Joachim Kühn & Young Lions

Nils Landgren - 3 GenerationsCD / Vinyl / digital Nils Landgren with Joachim Kühn, Michael Wollny, Iiro Rantala, Lars Danielsson, Cæcilie Norby, Viktoria Tolstoy, Wolfgang Haffner, Ulf Wakenius, Jan Lundgren, Ida Sand, Youn Sun Nah, Vincent Peirani, Emile Parisien, David Helbock, Marius Neset, Nesrine, Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr, Anna Gréta, Johanna Summer, Jakob Manz, and many more We are Family – Celebrating 30 ACT Years Nils Landgren has been and remains the absolute linchpin of the ACT family. To date, the Swede has made forty albums on the label as leader, plus another twenty as producer or soloist. Michael Wollny, whose many many projects with Landgren give him a special connection, sums up a key ele-ment in his success: “With Nils everything becomes easy.” There is indeed a particular ease about Mr. Red Horn’s way of being; it is infectious and runs through everything he does. Which is all the more remarkable when one considers the sheer number of roles he takes on: trombonist, singer, band-leader, producer, festival director, professor, curator, talent scout and mentor.All of Landgren’s multiple roles and traits come to the fore on “3 Generations”. Working alongside producer and ACT founder Siggi Loch, Nils Landgren brings together three gene-rations of ACT artists’ in various line-ups to mark the label’s 30th anniversary. Landgren and Loch have a friendship and habits of working well together which go back almost as long as the existence of ACT itself. The two met for the first time at the 1994 Jazz Baltica Festival, just two years after the label was founded. Landgren became an exclusive ACT artist shortly thereafter. Since that time, it has been through Landgren’s network that artists such as Esbjörn Svensson, Rigmor Gustafsson, Viktoria Tolstoy, Ida Sand, Wolfgang Haffner and many more have joined the label. Nils Landgren continues in his trusted role as ACT’s leading connector and integrator. Finding and nurturing young talent has always been one of ACT’s strong suits. It was true for Nils Landgren, then later for Michael Wollny who joined the label in 2005 and is today one of the most significant pianists in Europe. With artists such as Johanna Summer and Jakob Manz - both born many years after ACT was founded - the label looks to the future with its younger generation of musicians bringing new ener-gy and impetus to the world of jazz.The Times (UK) has written: “Since 1992, ACT has been building its own European union of musicians, fostering a freedom of movement between nationalities and genres, and has given us an authentic impression of what the continent is about.” “3 Generations” demonstrates quite how true that assertion is. Around forty artists from the ACT Family make this anniversary album a celebration of the breadth, openness and inclusive power of jazz. The core of the album consists of recordings made at a summer 2022 studio session lasting several days. In reality, it is only Nils Landgren and Siggi Loch who could have brought this pano-rama of musical Europe into being. The influences here range from jazz, popular song and folk to classical and contempo-rary music, and much more. Thirty tracks from three generations of musicians marking thirty years of ACT, with Nils Landgren as driving force. Not just a retrospective, but above all an insight into the present and future of the discovery label “in the Spirit of Jazz”.Credits: Recorded by Thomas Schöttl at Jazzanova Studio, Berlin on June 7 - 9, 2022, assisted by José Victor Torell – except as otherwise indicated Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Produced by Siggi Loch and Nils Landgren The Art in Music: Cover Art by Yinka Shonibare CBE: Detail from Creatures of the Mappa Mundi, Mandragora, 2018

The ultimate compilation "celebrates highlights from 15 years of high-quality label history from ACT." AUDIOPHILE HIGHLIGHT - STEREO

Joachim Kühn Trio - Beauty & TruthCD / digital Joachim Kühn piano Chris Jennings bass Eric Schaefer drums The Permanently Youthful Old Master Joachim Kühn is a German pianist of world class, and a stand-alone figure in European jazz. He shows absolutely no signs either of slackening or of surrendering to his age - he is in his early seventies. Kühn's musical curiosity is as boundless as it always was, and his urge to keep creating new music is undimmed. It seems as if for him to stand still would be to go backwards. He lives in a finca in a remote part of Ibiza, overlooking the Mediterranean, where he is to be found either at the piano – he plays for hours every day - or dipping into his vast library of music. He has over 1,500 CDs, ranging from old recordings to up-to-the-minute releases. For “Beauty & Truth” he and producer Siggi Loch have made a selection of new and old pieces, reaching out into unfamiliar repertoire, and recorded them with the new trio. “These are strong melodies which can be given a really distinctive shape, like for example “Blues For Pablo” by Gil Evans” he explains. “The secret of that piece lies in just five notes, but they are the key to unlock a whole musical cosmos.” There are also pieces which in their different ways are of personal significance to him. “Kattorna” by Krzysztof Komeda is a case in point: “I was present at the recording sessions for the album “Astigmatic” in Warsaw in 1965. The memory of having heard this piece just popped up in my head. Komeda and I met at that time in Warsaw. Both of us were playing with our bands at the famous 'Jazz Jamboree' in the National Philharmonic Hall. He explained to me his recording plans for the following day. I was curious, and he invited me to listen in. For me, Komeda was even at that time one of the great visionaries of European jazz.” Kühn's original compositions on “Beauty & Truth” captivate the listener with catchy melodies with the character of earworms, which serve as jumping-off points for his improvising adventures. There is “Because Of Mouloud”, which has become something of a Joachim Kühn hit. There is also “Transmitting”, a spacious tune which hovers, trance-like. “Machineria” is a punchy virtuosi Etude - fugal, up-tempo, in which the pianist's left and right hands become enmeshed. This album also presents Kühn as an interpreter of the music of The Doors. A reggae-dub track by Stand High Patrol, which Eric Schaefer brought to the studio, is also part of the trio's repertoire. Kühn, it is clear, would not be Kühn (his surname in German, incidentally, means bold or brave) if he wasn't adding something original and personal to existing templates. By re-harmonising or re-casting the rhythm and the meter of a tune, he transforms it, with complete assurance, in to a Kühn original. A good example is “Sleep Safe And Warm,” the familiar melody from Roman Polanski's film “Rosemary's Baby”, which is first played straight, and is then cloaked in completely new harmonies. It was inevitable that Ornette Coleman, who died in June 2015, and played exclusively with Kühn from 1996 to 2000, would also figure prominently. The title track “Beauty And Truth” is a miniature for solo piano. It serves as a prologue to the album, both setting its tone and defining its concept, which is to get straight to the essence of what each composition is about, to discover its intrinsic truth, and to elicit the authentic beauty from it. It can quite clearly be heard quite how much this new trio has energized Kühn and spurred him on. The bass of Chris Jenkins is stentorian and self-assured, yet stoical. It underpins and anchors the band. Drummer Eric Schaefer brings the same multiple virtues to this different context that make him such a success as a stalwart of the Michael Wollny Trio: his exceptional taste and judgement, his power and richness of invention, and a beautifully attuned and instinctive balance between refinement and earthiness. “For the past ten years,” says Kühn, “in the trio with Majid Bekkas und Ramon López, I was looking for an African-influenced sound. Now I am coming back after several years to the classic piano trio. The trio with Jean-François Jenny-Clark and Daniel Humair was in existence for 30 years. That really was the trio of a lifetime. The depth and the intensity we found were incredible. In Eric and Chris I have found a new dream team. It is very inspiring to play with them, and to do very different things.” In the twelve pieces on “Beauty & Truth” a different Joachim Kühn can be heard: his piano-playing is powerful and clear, and musically he has a way of going straight to the heart of the matter. He is always solidly grounded in the groove, he plays with unconfined joy and with buckets of soul too. As he always did.Credits: Recorded by Adrian von Ripka at Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg, July 7 & 8, 2015 Mixed and mastered by Adrian von Ripka Produced by Joachim Kühn Executive Producer: Siggi Loch

