The German pianist Michael Wollny and the French soprano saxophonist Emile Parisien are kindred spirits. Both are undoubtedly considered nothing less than defining figures for the musical language of their instruments - in jazz and way beyond. Both constantly create unexpected, surprising, new music out of the most diverse influences - European and American jazz, classical music, pop, contemporary music, avantgarde and mainstream. And both are masters of the moment, understand in the most sensitive way how to engage with their counterparts and, in interaction with them, always create fascinating, previously un-heard music. Wollny and Parisien have known each other for a long time, and the palette of their joint projects to date is as broad as their individual musical spectrums. These range from the quartet "Out of Land" together with singer Andreas Schaerer and accordionist Vincent Peirani, to the internationally acclaimed, free, electro-acoustic project "XXXX" featuring drummer Christian Lillinger and bassist Tim Lefebvre, to spectacular special projects such as Wollny's "Bau.Haus.Klang" on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the legendary design school and collaborations of Emile Parisien with Michael Wollny's trio. And so it was probably only a matter of time before Wollny and Parisien would turn to a joint duo - arguably the most intimate, open and at the same time perhaps most challenging format of musical interaction. Together they bring a whole cosmos of influences, ideas, inspirations to life. A masterful dialogue of two unique figures of European jazz.
