Some may wonder who will carry on the jazz guitar legacy after icons Pat Metheny, John Scofield and Bill Frisell. For many, the answer is completely obvious: Kurt Rosenwinkel. From his base in Berlin, he now comes to the Kongsberg Jazz Festival with his European quartet.
Kurt Rosenwinkel’s natural musical starting point is the American, traditional guitar tradition, but he has gradually been influenced by hip hop, fusion and rock. He does not go out of his way to mix electronics and programmed beats into the traditional language of jazz; and often he uses his voice in unison with his guitar playing. Rosenwinkel gained early access to some of jazz’s most exclusive groups, such as the Joe Lovano Group, Paul Motion’s Electric Bebop Band and the Brian Blade Fellowship. He has collaborated with a wide range of musicians with very different musical expressions. A clear example of his musical curiosity and openness is his membership in the Crossroads Guitar Festival Family from 2013 when he was invited by the legend Eric Clapton to share the stage with him and play with him. Clapton called Rosenwinkel “a genius”, and anyone who wants to find out if that’s true can only turn up at Energimølla on Friday 7 July.
Kurt Rosenwinkel – guitar
Nicola Andrioli – piano
Doug Weiss – doublebass
Greg Hutchinson – drums
