NEW FREEQUESTRA (Italy / Portugal / Slovenia / Spain / Sweden / Switzerland):
Emanuele Marsico – trumpet (CD 1 - 6,7,9; CD 2 – 5,7,8)
Alberto Mandarini - trumpet (CD 1 - 6,9; CD 2 – 5,8)
Mirko Cisilino – trumpet (CD 1 - 9; CD 2 - 3)
Luis Vicente – trumpet (CD 1 - 1,7,8,10; CD 2 – 1,6,7)
Emanuele Parrini – violin (CD 1 - 2,4,6,8; CD 2 – 5,6,8,9)
Marco Colonna – baritone and sopranino sax (CD 1 - 2,4,6; CD 2 – 3,4,5,7,8,10)
Achille Succi – alto sax and bass clarinet (CD 1 - 2,4,6,7,8; CD 2 – 2-10)
Albert Cirera – sax (CD 1 - 4,5,6,8; CD 2 – 7,8,9)
Fredrik Ljungkvist – sax (CD 1 - 4,6; CD 2 – 6,8)
Christoph Irniger – sax (CD 1 - 4,8)
Alberto Pinton – sax (CD 1 - 1; CD 2 - 4)
Beppe Scardino – sax (CD 1 - 2; CD 2 – 2,4,7)
Martin Küchen – sax (CD 1 - 3)
Samo Salamon – guitar (CD 1 - 3,4,6; CD 2 – 2,4,7,8,9)
Marcelo dos Reis – guitar (CD 1 - 1,7,8; CD 2 – 1,6)
Silvia Bolognesi – bass (CD 1 - 2,5; CD 2 - 2)
Vasco Trilla – drums (CD 1 - 4,6; CD 2 – 5,8)

All music improvised by the Freequestra. Mixed and mastered by Samo Salamon.

During the first lockdown in spring 2020 my creative fire was still burning. All concerts were cancelled, but I still wanted to play and improvise. That's were the idea for long-distance improvisation came up. I sent emails to some of my friends and other musicians who I admired and hoped that they might be interested in doing such a project.

I'm really happy that some of the best improvisers in Europe were happy to participate in this project. I'm such a fan of all these players, they are monster improvisers, composers and bandleaders on their own as well. All tracks are completely improvised or could be even described as structured improvisation. Musicians sent me their tracks, based on an initial improvisation by myself. Then I cut, mixed and blended the music to actually make music. It was an incredibly fun project and challenge!

The title of the album and all the compositions are based on two poems by the great US poet E.E. Cummings, since poetry is my other artistic love and obsession.

Thanks to Maciej Karlowski and all the incredible musicians for their time, creativity and beautiful playing! Hopefully more soon

"[...]Bardzo się cieszę, że wielu z najlepszych improwizatorów w Europie z radością zgodziło się uczestniczyć w tym projekcie. Jestem wielkim fanem tych wszystkich muzyków, sami są potworami improwizacji, kompozytorami i liderami zespołów. Wszystkie utwory są całkowicie improwizowane, a nawet można je opisać jako improwizację ustrukturyzowaną. Muzycy przysłali mi swoje utwory, oparte na mojej wstępnej improwizacji. Potem wyciąłem i zmiksowałem, aby właściwie tworzyć muzykę. To był niesamowicie zabawny projekt i wyzwanie!

Tytuł albumu i wszystkie kompozycje oparte są na dwóch wierszach wielkiego amerykańskiego poety E.E. Cummingsa, bo poezja to moja druga artystyczna miłość i obsesja." Samo Salamon