24/9
Cosmic Ear
A defining presence in the group is Christer Bothén, master in Swedish jazz and free improvisation. As early as the 1970s, he introduced the West African hunter’s harp, the donso ngoni, into jazz, and brought the instrument to Don Cherry—an act that helped shape the development of a new, boundary-crossing music in which the whole world could be heard. In Cosmic Ear, that legacy continues to evolve and transform.
The repertoire moves freely between original compositions by Kajfeš, Gustafsson and Bothén, and interpretations of music by Don Cherry, Codona and Frank Lowe. Here, Malian hunter traditions meet Moroccan gnawa, Swedish folk music and South American rhythms in a flowing blend of free jazz and improvisation. At the same time, the music carries traces of both discovery and afterglow—a movement forward and backward, where the roots point as much toward the future as they do toward the past.
The rich instrumentation—featuring berimbau, donso ngoni, karignan, percussion, flutes, brass, live electronics and a pulsating double bass—creates a hypnotic and constantly shifting sonic landscape. The raw and the refined coexist: Kajfeš’s lyrical openness, Gustafsson’s explosive intensity, and a rhythm section where Juan Romero and Kansan Zetterberg propel the music forward with both weight and agility.
The roots are forward. And backwards. Music is now. Free the jazz.
On stage:
Christer Bothén – donso ngoni, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, piano
Mats Gustafsson – tenor saxophone, flute, slide flute, A♭ clarinet, live electronics, organ, harmonica
Goran Kajfeš – trumpet, pocket trumpet, synth, electronics, percussion
Juan Romero – congas, berimbau, percussion
Kansan Zetterberg – double bass, donso ngoni
A defining presence in the group is Christer Bothén, master in Swedish jazz and free improvisation. As early as the 1970s, he introduced the West African hunter’s harp, the donso ngoni, into jazz, and brought the instrument to Don Cherry—an act that helped shape the development of a new, boundary-crossing music in which the whole world could be heard. In Cosmic Ear, that legacy continues to evolve and transform.
The repertoire moves freely between original compositions by Kajfeš, Gustafsson and Bothén, and interpretations of music by Don Cherry, Codona and Frank Lowe. Here, Malian hunter traditions meet Moroccan gnawa, Swedish folk music and South American rhythms in a flowing blend of free jazz and improvisation. At the same time, the music carries traces of both discovery and afterglow—a movement forward and backward, where the roots point as much toward the future as they do toward the past.
The rich instrumentation—featuring berimbau, donso ngoni, karignan, percussion, flutes, brass, live electronics and a pulsating double bass—creates a hypnotic and constantly shifting sonic landscape. The raw and the refined coexist: Kajfeš’s lyrical openness, Gustafsson’s explosive intensity, and a rhythm section where Juan Romero and Kansan Zetterberg propel the music forward with both weight and agility.
The roots are forward. And backwards. Music is now. Free the jazz.
On stage:
Christer Bothén – donso ngoni, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, piano
Mats Gustafsson – tenor saxophone, flute, slide flute, A♭ clarinet, live electronics, organ, harmonica
Goran Kajfeš – trumpet, pocket trumpet, synth, electronics, percussion
Juan Romero – congas, berimbau, percussion
Kansan Zetterberg – double bass, donso ngoni