Mats Olof Gustafsson (born 29 October 1964) is a Swedish

free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...

saxophone player.

Career

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 Barry John Guy (born 22 April 1947, in London, England) is an English composer and double bass player. His range of interests encompasses early music, contemporary composition, jazz and improvisation, and he has worked with a wide variety of or ...

Yoshimi P-We Yoshimi (born on February 18, 1968) is a Japanese musician best known for her role as the longest consistent drummer in the Japanese rock band Boredoms. Alongside her drum playing skills with Boredoms, she performs the vocals for the all female ...

, Derek Bailey, Magnus Broo, Otomo Yoshihide, Pat Thomas, Jim O'Rourke,

Thomas Lehn Thomas Lehn (born 1958 in Fröndenberg) is a German piano and synthesizer player active in free improvisation and contemporary music. Lehn has recorded with Marcus Schmickler, Keith Rowe, John Butcher, Phil Minton, Phil Durrant, Radu Malf ...

, Evan Parker, Misha Mengelberg, Oren Ambarchi, Zu, The Ex and

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...

. 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. 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.

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 Image:Mats-Gustafson01.jpg Image:Mats-Gustafson02.jpg Image:Mats-Gustafson03.jpg Image:Mats-Gustafson04.jpg Image:Mats-Gustafson05.jpg Image:Mats-Gustafson06.jpg Mats Olof Gustafsson DSC0205

Discography

As leader

* 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

& Paul Lovens * 1997: ''Frogging'' (Maya), with Barry Guy * 1997: ''Impropositions'' (Phono Suecia) * 1999: ''The Education of Lars Jerry'' (Xeric) * 1999: ''Windows _The Music of Steve Lacy'' (Blue Chopsticks) * 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

* 2008: ''Mats G Plays Duke E'' (Qbico) * 2008: ''Cosmic Debris Volume IV'' (Opax), with My Cat Is An Alien * 2008: ''The Vilnius Implosion'' ( NoBusiness) * 2008: ''Mats G Plays Duke E'' (Qbico) * 2009: ''Mats G. Plays Albert A.'' (Qbico) * 2009 ''You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! * 2011 ''Released'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! & Jim O'Rourke * 2011 ''Uneleased'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! & Jim O'Rourke * 2012 ''In the Mouth a Hand'' (Rune Grammofon) w with Fire! & Oren Ambarchi * 2012: ''Baro 101'' (Terp ), with Paal Nilssen-Love & Mesele Asmamaw * 2012: ''Mats G. Plays Gullin'' (Sagittarius A-Star) * 2012: ''Birds'' (dEN ), with John Russell & Raymond Strid * 2012: ''Bengt'' (Utech) * 2013 ''Without Noticing'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! * 2013: ''Eissalon (Live)'' (Rock Is Hell ), with Didi Kern * 2013: ''Vi Är Alla Guds Slavar'' (Otoroku), with

Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as a member of the rock band Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running ...

* 2014: ''Hidros6 Knockin' '' (Not Two), with NU Ensemble * 2014 ''Enter'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! Orchestra * 2015 ''Exit'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! Orchestra * 2015 ''Second'' ''Exit'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! Orchestra * 2015: ''Hit The Wall!'' ( Smalltown Superjazzz), with Thurston Moore * 2016 ''MG 50_Peace & Fire'' (Rune Grammofon) & Friends * 2016 ''She Sleeps She Sleeps'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! * 2016: ''Piano Mating'' (Blue Tapes and X-Ray) * 2016 ''Ritual'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! Orchestra * 2018 ''The Hands'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! * 2019 ''Arrival'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! Orchestra * 2020 ''Actions'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! Orchestra * 2021 ''Defeat'' (Rune Grammofon) with Fire! With AALY Trio + Ken Vandermark * 1998: '' Hidden in the Stomach'' ( Silkheart) * 1998: '' Stumble'' (Wobbly Rail) * 1999: '' Live at the Glenn Miller Café'' (Wobbly Rail) * 2000: ''I Wonder If I Was Screaming'' (Crazy Wisdom)

As sideman

;With Per Henrik Wallin & Kjell Nordeson *1995: ''Dolphins, Dolphins, Dolphins'' (Dragon) ;With

Jaap Blonk Jaap Blonk (born 1953, Woerden) is a Dutch avant-garde composer and performance artist. Blonk is primarily self-taught both as a sound artist and as a visual/stage performer. Jaap Blonkat Allmusic He studied physics, mathematics, and musicology ...

& Michael Zerang *1996: ''Improvisors'' (Kontrans) ;With Ken Vandermark *1997: FJF: '' Blow Horn'' (Okka Disk) *2013: ''Verses'' (Corbett vs. Dempsey) ;With Jim O'Rourke *1999: ''Xylophonen Virtuosen'' (Incus) ;With

David Grubbs David Grubbs (born September 21, 1967) is an American composer, guitarist, pianist, and vocalist. He was a founding member of Squirrel Bait, Bastro, and Gastr del Sol. He has also played in Codeine (band), Codeine, The Red Krayola, Bitch Magnet a ...

