Mats Gustafsson

Mats Gustafsson
Mats Gustafsson
	Mats Gustafsson in concert, 2010
Background information
Birth name	Mats Olof Gustafsson
Born	29 October 1964 (age 60); Umeå, Sweden
Genres	Jazz, free jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument(s)	Saxophone, fluteophone, flute, clarinet
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Rune Grammofon, Smalltown Supersound
Website	matsgus.com

Mats Olof Gustafsson (born 29 October 1964) is a Swedish free jazz saxophone player.

Career

Mats Gustafsson at Moers Festival, June 2006, Germany

Mats Gustafsson at "Sonore" concert, Lviv, 14 Dec 2008

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, Yoshimi P-We, Derek Bailey, Magnus Broo, Otomo Yoshihide, Pat Thomas, Jim O'Rourke, Thomas Lehn, Evan Parker, Misha Mengelberg, Oren Ambarchi, Zu, The Ex and Sonic Youth.

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.^{[citation needed]}

He was awarded the 2011 Nordic Council Music Prize.^[1]

Gustafsson has worked extensively with artists from the worlds of dance, theatre, poetry and painting. He has lived in Nickelsdorf, Austria since 2011.^[2]

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.^[3] 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.^[4]

Gallery

Photos

Mats Olof Gustafsson Toronto, Canada

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 Barry Guy & 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 Yoshimi P-We
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
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!