"A bridge-building journey of sound that knows how to unite disparate styles such as blues, reggae, gnawa music, jazz, flamenco and classical music." - Jazzpodium

Europeana won the Annual German Record Critics' Award upon its initial CD release in 1995.

Joachim Kühn - EuropeanaCD / Vinyl / digital Joachim Kühn piano Jean-Francois Jenny Clark bass Jon Christensen drums Django Bates horn Douglas Boyd oboe Klaus Doldinger soprano saxophone Richard Galliano accordion Christof Lauer soprano saxophone Albert Mangelsdorff trombone Markus Stockhausen trumpet The jazz symphony "Europeana" is a central work in the ACT catalogue. It epitomises the power of jazz that spans regions, times, styles and personalities. And to mark the 80th birthday of its key figure Joachim Kühn, this milestone is now available on vinyl for the first time. Alongside Joachim Kühn, the album brings together the crème de la crème of contemporary European improvised music, including Albert Mangelsdorff, Django Bates, Klaus Doldinger and Richard Galliano, backed by the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Hanover. The album, released in 1995 and written by the English composer and arranger Michael Gibbs, combines the rich European musical tradition with the language of jazz. Symphonic music, swing, free jazz, blues and flamenco - all this merges into a unique, timeless music without borders.

Heinz Sauer tenor saxophone Michael Wollny piano (on 1/7/9/10/11/13/16), fender rhodes (#04) Joachim Kühn piano (on 2/3/5/6/8/12/14/15)   "Heinz Sauer's playing is of incomparable density, wisdom, vitality, beauty and unpredictability. A giant." (FAZ)Credits: Recorded on 22nd - 24th August and mastered on 01 October by Adrian von Ripka at Bauer Studios Ludwigsburg, 2009 Produced by Siegfried Loch

Joachim Kühn: Joachim Kühn & Young LionsCD / Vinyl (LP, 180g) / digital Joachim Kühn piano Jakob Bänsch trumpet AndrésColl marimba Nils Kugelmann bass Sebastian Wolfgruber drumsWhen Joachim Kühn was asked back in 2024 for his feelings about turning 80, his response couldn’t have been clearer: getting older annoys him. Rather than being sentimental about it or celebrating it, it’s something he’d rather resist, preferring to put his efforts into working against the threat of getting bored or distracted, and particularly against any hint that he might be stagnating.But when he is asked how he’s feeling or what he’s doing, his story takes a very different turn: "I'm more productive than I’ve ever been. My daily routine revolves entirely around music. I compose and improvise. Every day, and for hours on end." For Joachim Kühn, being 80-plus means above all one thing: not wanting to waste time. Practise...create...keep going. "What I want is to play with even more freedom," he says, "like all the great musicians at the end of their lives – Bach maybe, or John Coltrane." This irrepressible urge to become better, to avoid repetition, to try new things, has shaped Kühn's entire musical life. Classical music, free jazz, jazz rock, modern jazz, world music – Joachim Kühn is constantly on the lookout for new inspiration. And for musicians who will challenge him, force him to be on his mettle and to develop further.In the album Joachim Kühn & Young Lions, all of these needs are fulfilled. Kühn wrote a set of new music between December 2024 and January 2025 with the aim of recording it with people he had never played with before. "In terms of sound, my idea was trumpet and marimba," he recalls. One of the players was a certainty from the start: Andrés Coll, whom Joachim Kühn discovered in his adopted home of Ibiza, would take the vibraphone part. "He’s an incredible talent," says Kühn. One might have the thought that two virtuosos on harmony instruments could get in each other's way, but the opposite happens: Coll plays with no less density or intensity than Kühn, but instead of occupying each other's space, their notes mix like splashes of colour in a painting, creating new tones which are all the more intense.Finding the right trumpeter was less simple. "I listened to a lot of potential candidates, but none of them convinced me. Finally, my friend Roland Spiegel, jazz editor at Bayerischer Rundfunk, recommended the young Jakob Bänsch and played me his music. I knew from the very first minute that he absolutely had to be part of this." Bänsch visited Kühn in Ibiza, and together with Andrés Coll they rehearsed for four days, working on music that is extremely challenging to play, especially for the trumpet. The effort was worth it. On the album, Bänsch manages to strike a balance: his playing of Kühn's complex themes is clear and strong, but he also brings the agility and subtlety which the freely improvised sections require. The rhythm section of Young Lions came about through an encounter with ACT director Andreas Brandis. He instinctively liked the idea of a new band with young musicians, and played Kühn the album Life Score by the Nils Kugelmann Trio. Kühn and bassist Kugelmann met that very same day at the ACT offices in Berlin. "We took an instant liking to each other," Kühn remembers. "After our meeting, I listened to his music more intensively and thought: he's a perfect fit." That left the question of the drummer. After listening to Nils Kugelmann's album several times, the answer became clear: "Kugelmann and his drummer Sebastian Wolfgruber are a team! They know each other well and are a great fit for the new band." Like their fellow musicians, Kugelmann and Wolfgruber shine with mastery in two seemingly contradictory areas: weight, grounding, stability when the music requires it – but in the very next moment they are capable of completely free flight across all musical boundaries. All in all, Young Lions, recorded in the studio of Joachim Kühn's friend and producer Axel Kroell, has turned out to be a fortunate turn of events on many levels: for listeners, for the band and for the pianist/leader, who remarks: "These four guys, all in their 20s or early 30s, are the outstanding musicians of their generation – you know straight away that they're going to be huge. Actually, they already are. And as to what they'll be playing in a few years' time – I'm already excited by that. They really fired me up, we play absolutely as equal colleagues, I'm just totally thrilled!" Perhaps the most important message of the album is that combining different generations and personalities can produce a very special kind of cohesion and connection, and music which is so much more than the sum of its parts. In times of polarisation, it is something of a musical Utopia. Young Lions is the essence of that idea of jazz – which is also the essence of Joachim Kühn – one of its most important exponents anywhere in the world. CreditsRecorded August 27th to 28th 2025, at Polyester Studio, Munich, GermanyRecorded, mixed and mastered by Klaus ScheuermannAll music composed by Joachim KühnPiano tuner: Alex MahlerJoachim Kühn is a Steinway ArtistProduced by Axel KroellExecutive Producer: Andreas BrandisPhotos by Tibor Bozi Cover art by SHOSHU © 2025Used by kind permission of the artistDesign by Siggi Loch

