was one of the original
members of the legendary Vienna Art Orchestra. In Munich, he played with Bob
Degen and Wolfgang Dauner, among others. During his Paris years, he was the
first foreign musician to be engaged by the renowned Orchestre Nationale de
Jazz (ONJ). In addition, he played with Daniel Humair, Didier Lockwood and
Dominique Pifarely. Since his return to Switzerland, Heiri Känzig has been the
bassist of choice for numerous projects, including the Thierry Lang Trio, with
whom he has recorded six CDs for the famous Blue Note label. Känzig is
recognized as a powerful, rhythmically-talented virtuoso on the double bass,
who knows how to bring his own distinctive sound to each and every ensemble.
Two years ago, trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti introduced him to Michael Zisman, a
young Argentine bandoneonist who lives in Switzerland and who ranks as one of
the stars of his generation. Having studied with the masters of the instrument
in Argentina, Zisman went on to make a name for himself in Tango Nuevo as well
as in jazz. Känzig was fascinated by the virtuosity and maturity of this young
musician and decided to start a project with him. Who would complement Michael
Zisman better than flugelhornist Matthieu Michel, with his full and unique
sound? Känzig met this world-class trumpeter in the Vienna Art Orchestra and
has played with him over the years in various musical groups. In this project,
Zisman and Matthieu Michel, together with the young and highly-talented pianist
Urs Bollhalder, meander through the impassioned melodies of the bassist““s
compositions. The bandoneon, piano and flugelhorn weave their lines together in
an inspired way, creating a musical fabric of melodic lines so full of powerful
emotion and longing that they transcend [can make you forget] the rhythmic complexities,
as in the pieces „quand on aime on ne compte pas“ and „beyond the
time“. The harmonic structure of
the compositions often departs from the current jazz norms and orients itself
more towards impressionistic [sound] ideals. The music is powered by the warm
and earthy tones of the strong-voiced bass spurred on by the hefty rhythmic
grooves of drummer Lionel Friedli. The result is an interactive and
highly-energetic example of how European jazz can be enlivened by a fresh
influx of Argentine air.

*Alternative : Canton of Zurich prize. Heiri,
an American musician friend of mine said if this text is meant for an American
readership, the Canton reference wouldn““t have any meaning for them and Zurich
prize would be enough. You choose.