»Chimaera« is the latest artistic triumph from pianist and composer Sylvie Courvoisier. Born in Switzerland and based in Brooklyn for almost 30 years, she has become one of the leading figures of New York’s avant-garde jazz scene. For »Chimaera«, she has expanded the trio she has maintained since 2013 with drummer Kenny Wollesen and bassist Drew Gress into an unusual all-star line-up, creating music that gradually unfolds into a captivating trance-like state.
Inspired by paintings by the French artist Odilon Redon, which Courvoisier describes as a »universe of symbols, dreams and imagination«, »Chimaera« transforms the paintings’ beguiling atmosphere into music. Courvoisier’s boundless creativity combines with the ethereal soundscape of Kenny Wollesen’s vibraphone, anchored by Nasheet Waits on drums, the textures and effects of guitarist and electronic musician Christian Fennesz and the trumpet of Nate Wooley to create a dreamlike atmosphere in which anything seems possible at any moment.
With her experimental sound and seemingly inexhaustible creativity, Sylvie Courvoisier has become one of the most sought-after pianists of her generation. Other projects have brought her together with guitarists Mary Halvorson and John Zorn, trumpet legend Wadada Leo Smith, bassists Scott Colley and Thomas Morgan, drummer Thomas Fujiwara, cellist Erik Friedlander and jazz violinist Mark Feldman. Hamburg audiences have already had several opportunities to experience her both with her trio and as part of Mary Halvorson’s band »Code Girl«.
PERFORMERS
Chimaera jazz ensemble
Nate Wooley trumpet
Sylvie Courvoisier piano
Christian Fennesz guitar
Drew Gress bass
Kenny Wollesen vibraphone, drums
Nasheet Waits drums
