French clarinettist Louis Sclavis and Finnish pianist Kari Ikonen perform their rare duo for the first time in the Netherlands, on November 29th in Amsterdam at the legendary Bimhuis and November 30th in Eindhoven at Paviljoen Ongehoorde Muziek. They do their Paris première on December 1st at the Triton, the essential club located at Les Lilas.
French jazz veteran Louis Sclavis is renowned for his fabulous playing on clarinet and bass clarinet. He forms a duo with a true wizard on keys, the Finnish pianist Kari Ikonen.
The career of pianist/composer Kari Ikonen is full of contrast. From super-positive afro pop jazz to dark space fusion, and from Fender Rhodes to Moog synthesizer: he continues to find new perspectives. At the moment he’s optimizing his own invention, the Maqiano, a magnetic device that can bend the sound of the piano strings to approach the tonal range of Arabic music. He received great acclaim for his recent solo piano album Impressions, Improvisations & Compositions, which includes, among others, remarkable renditions of standards by Wayne Shorter and Miles Davis.
When it comes to the bass clarinet, one simply cannot ignore Louis Sclavis, ‘one of Europe’s most creative contemporary musicians since the 1980s’ (Guardian). The Frenchman is renowned for his fabulous technique, and above all his imaginative playing. Using improvisation, he creates an ‘imaginative folklore’ of jazz and North-African and Breton folk music.
Louis Sclavis & Kari Ikonen, Lyon May 2022 (c) Maarit Kytöharju
Louis Sclavis clarinet, bass clarinet
Kari Ikonen piano, Moog
Wed, Nov 29th in Amsterdam at Bimhuis
Thu, Nov 30th in Eindhoven at Paviljoen Ongehoorde Muziek
Fri, Dec 1st in Paris / Les Lilas at Le Triton
Tour booking and production: Vapaat äänet & Kari Ikonen