Gursus Iceland Tour - aka. the
Tour of the Unexpected
The Swedish duo Gursus is coming to Iceland!
Unexpected meetings. Unexpected stories. Unexpected music.
Take the opportunity to experience this unique folk jazz clash.
Unexpected meetings. Unexpected stories. Unexpected music.
The duo itself is a result of a sudden meeting between a folk fiddler and a
jazz saxophonist, all caused by a delayed train. Together they perform a
playful, powerful, expressive and a bit unruly music, drawing it's roots from
traditional folk music as well as free and modal jazz, with quite a bit of improvisation
thrown into the blend.
Gursus is Sven
Midgren on fiddle and Ida Karlsson on tenor saxophone.
Ida's warm tone and characteristic playing style meets Sven's rooted dance
groove and dynamic timbre. The sound is tight, honest and so close that you can
smell the log fire from the tiny cottage where the duo's rehersals are held.
The musicians are both well established among the younger generation in their
respective genre.
Ida Karlsson is a saxophonist and composer playing with, among others, the
free-form-movement-jazz-duo Medi
and the swing band Who's
Your Mama - WYM, as well as Kathrine Windfeld Big Band
(DK). Her own quartet IKQ has been described as music with clear influences
from both modal 60's jazz and Nordic folk music.
Sven Midgren is a folk musician deeply rooted in southern Swedish tradition.
He's previously performed with Scandinavian band Tranotra and together with
different tradition bearers from his home region, as well as exploring improvisation
in Swedish folk music. His fiddle playing provides both soothing tenderness and
some rough and gritty groove and he often involves some storytelling in between
the music.