*1999: ''Apertura'' (Blue Chopsticks) *2002: ''Off-Road'' (Blue Chopsticks) ;With

Lee Ranaldo Lee Mark Ranaldo (born February 3, 1956) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as a co-founder of the rock band Sonic Youth. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Ranaldo at number 33 on its "Greatest Guitarists of All Time" li ...

& Steve Shelley *2000: ''New York – Ystad'' (Olof Bright) ;With Greg Goodman & George Cremaschi *2002: ''They Were Gentle and Pretty Pigs'' (The Beak Doctor) ;With Agustí Fernández *2005: ''Critical Mass'' (psi) ;With Paal Nilssen-Love *2005: ''Splatter'' (Smalltown Superjazzz) ;With

& Merzbow *2008: ''Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth'' (Sonic Youth) ;With Pat Thomas and Roger Turner (The Articles) *2008: ''Goodbye Silence'' ;With

Solo/Duo *2009: ''Sinners, Rather than Saints'' (NoBusiness) ;With

and the London Jazz Composers' Orchestra with

Irène Schweizer Irène Schweizer (2 June 1941 – 16 July 2024) was a Swiss jazz and free improvising pianist. Life and career Schweizer was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland on 2 June 1941. She performed and recorded numerous solo piano performances as well as ...

*2009: '' Radio Rondo/Schaffhausen Concert'' (Intakt) ;With the

New Orchestra *2001: '' Inscape–Tableaux'' (Intakt) *2005: '' Oort–Entropy'' (Intakt) ;With

and Raymond Strid *1996: '' You Forget to Answer'' (Maya) *1997: '' Gryffgryffgryffs: The 1996 Radio Sweden Concert'' (Music & Arts) ;With Gord Grdina Trio *2010: ''Barrel Fire'' (Drip Audio) ;With

Kieran Hebden Kieran Miles David Hebden (born September 1977), known as Four Tet, is an English electronic musician. He came to prominence as a member of the post-rock band Fridge before establishing himself as a solo artist with charting and critically acc ...

Steve Reid Steve Reid (January 29, 1944 – April 13, 2010) was an American jazz drummer who played with Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, James Brown, Fela Kuti, Kieran Hebden, and Sun Ra. He worked as a session drummer for Motown. Biography Born in ...

*2011: ''Live at the South Bank'' (Smalltown Superjazzz) ;With The Sons of God *2011: ''Reception'' (Firework Edition) ;With

Masami Akita is a Japanese noise project started in 1979 by Masami Akita, best known for a style of harsh noise music. Since 1980, Akita has released over 500 recordings and collaborated with numerous artists. The name Merzbow comes from the German dada a ...

& Jim O'Rourke *2011: ''One Bird Two Bird'' ( Editions Mego) ;With Colin Stetson *2012: ''Stones'' (

Rune Grammofon Rune Grammofon is a Norwegian record label founded in 1998 by Rune Kristoffersen. Rune Grammofon's reputation for lovingly issued experimental electronic music, jazz, and improvised music by Norwegian artists has grown over the years with its a ...

) ;With Ich Bin N!ntendo including Christian Skår Winther, Joakim Heibø Johansen & Magnus Skavhaug Nergaard *2012: ''Ich Bin N!ntendo & Mats Gustafsson'' (Va Fongool) ;With The Ex *2013 '' Enormous Door'' (Ex Records) ;With Agustí Fernández & Ramon Prats *2013: ''Breakin the Lab!'' (Discordian) ;With Correction *2013: ''Shift'' (Otoroku) ;With Merzbow & Balázs Pándi *2013: '' Cuts'' (RareNoise) *2015: ''Live in Tabačka 13/04/12'' (Tabačka) ;With Merzbow, Balázs Pándi & Thurston Moore *2015: '' Cuts of Guilt, Cuts Deeper'' (RareNoise) ;With Craig Taborn *2015: ''

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'' (Clean Feed) ;With Paul Rutherford *2002: '' Chicago 2002'' (Emanem) ;With the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Octet/Tentet *1998: '' The Chicago Octet/Tentet'' (Okka Disc) *2000: '' Stone/Water'' (Okka Disc) *2007: '' American Landscapes 1'' (Okka Disc) *2007: '' American Landscapes 2'' (Okka Disc) *2010: '' 3 Nights in Oslo'' (Smalltown Superjazz)

Bibliography

* T. Millroth: "Aaly Trio", Orkester journalen, lvi/4 (1988), 11 . * M. Chaloin: "Mats Gustafsson", Improjazz, no.19 (1995), 6. * W. Montgomery: "Mats Gustafsson: Flow Motion", Wire, no.164 (1997), 18. * J. Hale: "Mats Gustafsson", Coda, no.288 (1999), 17.

References

External links

Official site

(1999) (unavailable?)

(1999) ncl. discography
J. Guthartz: discography and index of compositions
(2000). {{DEFAULTSORT:Gustafsson, Mats 1964 births Living people 21st-century Swedish male musicians 21st-century Swedish saxophonists Free jazz musicians Swedish male jazz musicians Swedish male saxophonists Swedish jazz saxophonists The Thing (jazz band) members Incus Records artists Rune Grammofon artists Smalltown Supersound artists Utech Records artists Atavistic Records artists NoBusiness Records artists RareNoiseRecords artists Okka Disk artists Psi Records artists People from Umeå Musicians from Västerbotten County