wolfgang puschnig has been one of austria’s leading jazz musicians for decades, known for crossing musical boundaries with openness and curiosity. with fulsome x, he takes this vision further: inspired by the music of longstanding friends from philadelphia, the funk tradition and ornette coleman’s harmolodic system, the project also has roots in the rhythm section of puschnig’s long-running alpine aspects. in today’s quartet with melissa coleman on cello, jon sass on tuba and reinhardt winkler on drums, a musical universe emerges in which stylistic boundaries become increasingly irrelevant. together, the four perform the second part of jazzambach’s final two-concert evening.

the compositions brim with vitality and pure musical joy. in his clearly articulated playing on alto saxophone and flute, wolfgang puschnig draws as naturally on ornette coleman and the blues as on folk melodies. cello, tuba and drums expand this musical vision with unusual colours, deep grooves and ample space for free interaction. this distinctive instrumentation gives fulsome x its unique sound.

wolfgang puschnig studied saxophone and flute at the vienna conservatoire and cites john coltrane, miles davis, eric dolphy and asian music as formative influences. in 1977, he co-founded the vienna art orchestra with mathias rüegg and remained a member until 1989. through projects of his own, including air mail, pat brothers and alpine aspects, as well as numerous international collaborations, he has built a reputation over decades as a virtuoso soloist and musical boundary-crosser. curiosity, a love of experimentation and a desire for unusual musical encounters run through all his work.

cellist melissa coleman is equally at home in classical music, the avant-garde, jazz and world music, working internationally as a soloist, composer and improviser. jon sass, raised in new york and based in vienna for many years, is one of the tuba’s most extraordinary voices, combining virtuoso playing with a strong feel for groove. reinhardt winkler completes the group with decades of international experience as a jazz drummer and a longstanding musical partnership with wolfgang puschnig.

special guest amik guerra, a trumpeter based in liechtenstein, joins the group for selected pieces. born in havana, he has worked across jazz, latin jazz, salsa, pop and other styles for many years, collaborating with celia cruz, roy hargrove, the buena vista social club and michael brecker, among others.

after the swing-inspired sound of “three like us” in the first part of the evening, wolfgang puschnig’s fulsome x brings a completely different musical perspective: funk, free improvisation, folk melodies and an uncompromising joy in playing meet in an extraordinary line-up – a powerful finale to jazzambach’s two-concert evenings.

https://www.puschnig.com/