Joachim Kühn - Joachim Kühn Birthday Edition2-CD / digital CD 1: Trio Kühn Humair Jenny-Clark live at JazzFest Berlin ‘87 & ‘95 Joachim Kühn piano Daniel Humair drums Jean-François Jenny-Clark bassCD2: Europeana Joachim Kühn piano Jean-François Jenny-Clark bass Jon Christensen drumsSoloists: Django Bates, Douglas Boyd, Klaus Doldinger, Richard Galliano, Christof Lauer, Albert Mangelsdorff & Markus Stockhausen Radio Philharmonie Hannover NDR conducted by Michael Gibbs Konzertmeister: Volker Worlitzsch  "Joachim Kühn has been a pioneering force and left a resounding mark on contemporary jazz. But despite this, the musical cosmopolitan Joachim Kühn remains committed to a contemporary sound in the tradition of jazz, and in the context of European concert music. He reveals vehemence and sensitivity, masterful technique and imagination, an unmistakable tonal touch and an unerring feel for dynamics. In the interplay with musical partners of many years' standing, in ever-changing and often unusually challenging playing constellations, and alone in his solo concerts, Joachim Kühn makes music an unforgettable event." This is what the director of the JazzFest Berlin, Bert Noglik, wrote of Joachim Kühn around five years ago. And when the pianist celebrates his 70th birthday on 15 March this year, these words will still apply. The main reasons why Kühn is still Germany's only jazz pianist with a global voice are that he has always remained true to himself and has fixed points of reference, and because he has found his very own, inimitable style that transcends all categories, by trusting in formative influences and long-time companions. Growing up in Leipzig, Kühn was inevitably exposed to that city's most famous musical son: Johann Sebastian Bach. Kühn grew up with him in the classical way and took piano lessons with the local musical director Arthur Schmidt-Elsey. Without ever forgetting this education, it was, however, not long before he gave into his natural curiosity and thirst for freedom and founded the Joachim Kühn Trio; at the time the only professional jazz group in East Germany. His elder brother Rolf, the clarinettist, had led him to jazz, and Joachim followed him to the West after a few years delay in 1966. Hardly had he arrived, the brothers founded the Rolf & Joachim Kühn quartet and played at the legendary Newport Jazz Festival and at the Berliner Jazztage. Kühn made the best of his newfound freedom, immersing himself in the jazz scenes of Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg and Paris, in free jazz, in jazz rock and in world music, and the list of people he has performed with since then reads like a who's who of jazz - from Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker to avant-gardists the likes of Don Cherry, Michel Portal, Jean Luc Ponty, Archie Shepp and recently Pharoah Sanders, through to young guns like Michael Wollny, and the Russian saxophonist Alexey Kruglov. With the "Bach Now!" project in 2002, he erected a musical monument to his first and constant inspiration, together with the St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig, by melding the Renaissance music of the old master with the language of jazz. Just as much as creative encounters with others are a constant of his creativity, so are the working bands he plays in with familiar confidantes: as the only European pianist the man has ever worked with (!), a long and close musical friendship links him to Ornette Coleman. Together with Daniel Humair and Jean-François Jenny-Clark he formed one of the authoritative trios of European jazz for decades. The previously unreleased live concert recordings from the JazzFest Berlin that can be found on the "Birthday Edition" bring this exceptional trio back to life. After giving their first concerts in the 70s, these three then began to intensify their collaboration in 1984. They were received with particular enthusiasm in France: "Un trio explosif!" the press and fans acclaimed. Listening to the 1987 recordings from the Berlin Philharmonie, it quickly becomes clear just what explosive power this formation had for the development of European jazz. Kühn, Humair and Jenny- Clark attain a level of ensemble playing that still today has no equal in terms of intensity and communication. Between freedom and down-to-earth compositions, the finest nuances and power play, with hot passion and cold calculation the trio builds up a jazz-musical tension that drives the audience through the extremes of emotion, to then release it in rapturous storms of exaltation. Another constant in Joachim Kühn's work was and is Siggi Loch. He cast an eye on him very early on: "After a foray into the jazz rock world, Joachim impressed me with his return to his inimitable way of playing the piano. For that reason I considered him to be the next German after Klaus Doldinger who would be able to build a reputation in America as well, and I signed him up to Atlantic in the mid-70s. We managed to gain that renown to some extent, and then our paths separated. But I never lost sight of him. And then, when I founded ACT in the nineties, there was no doubt in my mind that Joachim had to be a part of our ACT family." After years of pursuing different musical orientations, Kühn and Loch rejoined forces with a bang in 1994: The pianist was a key figure in the recordings of the jazz symphony "Europeana", still today one of the most outstanding recordings in the ACT catalogue. Alongside Kühn, the crème de la crème of contemporary European improvised music came together here, including Albert Mangelsdorff, Django Bates, Klaus Doldinger, Richard Galliano and many others, backed by the NDR Hannover Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. The album, which came out in 1995, and was arranged by Michael Gibbs, combines the rich European tradition of music with jazz. It not only won the annual award of the German Record Critics Award, it is also still Kühn's most successful release on the ACT label. So it only makes sense that this recording, which paved the way for his career since the start of the 90s, completes the "Birthday Edition" alongside the ground-breaking Trio Kühn, Humair, Jenny-Clark. To this day, Kühn has remained true to his "Europeana" concept, which spans continents, ages, styles and personalities, on his solo, duet and trio albums of the past years. This is most notable with the now almost eight-year-old Wüstenjazz Trio, with the Moroccan guembri maestro Majid Bekkas and Spanish drummer Ramon Lopez, which shows that jazz is not a constricting corset for Kühn, but the global language of musical freedom. So what does a hardcore musician, one who has won the German Record Critics Award several times, been attested the "Album of the Year" by international magazines, won two ECHO awards (with his brother Rolf for his life's work and for "Out Of The Desert Live" as the best big-band album), do on his 70th birthday? "I don't want a party. I'm going to go into the studio in Berlin. Alone, with Walter Quintus, who has been my sound man for decades. The next day my brother Rolf is coming. We're just going to record, without any plans. Occasions like that usually generate their own euphoria, and that is the best basis for a recording..." So you can see, there is a lot that we can continue to expect from Joachim Kühn.

