(CD)

“Galumphing duo” consists of South African born Shannon Mowday (baritone sax, alto sax, bass sax, tubax & contra alto clarinet) and Norwegian, Jørgen Bjelkerud (trombone).  

Despite coming from completely different backgrounds and generations, these two extraordinary musicians have found common ground in composition and improvisation and present musical stories and dialogues in an innovative and creative way. The concept of Galumphing, created by Stephen Nachmanovitch and presented in his book Free Play, can be described as ‘inexhaustible play energy’ as seen in toddlers and small animals.This serves as the core concept of their interaction which allows for spontaneous and playful interplay in improvisation, composition and arrangement: both heeding to form and structure yet also allowing the freedom to go where the moment directs them. Inspired by the one stroke flow of Japanese Enso circles, they aimed to create an album absolutely stripped of overproduction, allowing the vulnerability and honesty of their innate musicality and interplay to be exposed. 

The ensemble has developed a concept of dual improvisation which seeks to blur the boundaries of stylistic genres whilst assimilating aspects of jazz history with musical cells borrowed from (for example) Bach and contrapuntal music or the strong influence of Mowday's South African roots and their shared Nordic influences. In their compositions and arrangements, sometimes through-composed and other times just sketches, they seek to find the extremes of their instruments in register, sound and technical proficiency and combine the elements of perfect intimacy with the raw or unpolished aspects of being in the moment. They juxtapose dense sonic environments with light and minimalistic space using their instruments (some of them very unique) in non conventional ways. All of these qualities display a ‘Contrast of Opposites’ which serves as the title of their debut album.

Shannon Mowday - alto / baritone saxophones, tubax, contra alto clarinet

Jørgen Bjelkerud - trombone