First appearance at Cafe OTO for Japanese saxophonist Katsura Yamauchi alongside British firebrand baritone saxophonist Alan Wilkinson's stunning 'Norwegian' quartet AKODE, with guitarist Kim Johannesen, bassist Ola Høyer, and drummer Dag Erik Knedal Andersen.

"Katsura Yamauchi is really both a new and a veteran artist... I am greatly refreshed by his energetic and confident performance." - Otomo Yoshihide

KATSURA YAMAUCHI / saxophone

Katsura Yamauchi picked up his first saxophone in the early 1970s and was quickly drawn to modern jazz, avant-garde and free improvisation. Born in Beppu, far from the traditional creative centers around the bigger cities in Japan, Yamauchi was until recently relatively unknown, but has now shown himself to be one of the most unique musicians in Japan.

For years Katsura Yamauchi was sporadically active as both musician and concert organizer, and helped arrange performances in Japan for veteran musicians from both the USA and Europe, such as Derek Bailey, Tristan Honsinger and Milford Graves. Not until 2002 did he quit his regular job to dedicate himself fully to music. Yamauchi was influenced by the new experimental sounds coming from Tokyo, but had developed his own original style, mixing improvisation and minimalism with melodic elements. The music is at the same time challenging and easily accessible, unrecognizable and beautiful.

Katsura Yamauchi has released several solo CDs and recorded with Michel Doneda, Gunter Muller and Norbert Moeslang from Voice Crack and performed with Taku Unami, I.S.O., Misha Mengelberg, Tatsuya Nakatani, Sharif Sehnaoui, Jason Kahn, Otomo Yoshihide, sachiko M, Barre Phillips, Kim Dae-Hwan, Gino Robair, Toshinori Kondo, Yoshimitsu Ichiraku, Travassos, Toshimaru Nakamura, Seijiro Murayama, Han Bennink and many others.

In addition to extensive activity in Japan, Katsura Yamauchi has toured the USA and several times in Europe. He has performed at the following festivals: Musique Innovatrices 2005, Castello Canalis 2007, Beppu Contemporary Art Festival 2008, Ftarri Festival 2008, Amplify Festival 2008 and Asian Meeting Festival 2009.


AKODE



ALAN WILKINSON

There can be few more daunting sounds in free music than that of Alan Wilkinson in overdrive, whether the headlong flights of his alto playing, or the beefier heft he gets from the baritone. Often featured lately with bassist John Edwards and drummer Steve Noble ( their CD ‘Live at Cafe Oto’ was among the CDs of the last decade in the Times) he’s also appeared with Derek Bailey, Peter Brötzmann, Chris Corsano, Talibam!, Eddie Prevost, and his trio with Simon Fell and Paul Hession, among others.

KIM JOHANNESEN

Guitarist Kim Johannesen has a speed and dexterity that places him closer to a Joe Morris than Derek Bailey yet with a take on abstraction that’s entirely his own. Based in Oslo his impressive record includes work with Raymond Strid, Ingebrigt Haaker Flaten, John Butcher, Pat Thomas and Roger Turner.

OLA HØYER

Currently resident in Berlin bassist Ola Høyer, like many of the erudite new generation of Norwegian musicians, is equally at home in Jazz, alt Rock and heavy metal. What he brings to free improvisation is an acute musicality and an unfettered approach that is making him increasingly in demand, sharing a strong relationship in particular with Johannesen.

DAG ERIK KNEDAL ANDERSEN

Dag Erik Knedal Andersen is the wild card whose flamboyant, hyperactive, take-no-prisoners approach to drumming place him somewhere between Paal Nillsen-Love and Han Bennink. He is an ubiquitous part of the Oslo and Norwegian improvised music scene having won the title of ’Talent of the Year’ at the Molde Jazz Festival in 2010.