Celebrate the extraordinary musical life's work of Joachim Kühn - a unique songbook for piano On the occasion of his 80th birthday, the world-renowned jazz pianist Joachim Kühn is releasing a fascinating songbook that captures the essence of his career.25 original compositions selected by the artist Born on March 15, 1944 in Leipzig, Kühn has shaped the jazz scene since the 1960s and is considered one of the most outstanding musicians of contemporary jazz. In April, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit First Class - a recognition of his first-class music and his tireless pursuit of artistic freedom. Kühn, a master of improvisation, has always spoken out against social narrow-mindedness.His decision to become a professional jazz musician was made at the age of 14 and is the cornerstone of his extraordinary career. In this songbook, Kühn presents a careful selection of compositions that reflect his musical journey. From the lively sounds of “More Tuna” to the thoughtful harmonies of “Mein Bruder Rolf”, Joachim Kühn's tribute to his late brother, every note tells of his passion and deep understanding of jazz history. Many photos of the great artist round off the overall picture. Whether you are an experienced pianist or an enthusiastic beginner, this songbook offers you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the sound world of one of the greatest jazz pianists. Be inspired by Joachim Kühn's musical legacy and experience the magic of jazz through his own compositions. Get your copy and celebrate with us a remarkable career full of creativity and emotion!

Recorded and mixed at Zerkall Studio on December 17–19, 2006 by Walter Quintus Mastering by Klaus Scheuermann

Joachim Kühn - Komeda - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XIVCD / digital Joachim Kühn piano Chris Jennings bass Eric Schaefer drums Atom String Quartet Dawid Lubowicz violin Mateusz Smoczyński violin, baritone violin Michał Zaborski  viola Krzysztof Lenczowski cello Krzysztof Komeda has legendary status in Polish jazz, and was also one of the pioneers of European jazz. His wider fame resides largely in his work as a film composer – he wrote the soundtracks for all of Roman Polanski’s early films, notably "Dance of the Vampires" and "Rosemary's Baby". Komeda died in 1969, tragically early, at the age of just 37, but left a hugely influential body of work. Joachim Kühn, now a jazz piano icon in his own right, is a great admirer of Komeda, whom he met in person in Warsaw in 1965. As part of the Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic concert series, curated by Siggi Loch, he performed a major tribute concert to him on 14 October 2022, at which he played in three formats: solo piano, with his New Trio, and alongside Poland’s Atom String Quartet. Komeda may not be particularly well-known outside Poland, but in his native country his renown is at a similar level to Chopin’s. He is seen as an integral part of the rise of Polish jazz from its first underground stirrings to becoming one of the beacons of Polish culture. This was a movement forged by composers whose work went most of the way to being seen as a new kind of national music. Komeda’s influence extended beyond his native country in that he became a key figure in the emancipation of European jazz from the American tradition. At the same time as Lars Gullin and Jan Johansson in Sweden were taking similar approaches, Komeda fused Polish folk music and its tradition of melismatic singing with the characteristics of jazz. He thus became one of the great lyrical and melodic voices of mid-twentieth century music. His early death in an accident made him a cult figure in his native country. In his latter years, Komeda concentrated mainly on film music; Roman Polanski brought him to Hollywood in 1967. A highlight of his jazz work was undoubtedly the album "Astigmatic", recorded in 1965 in one single overnight session with the trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, among others. To this day, it regularly receives the accolade of being the most important jazz recording in Poland; the magazine Jazzwise listed it as one of their "jazz albums that shook the world." For a tribute to Komeda, there could be no better guide than Joachim Kühn, the German pianist and jazz icon. The two men knew each other, indeed Kühn was in the studio and listened to the "Astigmatic" recording session in December 1965. The previous day, Komeda and Kühn had both played with their bands at the Warsaw Philharmonic: "For me, he was one of the great visionaries of European jazz, even then," Kühn recalls. Komeda's compositions have been part of the repertoire of the equally visionary Joachim Kühn ever since. Kühn leads the very small cohort of German jazz musicians who have achieved a genuinely international profile – something which has been the case for almost 60 years. The Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic concert begins with the three tracks of the legendary album "Astigmatic": the title track plus "Kattorna" and "Svantetic". The line-up for this celebration evening is phenomenal with Kühn as very much the first among equals. He plays as part of his "New Trio" with Eric Schaefer on drums and Chris Jennings on bass, and also with the Atom String Quartet, whom Jazzwise called a "world class quartet” with a “forceful mix of classical and jazz improvisation": violinists Dawid Lubowicz and Mateusz Smoczyński, Michał Zaborski on viola and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski. The seven extraordinarily fine musicians on stage create a heady mix from Komeda’s era-defining work: compelling free improvisations and superb soloing alternate with Komeda’s powerful melodies. The composer always thinks pictorially, but here we are treated to individual music-making at the highest level, and yet with an astonishing sixth sense of anticipation. The results are compelling, modern and timelessly beautiful. Next follow a series of single arrangements from Komeda's other works, and these also draw the listener in with their seemingly perfect dramaturgy: Kühn's plays a quasi- romantic, wonderfully gentle solo on "After the Catastrophe"; next we hear his emotionally affecting duo with Mateusz Smoczyński on "Moja Ballada" from 1961; then, the Atom String Quartet version of "Crazy Girl" from Komeda's soundtrack to Polanski's "Knife in the Water"; thereafter comes a stunningly good trio arrangement of the well-known lullaby "Sleep Safe and Warm" from "Rosemary's Baby". After that, all the musicians re-assemble for an energetic finale, "Roman II". Several things are coming full circle here, not just musically but also in terms of Komeda’s and Kühn’s personal histories. What they have in common - almost tangibly so - is that jazz was quite literally the window which gave them their freedom. For a time, Krzysztof Trzciński (his real birth-name) was able to hide his musical identity behind his profession as an ear, nose and throat doctor, using the pseudonym Komeda for his music. But there came a point when the Polish state could no longer keep his popularity under wraps. Joachim Kühn’s story, on the other hand, is that he escaped from the paternalism of the GDR regime at the age of 22 when he fled to the West. Joachim’s brother Rolf gave him some initial help to establish his international career, and that led Joachim to work in the USA, France and Spain, but, most importantly, it was the escape through music which gave him his artistic freedom. Another, very personal circle closes at the end of the “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” Komeda concert. Joachim Kühn plays as an encore "My Brother Rolf" in memory of his brother who had died shortly before. Credits: Recorded live in concert by Thomas Schöttl at Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic, Kammermusiksaal, October 14, 2022 Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Produced by Joachim Kühn Curated by Siggi Loch Cover art by Shoshu

