No longer just a man with dozens of albums, critical praise, and worldwide acclaim, Mats Gustafsson has now been announced as the 2011 recipient of the Nordic Council Music Prize. Let all of us at TMT say: “Congrats, Mats, you won the 2011 Nordic Council Music Prize!” I’m sure that you’ve already been bathed in praise and champagne but, if you want a private session with me, I’m always happy to bathe you in whatever liquid you prefer.
The famed composer and saxophonist, who will officially receive the prize at November’s Nordic Council Session in Denmark, completed all of the necessary tests and met all of the 2011 NCMP qualifications set up by this year’s theme:
An individual musician (instrumentalists or vocalists), who has achieved innovation in music with improvisation as a bearing element, and whose efforts are co-creative and important for the form, sound and context of the musical expression. The nominees must have attracted attention on the national, Nordic or international stage during last year (2010).
For over two decades Mats Gustafsson been one of the big names in improvised music,” says the NCMP Adjudicating Committee. “With his innovative saxophone playing he is constantly bursting the limits of the musical genres that we need to assign to music which we have not met before… We recommend that you open your hearts and let yourself be enchanted by Mats Gustafsson’s musical universe.
Yes, please, follow the above instruction.
• Mats Gustafsson: http://matsgus.com
