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Mats Gustafsson
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Occupation(s)
Musician
Role
Saxophone player
Genres
Jazz
Website
matsgus.com
Name
Mats Gustafsson
Born
29 October 1964 (age 59)
Umea, Sweden (
1964-10-29
)
Albums
The Thing, Cuts of Guilt - Cuts Deeper, SYR8: Andre Sider Af S, One Bird Two Bird, Hidros One
Music group
The Thing (Since 2000)
Instruments
Saxophone, fluteophone
Martin ku chen mats gustafsson a walk along below
Mats Olof Gustafsson (born 29 October 1964) is a Swedish free jazz saxophone player. He is known for his tonal belligerence and intensity when improvising.
Gustafsson came to the attention of lovers of improvised music as part of a duo with Christian Munthe (started in 1986), as member of Gunter Christmann's Vario project and the band Gush (started in 1988). He later played widely with Peter Brötzmann, Joe McPhee, Paul Lovens, Barry Guy, Yoshimi P-We, Derek Bailey, Magnus Broo, Otomo Yoshihide, Jim O'Rourke, Thomas Lehn, Evan Parker, Misha Mengelberg, Zu, The Ex and Sonic Youth.
Since the early 1990s Gustafsson has been a regular visitor to the United States, forming a particular affinity with Chicago musicians Hamid Drake, Michael Zerang, and Ken Vandermark and recording for Okka Disk. This resulted in a more traditional free jazz style in contrast to his innovative early work with European improvising musicians.
He was awarded the 2011 Nordic Council Music Prize.
Gustafsson has worked extensively with artists from the worlds of dance, theatre, poetry and painting. He has lived in Nickelsdorf, Austria since 2011.
Selected projects
The Thing
Fire! Orchestra
Major collaborators
Gunter Christmann
Barry Guy
Paul Lovens
Raymond Strid
Kjell Nordeson
Paal Nilssen-Love
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten
Joe McPhee
Ken Vandermark
Mademoiselle Karen
Sonic Youth on Hidros 3 (To Patti Smith) and SYR8: Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth
Zu on How To Raise an Ox
Colin Stetson on Stones
Festival curator
Gustafsson curated the Perspectives festivals in Västerås, Sweden in 2004, 2007 and 2009. This festival of musical improvisation is noted for its cross-genre character and creative atmosphere among musicians. The festival slogan for 2004 was "Fight Global Stupidity", 2007 "Fight Local Stupidity" and for 2009 it became "Fight (y)our stupidity".
Gustafsson was also joint curator of the 2010 Konfrontationen festival in Nickelsdorf, Austria.
Gallery
Photos: Hreinn Gudlaugsson
Solo albums
1991: Nothing to Read (Blue Tower), with Paul Lovens
1995: Parrot Fish Eye (Okka Disk)
1995: For Don Cherry (Blue Tower), with Hamid Drake
1996: Mouth Eating Trees and Related Activities (Okka Disk), with Barry Guy & Paul Lovens
1997: Frogging (Maya), with Barry Guy
1997: Impropositions (Phono Suecia)
1999: The Education of Lars Jerry (Xeric)
1999: Hidros One (Caprice), with Nu-Ensemblen
2000: Port Huron Picnic (Spool), with Kurt Newman & Mike Gennaro
2002: The School Days and Thing (Anagram), the music of Norman Howard presented by Mats Gustafsson
2003: Blues (Atavistic), with David Stackenäs
2004: Hidros 3 (Smalltown Supersound), Sonic Youth With Friends
2005: Slide (Firework Edition)
2005: Catapult (Doubtmusic)
2007: It Is All About... (Tyfus)
2007: Words on the Floor (Smalltown Superjazzz), with Yoshimi P-We
2008: Mats G Plays Duke E (Qbico)
2008: Cosmic Debris Volume IV (Opax), with My Cat Is An Alien