Joachim Kühn - Love & PeaceCD / digital Joachim Kühn piano Chris Jennings bass Eric Schaefer drums “The wisdom of old age meets the tempestuousness of youth” wrote Der Spiegel, describing the meeting of generations in Joachim Kühn’s trio with Chris Jennings and Eric Schaefer - both are around 30 years younger than he is. And it is also an apt way to describe how both tendencies co-exist in the 73-year old jazz pioneer’s own playing. His gaze is directed to the future, he has the history of jazz behind him, and he never kow-tows to convention. This piano genius loves freedom and fantasy, driven by the imperative to keep discovering the new. If the Joachim Kühn New Trio is his most recent adventure story, then “Love & Peace” is its second chapter.“I have found a new dream team, and they inspire me in a completely new way,” he says of this ensemble which formed in 2015. It signalled his return to the classic piano trio, in the wake of a thirty year association with Jean-Francois Jenny-Clark and Daniel Humair. “A new trio, a new Joachim Kühn” was how NDR praised the group’s debut CD “Beauty & Truth” which appeared in March 2016. Jazzthing magazine considered that the “most consistently innovative and the freeest piano player in Germany”, had “added another exciting, and above all unexpected chapter to his biography and his discography.” And to cap it all, the Joachim Kühn New Trio was awarded the best German Ensemble prize at the 2017 ECHO Jazz Awards.“At my age,” says Kühn, “you have to do more playing than you used to, to make sure you don’t get rusty.” That is a testament to the sheer determination which has made him the most significant and internationally successful pianist of his generation in Germany. On “Love & Peace” he is on top form: once again it's about “strong melodies that you can give a shape to,” as Kühn puts it. He’s a master of both free jazz and fusion but with a new game-changing approach: “I wanted melodic simplicity, an album with short concise pieces”.It is almost inevitable that the songs should deal with two things that the world simply, urgently needs more of: love and peace. “I didn’t choose this repertoire in a hurry, but rather in a very considered way. But I also I did let chance play its role.” That's how the short, almost ebullient melody of “Barcelona - Wien” came into being during a flight between those two cities. The image of agile horses was one which spontaneously occurred to him in the skittish, yet elegant theme of “Mustang”. With “The Crystal Ship”, Kühn has again taken a track by the Doors, the band which more than any other is synonymous with his generation of 1968, and the peace movement in an era overshadowed by the Vietnam War. Classical music is also represented, with a luxuriant and grooving version of Modest Mussorgski's “Le Vieux Chateau” from “Pictures from an Exhibition”. A piece (“Night Plans”) from his unique and formative collaboration with Ornette Coleman undergoes an almost tender, new reappraisal by the trio, as does the turbulent Kühn classic “Phrasen”.Kühn asked his two partners for one composition each: Chris Jennings has contributed the swinging, almost folk-song-like “Casbah Radio”, while Eric Schaefer has penned the elegiac “Lied ohne Worte No. 2”, which perhaps reminds one most of the “old” Joachim Kühn. Schaefer's dynamism, spontaneity and spirituality make him an ideal companion for Kühn. "I had invited him to Ibiza and we played together for three days. But I knew after just ten minutes that I wanted to work with him,” Kühn recalls. “I've had a similar experience with Chris Jennings, a fantastic bass player with great capacity for empathy.” “Only if you live freely can you really improvise freely,” says Kühn. For several years he has been putting everything in place to ensure his own personal and creative freedom at his finca on Ibiza . With “Love & Peace” his New Trio has once again succeeded in breaking into new territory. Joachim Kühn’s potent creative will, unbridled love for music and inner peace reside at the heart of this album. Credits: Produced by Joachim Kühn Recorded by Gérard de Haro at Studios La Buissonne, France. May 15 & 16, 2017 Assisted by Anaëlle Marsollier & Bastien Raute Mixed by Gérard de Haro. Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Steinway D tuned and prepared by Alain Massonneau Arrangements by Joachim Kühn Cover art by Mary Heilmann, Mojave Mirage, 2012 by courtesy of the artist, 303 Gallery, New York, Hauser

Magic Moments 1167 minutes of pure listening pleasure: The eleventh edition of the popular Magic Moments offers a comprehensive insight into our latest ACT releases with newcomers, ACT stars and real insider tips at a special price. Among others with Michael Wollny, David Helbock, Vincent Peirani, Iiro Rantala, Joachim Kühn New Trio, Ida Sand, Lars Danielsson & Paolo Fresu and many more.Credits:Compilation by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Manufacturer 

