Kristjan Randalu "absence" W/ Ben Monder at Soapbox Gallery

Kristjan Randalu (Estonia) – pianoBen Monder (USA) – guitarEstonian pianist Kristjan Randalu presents his ECM debut – a striking album of his own rigorous-yet-lyrical music. As an improviser of prodigious technique, once described by Herbie Hancock “a dazzling piano player”, Randalu’s affinities are with the jazz musicians, but the forms and dynamics of his pieces also reflect a discerning sense of structure. Absence was recorded in France, produced by Manfred Eicher and released in 2018.Kristjan Randalu is one of the most compelling pianists of his generation, sought after as soloist, collaborator and composer, his music described by Jazz Times as an "unnameable exotic land".Born in Estonia in 1978 he moved with his family to Germany as a child where he continued his studies in Karlsruhe and Stuttgart, followed by London, Los Angeles and the Manhattan School of Music. His musical partners have included Eivind Aarset, Mark Guiliana, Ari Hoenig, Nguyên Lê, Dave Liebman, Marilyn Mazur, Ben Monder, Nils Petter Molvaer, Trygve Seim and Dhafer Youssef.Randalu has performed as a soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the New Chamber Orchestra of Berlin and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra...

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Kristjan Randalu (Estonia) – pianoBen Monder (USA) – guitarEstonian pianist Kristjan Randalu presents his ECM debut – a striking album of his own rigorous-yet-lyrical music. As an improviser of prodigious technique, once described by Herbie Hancock “a dazzling piano player”, Randalu’s affinities are with the jazz musicians, but the forms and dynamics of his pieces also reflect a discerning sense of structure. Absence was recorded in France, produced by Manfred Eicher and released in 2018.Kristjan Randalu is one of the most compelling pianists of his generation, sought after as soloist, collaborator and composer, his music described by Jazz Times as an "unnameable exotic land".Born in Estonia in 1978 he moved with his family to Germany as a child where he continued his studies in Karlsruhe and Stuttgart, followed by London, Los Angeles and the Manhattan School of Music. His musical partners have included Eivind Aarset, Mark Guiliana, Ari Hoenig, Nguyên Lê, Dave Liebman, Marilyn Mazur, Ben Monder, Nils Petter Molvaer, Trygve Seim and Dhafer Youssef.Randalu has performed as a soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the New Chamber Orchestra of Berlin and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra. He has performed at the Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center, the Berlin Konzerthaus, at festivals in London, Paris, Oslo and Istanbul, and toured in the United States and Canada, across Europe and in Turkey, Korea, Australia and Israel.His awards include the 2007 Jazz Award of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the 2011 Elion Jazz Award in Estonia and his numerous recordings as both soloist and collaborator include a Grammy nomination in 2006 and Jazz Album of the Year at the 2012 Estonian Music Awards. In 2014 Randalu received the annual music award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and in 2020 the National Culture Award.A musician in the New York area for 30 years, Ben Monder has performed with a wide variety of artists, including Marc Johnson, Lee Konitz, George Garzone, Paul Motian, Guillermo Klein, and Maria Schneider. He has conducted clinics and workshops around the world, and served on the faculty of the New England Conservatory from 2002-2005. He was also the recipient of a Doris Duke Artist Award in 2014. Ben continues to perform original music internationally with his own quartet, trio, and in an ongoing duo project with vocalist Theo Bleckmann. He has appeared on over 130 CDs as a sideman, and has released 5 as a leader.

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