Bäsk

• Jonas Simonson - flute, alto flute, willow flute, traversflögt
• Sten Källman - soprano & baritone saxophones, percussion instruments
• Hans Kennemark - fiddle, altfiol (viola)

Three experienced and important folk musicians from Gothenburg (in Southwestern Sweden) got together to explore what kind of sounds would come from a meeting between a fiddle, a flute and a soprano saxophone. The result is a completely personal, and painfully beautiful trio sound. Their repertoire consists of original material, as well as traditional fiddle music from the Dalarna and Västergötland regions in Sweden, and the Gudbrandsdalen region in Norway. The instrumentation changes from fiddle/flute/soprano sax to fiddle/bass/baritone sax. In between, we find Simonson's assorted flutes and Källman's various percussion instruments. Music with swing is guaranteed!

Jonas Simonson
Known from Groupa and Den Fule, he plays the flute like nobody else, with a characteristic sharpness and intensity in both rhythm and tone. Since 1983 he has been working as a freelance folk musician, composer/arranger and as a tutor at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. In addition to Groupa and Den Fule, he has also worked with Sångensemblen Amanda and Kapell Frisell. Also he has performed baroque music with Utomjordiska Theatre in Gothenburg. Jonas Simonson trained at the College of Music in Gothenburg.

Hans Kennemark
A fiddler from Västergötland, he is also a member of the groups Tritonus and Forsmark Tre, in which he also plays guitar and sings. His powerful and energetic fiddle playing paves the way for the melody, and his ingenious harmonies lift the music to unexpected heights. Kennemark, who has been a "Riksspelman" or "Master Musician" since 1985, has like few others, persistently delved into the musical tradition of the Västergötland region in Sweden. He is also a hard-working tutor and a composer and arranger of his own music.

Sten Källman
Known from Filarfolket, Simbi and Den Fule, his heart has been beating for Nordic and Haitian folk music for a long time. As a saxophonist, percussionist and singer, he has devoted himself to borrowing sounds, ideas and material from different cultures, creating his own mix. For Sten, the crucial meeting with Swedish folk music occurred when working with Filarfolket, which was one of the leading Swedish folk bands of the 80s; percussion and wind instruments were some of the important ingredients, which created the band's profile and sound. Since then, Sten, his saxophones and percussion instruments have continued their parallel journey into Nordic and Haitian folk music, the latter of which is expressed in the band, Simbi.

Discography

1999: Bäsk Xource/MNW (Sweden) XOUCD 124, NorthSide NSD 6036
2002: Släkt Xource/MNW (Sweden) XOUCD 136
see also Groupa and Den Fule