Various Artists - Magic Moments 12CD / digitalOne World Of Music. The ACT label has jazz at its core, and an openness to all kinds of musical directions: pop, rock, the music of singer-songwriters and traditional folkloric forms such as flamenco and tango. These very different genres nonetheless never fail to find new and magical ways to work together. The twelfth Magic Moments compilation presents exciting music "in the Spirit of Jazz". All kinds of pleasure await the listener during its 71 minutes. And what can one expect to hear in this world so far away from a single predetermined style? There are surprises, obviously. Plus several chances to reconnect with established and familiar stars. And discoveries of some genuinely exciting newcomers. The opening track is from Iiro Rantala on solo piano. His portrait of the month of "August" is from "My Finnish Calendar", an album which sets to music the course of an entire year in his home country from a very personal point of view. Argentinian tango is a prime example of a musical tradition which is not just lively but is also constantly developing. The Javier Girotto Trio proves the point in "Deus Xango" from "Tango Nuevo Revisited", a contemporary reimagining of the Piazzolla/Mulligan classic album from 1975. "Four top-league jazz musicians who just enjoy playing". That description by the TV programme ZDF today Journal) defines exactly what "4WD" is all about. The four bandleaders involved are Nils Landgren, Mi-chael Wollny, Lars Danielsson and Wolfgang Haffner). Each of them is in equal control and they all set the direction of the group. "Flamenco and jazz are brothers," says Spanish piano newcomer Daniel García. In his energetic trio with special guest Jorge Pardo, he shows just how true that statement is with the fiery "Travesuras". French accordionist Vincent Peirani and his wife Serena Fisseau then create a familiar musical refuge: "What A Wonderful World" is a paean to silence. A duo of newcomers to the label, Grégoire Maret and Edmar Castaneda create new and exciting sound worlds. In "Harp vs. Harp" harmonica meets harp. This is indeed a special and rare pairing; "Blueserinho" absolutely needs to be heard. With his "Italian Songbook" trumpeter Luca Aquino has recorded a homage to the music of his homeland. Here is "Scalinatella" by film composer Giuseppe Cioffi in an affecting version for trio with the Italian piano star Danilo Rea and accordionist Natalino Marchetti. Singer Cæcilie Norby unites musicians from several generations and countries on "Sisters in Jazz". Her composition "Naked In The Dark" demonstrates that jazz is far from being only about men. "Klinken" comes from the debut album "Stax" by the 25-year-old drummer Max Stadtfeld, a release in the Young German Jazz series. Stadtfeld and his comrades-in-arms have no truck with intellectuality, they move in the rhythm-oriented mainstream and yet point beyond it. With freshness and astonishing maturity this quartet thrills and excites. For over 10 years the successful trio Mare Nostrum with Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano and Jan Lundgren has been the epitome of the sound of Europe. All three musi-cians have a quite fabulous sense of the lyrical and poetic which is again very much to the fore in their third album; Magic Moments 12 has the Swedish "Ronneby". As the magazine Galore writes of German jazz icon Joachim Kühn. “He interprets Ornette Coleman's music in his very own way: lyrically, gently and introvertedly, but full of surprising details." Kühn relives the unique story of his work alongside one of the legends of jazz here with "Lost Thoughts", a piece never recorded before. On 6 February 2019, jazz baroness Pannonica (Nica) de Koenigswarter (1913-1988) received a posthumous tribute for her tireless commitment to jazz in a concert at the Philharmonie in Berlin. The focus was on pieces by musicians whom Pannonica had supported over so many years with money, accommodation, advice and friendship, and who often dedicated compositions to her in gratitude, "Little Butterly" by Thelonious Monk for example. The New York singer Charenée Wade is in the limelight here, accompanied by Iiro Rantala, Dan Berglund and Anton Eger, with the American saxophone titan Ernie Watts. "An Israeli power trio. Heavy Jazz," Rolling Stone wrote of Shalosh. And when you hear the frenzied "After The War" it is obvious why: rock and indie jazz combine to form a mix which is full of tension and excitement. Violinist Adam Baldych is a supremely talented virtuoso. Stereo Magazine has described him as "one of the most technically brilliant interpreters of improvised music". "Longing" from his album "Sacrum Profanum" is a searingly sad ballad, sensitively interpreted in a duo with pianist Krzysztof Dys. On "Painted Music" the pianist Carsten Dahl gives his own highly personal take on classics of the jazz repertoire. The traditional Danish folk song "Jeg gik mig ud en sommerdag" (I went out on a summer’s day) is the sound of summer. At the end of “Magic Moments 12”, Nguyên Lê's piece "Hippocampus" reminds us of "One World Of Music", the theme of the compilation. The French guitarist of Vietnamese ancestry is a musical wayfarer between cultures who combines the freedom of jazz with influences from rock and world music.Credits: Compilation by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Various Artists - Magic Moments 13CD / digitalBest Jazzinfotainment: 16 tracks, 75 minutes of music in the Spirit of Jazz, including Nils Landgren & Jan Lundgren, Wolfgang Haffner,Ulf Wakenius, Solveig Slettahjell, Grégoire Maret, Vincent Peirani & Emile Parisien, Kadri Voorand, Viktoria Tolstoy, Jazzrausch Bigband.Credits: Compilation by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Various Artists - Magic Moments 14 "In The Spirit Of Jazz"CD / digital"More than any other art form, music touches people directly," is ACT founder Siggi Loch's credo. For nearly 30 years, the core of what the label does has been to find and to promote the artists who can inspire the mind, reach the heart and touch the soul, and who do so in ways that have a lasting impact. Perhaps this has never been more important than now in the time of the pandemic, when culture has been silenced, when people have felt emotionally isolated and – far too often – the only “reality” has been virtual. With sixteen tracks from the current ACT release schedule, "Magic Moments 14" gathers together all of the power of "Music in the Spirit of Jazz", this world language beyond words which is understandable to everyone. It not only brings people together, it also moves and inspires them. ACT’s main mission is in the absolute foreground on this album: to be a discovery label. ACT’s main focus has always been on European jazz, to document this art form growing and developing, to show it reflecting on its own musical traditions, linking them back to jazz’s American roots and thereby opening up new paths. So, in that spirit, "Magic Moments 14" begins with a "Canzon del fuego fatuo" from the remarkable young Spanish pianist Daniel Garcia. Here is a fascinating new voice from Spanish jazz, taking up the music of his homeland in a refreshingly new way. We also mark here the ACT debut of mesmerising Austrian actor Birgit Minichmayr. Here is a voice and a personality with charismatic presence, delivering a Shakespeare Sonnet in the grand manner, together with Quadro Nuevo’s versatile world music team and the early jazz specialist Bernd Lhotzky. Other examples of new shining stars in the European musical firmament are the French-Algerian cellist and singer Nesrine and Austrian pianist David Helbock’s new trio. This focus on new and recent arrivals at the label does not mean neglecting the artists who have been with ACT since the beginning and who have made it the leading label for Swedish jazz: trombonist Nils Landgren contributes a new humdinger from his Funk Unit, a band which has been giving soul jazz a European face for over twenty-five years. Bassist/composer Lars Danielsson again celebrates the combination of classical music, jazz and Nordic sound with "Cloudland" from his new Liberetto album. Ida Sand conti-nues the tradition of Scandinavian singers who enrich the world's songbook with their pop "in the spirit of jazz". And for the final track, Jan Lundgren and Lars Danielsson, toge-ther with Emile Parisien, the French musician who has single-handedly redefined the soprano saxophone, show us Euro-pean art music with a Swedish accent at its most communicative and inspired. Last but not least, ACT was one of the first important labels to promote contemporary German jazz. There are more German artists on "Magic Moments 14" than ever before, demonstrating this important strand: violinist Florian Willeitner from Passau; guitarist Philipp Schiepek who has made a meteoric rise in the South German scene; the feisty attitude of KUU! led by singer Jelena Kuljic – like Minichmayr also primarily known for her acting and stagecraft; the Jazzrausch Bigband, whose techno jazz is attracting attention worldwide; and two rising stars who are currently harvesting all of the major awards, Johanna Summer and Vincent Meissner.Summer and Meissner - like Garcia, Lundgren and Helbock - also stand for the special place ACT has always found for the best pianists in Europe. Thus it is two German pianists of major international significance who complete the offering on "Magic Moments 14": 77-year-old Joachim Kühn is still utterly driven and a major force; his heir apparent Michael Wollny can also be heard here in his new all-star quartet with Emile Parisien, Tim Lefebvre and Christian Lillinger. The drummer was a multiple award-winner at the new German Jazz Prize, including one for KUU!. "Magic Moments 14" is a quintessence of the many directions which genre-crossing, innovative jazz is currently taking. These difficult times need remedies that are both energising and emotionally affecting: here are musicians who unfailingly show us the value and importance of trust and dialogue.Credits: Compilation by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

