Delirium
Mikko Innanen > saxophones
Kasper Tranberg > cornet
Jonas Westergaard > double bass
Stefan Pasborg > drums
Just like in the case of Triot, a cooperative trio featuring Finnish
saxophonist Mikko Innanen with Danish bassist Nicolai Munch-Hansen and
Danish drummer Stefan Pasborg that can be heard on Sudden Happiness (TUM CD
008) with saxophonist John Tchicai, the establishment of Delirium was a
direct result of the fact that Mikko Innanen spent a year studying at the
Rhythmic Music Conservatory of Copenhagen in 1998 and 1999. Copenhagen has
always had an active jazz scene and it did not take long for Innanen to hook
up with some of the local musicians and fellow students at the Rhythmic
Music Conservatory. In fact, Triot was already established at the turn of
the year whereas Delirium followed in the spring of 1999 when Danish
cornetist Kasper Tranberg joined the group for a one-off performance and
Munch-Hansen had to be replaced by another Danish bassist Jonas Westergaard
due to conflicting commitments. After that time, the two groups have
co-existed, with Innanen and Pasborg as the common links, and gradually
Delirium has become the more regularly performing of the two.
In the three Danes, Innanen found kindred spirits who share his interest in
open improvisation based on the traditions of both American and European
modern jazz of the 1960s and 1970s. It is not coincidental that Delirium’s
instrumentation brings to mind that of Ornette Coleman’s quartet of the
early 1960s or the Tomasz Stanko-Edward Vesala Quartet of the 1970s. These
two classic quartets and the musical styles that they represented were very
much in the minds of Mikko Innanen and the other members of Delirium when
they first started working together and developing material for the group.
However, the music soon evolved into something of their own.
Upon its establishment, Delirium was able to start performing both in and
outside of Denmark. In connection with a tour of Finland and Estonia in
2000, Delirium made a recording that was issued as Delirium (Fiasko) in
2002. This recording was well received by both critics, fellow musicians and
the audience. Guitarist Pierre Dørge, the leader of the New Jungle Orchestra
and one of the best known Danish jazz musicians of all time, had this to say
about Delirium:
“With Ornette Coleman in the back pocket, the quartet play themselves into
an original universe. They paint intense pictures that are obscure and
straight-ahead – as well as wild and lyrical. A fascinating musical journey
with the new, young talents and their fresh view on tomorrow’s jazz.”
After their initial recording, Delirium has continued to be one of the
principal groups for its members and has performed at a number of jazz
festivals. Also,
the collective experience of its members outside of the group has grown
exponentially. In reading their resumes, one can only conclude that the five
years since the initial recording of Delirium in 2000 have represented a
busy time for its members. The students of the year 2000 have become
seasoned professionals. Fortunately, this has not tempered down the music.
Now, as in 2000, Delirium’s music is characterized by a sense of adventure
when they combine the tradition of modern jazz with their own fresh take on
that tradition filled with the joy of freedom and experimentation. New
elements, such as increased ethnic influences, have also enriched the music
even further since the previous recording.
After a few performances around Finland, the group entered
the studio for two days and also recorded a live concert that followed the
studio sessions. On the final product, a mixture of studio and live material
was included in order to capture both the more measured takes on the new
compositions during the studio sessions and, perhaps, the somewhat more
Delirious atmosphere of the live performance.
copyright Tum records, used by permission
Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/thisisdelirium
Booking:
Vapaat äänet - Charles Gil