Federico Calcagno Octet

Clarinettist and composer Federico Calcagno presents a unique octet featuring international up-and-coming luminaries of the Dutch scene. The album Mundus Inversus is the result of the last three years of playing, composing and collaborating within the Amsterdam jazz and improvised music community. At the same time, it is also a reflection on the contemporary world characterised by rapid and dramatic events that turn the globe upside down: finding the willpower to change perspective and discover new positive possibilities.

By allowing space for the octet to improvise, each player contributes to elevating the original compositions. The acoustic instrumental music can vary from soft passages to powerful outbursts. Contradictory elements such as thematic melodies, irregular rhythms, complex triads and abstract harmonies all find their place in the music of Calcagno. The combination of contemporary composition, free-instant creation and asymmetrical grooves create a fascinating layering in the music that can hardly fit a label.

Federico Calcagno – bass clarinet, clarinet & compositions
Nabou Claerhout – trombone
Hristo Goleminov – alto saxophone
Aleksander Sever – vibraphone
Pau Sola – cello
Adrian Moncada – piano
Pedro Ivo Ferreira – bass
Nikos Thessalonikefs – drums