The famous compliation "Magic Moments", curated by Siggi LochTracklist: 01 Elevation of Love // Album: e.s.t. 30 Magnus Öström, Dan Berglund, Magnus Lindgren, Joel Lyssarides, Verneri Pohjola, Ulf Wakenius 02 Second Nature // Album: Life Rhythm Wolfgang Haffner03 Raw // Album: raw Nils Landgren Funk Unit 04 The Answer // Album: The Answer Jakob Manz 05 Shots // Album: Bloom Bill Laurance 06 Das Handtuch // Album: Tough Stuff Iiro Rantala 07 She’ll Arrive Between 10 & 11 // Album: Guitar PoetryMikael Máni 08 Terrible Seeds // Album: While You Wait Little North 09 Se Telefonando // Album: Ennio Grégoire Maret, Romain Collin 10 Wonderland // Album: Wonderland Daniel García Trio 11 Fresu // Album: Inner Spirits Jan Lundgren, Yamandu Costa 12 Hands Off // Album: Stealing Moments Viktoria Tolstoy 13 Hidden Prelude // Album: What the Fugue Florian Willeitner 14 Pralin // Album: Let Them Cook Emile Parisien 15 My Brother Rolf // Album: Komeda Joachim Kühn 16 Passacaglia // Album: Passacaglia Adam Bałdych, Leszek Możdżer 17 Linden Tree Rag // Album: Rag Bag Bernd Lhotzky 18 Zafeirious Solo // Album: Arcs & Rivers Joel Lyssarides, Georgios Prokopiou

