PANDAjazz - Avant-Garde and Free Jazz Concerts at PANDA platforma, Berlin/Prenzlauer Berg

Peter van Huffel – baritone sax, effects, compositions

Lina Allemano – trumpet

Antonis Anissegos – piano, electronics

Joe Hertenstein – drums

Immerse yourself in the world of CALLISTO, where innovation meets tradition and sonic landscapes are painted with bold strokes of creativity. Saxophonist Peter Van Huffel’s latest project is a bass-less quartet that skews the line between composition and improvisation. Featuring Peter on baritone saxophone and electronics, Canadian trumpeter Lina Allemano, Greek pianist and electronics artist Antonis Anissegos, and German drummer Joe Herstenstein, CALLISTO offers a unique and profound approach to modern jazz with their debut album, “Meandering Demons.”

Peter’s innovative compositions serve as the backbone for this project, weaving intricate tapestries that combine structured elements with the spontaneity of free improvisation. Some pieces are expansive and suite-like, taking the listener on a journey of musical adventure and surprise, while others offer a slow build which develops gradually through subtle harmonic twists and layering of sound. The absence of bass in this ensemble offers the piano an extended space in which to explore the vast range of the instrument while trumpet and baritone highlight frequencies at opposite ends of the spectrum, giving the four-piece band an almost orchestral presence. With the addition of electronics subtly incorporated into the sound of the piano and blended at select moments with the resonance of the acoustic horns, CALLISTO is a captivating musical experience that transcends genre and resonates with jazz enthusiasts and adventurous listeners alike.

CALLISTO’s inaugural album “Meandering Demons” released in March 2024 on the renowned Portuguese avant-jazz label Clean Feed Records. This carefully selected collection of tracks showcases the quartet’s unquestionable chemistry, pushing the boundaries of the jazz tradition and inviting listeners into a realm of sonic exploration.

Photo: Manuel Miethe

LINKS:

https://petervanhuffel.com/

https://petervanhuffel.bandcamp.com/

VIDEOS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_qaPHpCsEc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoKSYDmu_oI

Julie Sassoon – piano
Willi Kellers – drums

[ ENG ] Quiet intensity and a spiritual sense of sound characterize this duo. From the beginning, a tension builds in their music, in which the mere acoustic process turns into a musical event. A transcendent unity of meditative improvisations emerges. Lyrical melodies and percussive outbursts, which overlap with drum rhythms from the world of Bartok or Stravinsky, jazz-Africa-wildness, alternate with very quiet, almost inaudible atmospheric sequences.

Julie Sassoon, originally from the UK and now living in Berlin, studied classical piano and violin and came to improvised music through jazz.

“…an unclassifiable venture… Julie Sassoon consistently makes the piano, her voice and her deepest emotions sound awesomely and naturally inseparable…”, – John Fordham (Guardian)

“…Her music cannot be categorized… I know of no music quite like it… simply spellbinding…”, – All about Jazz.

After studying music in Münster and Detmold, Willi Kellers worked as a theater musician on various stages, from Bochum to Vienna. As a jazz musician, he worked among others with Willem Breuker, Peter Brötzmann, Fred Frith, Phil Minton, Manfred Schoof. Especially noteworthy is his collaboration with Keith and Julie Tippett, as well as with Marylin Crispell.

“One of the best drummers in Germany”, – Jan Kühnemund (Rolling Stone)

[ DEU ] Ruhige Intensität, und ein spiritueller Klangsinn zeichnen dieses Duo aus. Von Anfang an baut sich in ihrer Musik eine Spannung auf, in welcher der bloße akustische Vorgang in ein musikalisches Ereignis umschlägt. Es entsteht eine transzendente Einheit meditativer Improvisationen. Lyrische Melodien und perkussive Ausbrüche, die sich mit Schlagzeugrhythmen aus Bartoks oder Strawinskys Welt überlagern, Jazz-Afrika-Wildheit, wechseln mit sehr leisen, fast unhörbaren atmosphärischen Sequenzen ab.

Die aus Großbritannien stammende und jetzt in Berlin lebende Julie Sassoon studierte klassisches Klavier und Violine und ist über den Jazz zur improvisierten Musik gekommen.

Willi Kellers war nach einem Musikstudium in Münster und Detmold als Theatermusiker auf verschiedenen Bühnen, von Bochum bis Wien tätig. Als Jazzmusiker arbeitete er u.a. mit Willem Breuker, Peter Brötzmann, Fred Frith, Phil Minton, Manfred Schoof. Besonders her– vorzuheben ist seine Zusammenarbeit mit Keith und Julie Tippett, sowie mit Marylin Crispell.

“Einer der besten Schlagzeuger Deutschlands”, – Jan Kühnemund (Rolling Stone)

Foto: Karl Lehner

LINKS:

www.juliesassoon.com

www.willikellers.de

AUDIO/VIDEO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxg7UPGe4rc

https://www.willikellers.de/audio-video/willi-kellers-julie-sassoon/