The Balderin Sali Variations don’t consist of a set of related pieces that are derived from a starting motif. They are an improvised orchestra of eleven made up of three generations of improvisers, from Finland, Germany and Italy. The 2018 Soundscapes and Soundportraits Festival in Helsinki, September 2018, saw the orchestra’s creation. Harri Sjostrom is the festival’s founder, and also the organizer. He is a Finnish soprano saxophonist who resides in Berlin. Sjostrom, one of the representatives of European free improvisation’s second generation, is joined here by saxophonist Evan Parker, violinist/electronics artist Philipp Wachsmann, drummer Paul Lovens and bassist Teppo Hauta-aho of the founding/first generation, as well as six other musicians drawn from the second and third generations. It is a reunion of an extended family, one that displays a remarkable intuitive sense of communication. This two-CD set’s music is remarkable for its clever handling of space, color, and that is not surprising as European free improvisation is one of the hallmarks. This is achieved by establishing relationships that allow for a variety of timbres and densities. These thirteen tracks are divided into improvisations that are for the entire ensemble. Between them are improvisations that are for sub-groupings of varying sizes, from duos to quartets. These subgroupings can be used to create inspired instrumental combinations such as soprano and violin, drums, trombone and piano, soprano and soprano, saxophones and quarter-tone accordion. from https://avantmusicnews.com