Various Artists - Magic Moments 9 "In The Spirit of Jazz"CD / digitalPresenting the 9th edition of ACT's popular Magic Moments series. This CD presents sixty-five minutes of the best of current jazz. Thoughtful moments sit alongside pure joy and entertainment. Coruscating energy is there, but serene contemplation too. With established ACT stars and promising newcomers, this is music for open ears, for the mind and soul. And for everyone who loves good music. “Jazz is the freedom to play anything.” At ACT, we let those words of Duke Ellington resonate through everything we do. Our releases do not adhere to a single musical canon or to a fixed sound aesthetic. Our motto is: “in the spirit of jazz.” Jazz is at the centre of our vision, because we delight in its openness to so many strands and inspirations: classical music, music from other traditions, and pop and rock. Magic Moments 9 opens with a homage straight from the heart to a person we all miss in the ACT family; the first track is a symphonic interpretation of the e.s.t. piece “From Gagarin’s Point Of View,” remembering pianist Esbjörn Svensson. “ACT seems to be on a mission to introduce the world to Europe's rising new jazz-classical pianists”, wrote John Fordham in The Guardian a couple of years ago. We have continued further along that path and Magic Moments 9 offers vivid reports from some places where that continuing journey has taken us. We take in Schloss Elmau in Bavaria, where the new duo CD by Michael Wollny and accordionist Vincent Peirani was recorded. From their album we hear “The Kiss.” Plus we travel to Austria and then to Martinique: two piano players who are both making their hugely promising debuts on the label are David Helbock and Grégory Privat. We also hear from two pianists of renown: the 'old master' Joachim Kühn is joined by his 'young lions' Eric Schaefer (drums) and Chris Jennings (bass) for a refreshing take on “Sleep on it,” a reggae-dub number by the French band Stand High Patrol. Iiro Rantala is on fine form in the “super-trio” with Lars Danielsson and Peter Erskine. They play Kenny Barron's “Voyage” with a Finnish lightness of touch. Der Tagesspiegel wrote of the “Jazz at the Berlin Philharmonic” concerts: “This is jazz history in the making”. We have released recordings of two further completely memorable evenings in one of Europe’s great halls: in “Tears for Esbjörn,” a group consisting of stars of the ACT label unite to pay homage to Esbjörn Svensson. In “Celtic Roots” we set off into the swirling mists of the North, in search of the Celtic influences on jazz. ACT is the place to hear European sounds. A good example is the new Mare Nostrum recording, seven years after the first. In the track “Kristallen den fina,” Jan Lundgren und Paolo Fresu have combined the musical hues of Sweden and of Italy, and the results are magical. For more than 20 years, Nils Landgren has been setting the agenda for European jazz like no other musician. His project “Some Other Time” also draws its inspiration from the other side of the Atlantic. He pays tribute to the great Leonard Bernstein, deploying all of the rich textural possibilities offered by the Bochum Symphony Orchestra. Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren, with a classical string quartet honours one of the great pioneers of Swedish jazz, Jan Johansson. In “Lycklig resa” (meaning 'bon voyage'). The extraordinary encounter of the guitarists Gerardo Núñez from Spain and Ulf Wakenius from Sweden demonstrates what can happen when an intercultural musical exchange really delivers the goods. The interplay, the sense of flow generated by three Scandinavians Lars Danielsson (b), Marius Neset (sax) und Morten Lund (dr) in their album “sun blowing” is “a testament to the power of spontaneity and trust” (Irish Times) - evident in the track “Folksong.” The Finn Jukka Perkko and a new “strong and distinctively touching voice” (Jazz Magazine) from France Lou Tavano also make their mark, and contribute to the richness of the ACT label's offering of characterful European sounds. Magic Moments 9, packed with all kinds of excitement and emotion, not only captures an up-to-the-minute snapshot of European jazz in the many different forms it exists today, but also offers a glimpse into its future.Credits: Compilation by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Joachim Kühn - Melodic Ornette ColemanCD - Vinyl - digital Joachim Kühn piano Pianist Joachim Kühn is already a jazz legend within his own lifetime. But he is not one to rest on the laurels of his reputation or of his international success; he is still extraordinarily productive and active. Whether in his New Trio with Eric Schaefer and Chris Jennings, or in various other settings and guest appearances (with Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Michel Portal, Daniel Humair or his brother Rolf) or as a member of Emile Parisien’s Quintet, Kühn is still very much at the forefront of today’s jazz life. And considering the workload he takes on, it is hard to believe that he will soon be reaching the age of 75, on 15 March next year. As is to be expected, Kühn won’t be celebrating this occasion by putting his feet up on the sofa; he has a new project. And those who know him well will also not be surprised to hear that the centre of attention is not going to be Kühn himself. The spotlight will be on a much-missed colleague, friend, and his most important source of inspiration over the past few decades, Ornette Coleman. When Coleman and Kühn first met in Paris in the early nineties, it was the beginning of a remarkable artistic relationship. Following their first duo concert in the vast arena in Verona in Italy, Kühn, 14 years younger than Coleman, became the only pianist with whom the saxophonist, noteworthy for his critical attitude to piano accompanists, would perform regularly in this setting. Later on he also followed Gerri Allen as the pianist in his quartet. "Ornette flew me from Ibiza to New York several times a year," Kühn recalls. "He rented a Steinway grand piano and we would play for a whole week, fourteen hours a day." And the American jazz icon who died three years ago found a special way to single out the German for the very highest praise: "He doesn't come from jazz, he comes from music". What the two had in common above all was the fact that they understood the conventional harmonic systems (the well-tempered systems of classical music as well as jazz changes) to the point that they could see the limitations, and therefore went on to invent their own: Coleman had his "harmolodics", Kühn has his "diminished augmented system". So it was apposite that when Coleman met the Leipzig-raised Kühn, he should lead the German back to his very first formative musical influence, Johann Sebastian Bach. What happened was that Kühn performed one evening with Coleman and the next with his "Bach Now" project with the famous Thomanerchor Leipzig. It is very fitting that Kühn should link his significant birthday with the great inspirer Ornette Coleman – and at the same time that he should want to add such a personal chapter to the current series of releases of unknown works by jazz legends. And the reasons become clear when he explains the background to the new album "Melodic Ornette Coleman": "From 1995 to 2000 I was able to play 16 concerts with Ornette. Before each concert, he wrote ten new songs, which we had worked out and recorded in his Harmolodic studio in Harlem for a whole week. Since he wanted me to supply the, as he called it, cards (sounds) for his melodies, I was directly involved in the composition process. After the concert, these pieces were never played again. Now I am the only one who has all the recordings and the sheet music of the 170 pieces. So now, after about twenty years, I have reassembled and recorded them for solo piano. Apart from 'Lonely Woman', none of these pieces was ever released by Ornette Coleman."The Ornette Coleman whom we find in this recording is far more easily accessible than the free jazz firebrand of the early 1960s. Indeed, the jazz icon whose memory Kühn is serving here is the creator of colourful melodies with their roots in the blues. Of course, those colours are not exactly those that one might conventionally expect, and naturally also Kühn makes use of the material for his own purposes, for intuitive inspiration in the moment or to take us on his typically wild rides, but above all here are two soul-mates with a shared imperative to be creative in sound, and to use source material that is in its essence melodic. The melodies are sometimes earthy, almost traditional ("Lost Thoughts"), sometimes cheerfully playful ("Love Is Not Generous, Sex Belongs To Woman"), sometimes longing and melancholic ("Somewhere") or outraged ("The End Of The World"). Kühn rises to these challenges in the magnificent way that is usual for him, he brings that inimitable combination of the finest piano technique with a deep inner understanding of the structures of the pieces, plus the ability to bring shape to them in the moment. And it is evidently in the spirit of Coleman that Kühn should have chosen to record this album not in the studio, but in a haven where he could be unhurried and out of the fray, the music room at his home on Ibiza, and on his own Steinway grand piano. "In music, perfection is a killer," he likes to say, "I wanted the music to be pure, wanted to go deep into it." The result is jazz in progress. It an opportunity not just to celebrate the legacy of one of the most visionary instant composers, but also to honour one of the very greatest pianists.