Bandleader, composer and improviser Kurt Rosenwinkel collaborates with Portugal’s Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos for his upcoming release, Kurt Rosenwinkel & OJM: Our Secret World. The project is to be released on the Wommusic label on Sept. 7, 2010.
The Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos (OJM) is a Portugal-based big band with an impressive track record of collaborative projects, ranging from Portology with Lee Konitz and Ohad Talmor, over Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos Invites Chris Cheek, featuring the acclaimed American saxophonist, to performances with Maria Rita – the highly successful and critically acclaimed daughter of Elis Regina.
Kurt Rosenwinkel & OJM: Our Secret World took place over a 6-day period in September 2009.
“We had three days of rehearsal which were totally intense – 12-hour rehearsals with almost no breaks,” Rosenwinkel said in a news release. “What made the whole project work was the attitude and enthusiasm of all the musicians. I really felt that everybody was supporting me, supporting the music, and really giving their best. It was a great challenge for them and they rose to the occasion. The spirit that was present during the whole thing was just beautiful.”
Philadelphia native Rosenwinkel studied at Berklee in Boston and gained his first formative professional experiences in bands led by Gary Burton and Paul Motian. Following his early albums East Coast Love Affair and Intuit came four highly regarded discs on the Verve label: The Enemies of Energy, The Next Step, Heartcore and Deep Song. In particular, Heartcore, produced by rapper Q-Tip (formerly of A Tribe Called Quest), revealed Rosenwinkel’s openness to sonic exploration beyond jazz. He now lives in Berlin, Germany, and heads the guitar department as a tenured professor at the Jazz Institute of Berlin.