Mats Gustafsson

Mats Olof Gustafsson is a Swedish free jazz saxophone player.

Career

Gustafsson came to the attention of lovers of improvised music as part of a duo with Christian Munthe, as member of Gunter Christmann's Vario project and the band Gush. He later played widely with Peter Brötzmann, Joe McPhee, Paul Lovens, Barry Guy, Yoshimi P-We, Derek Bailey, Magnus Broo, Otomo Yoshihide, Pat Thomas, Jim O'Rourke, Thomas Lehn, Evan Parker, Misha Mengelberg, Oren Ambarchi, Zu, The Ex and Sonic Youth.
Since the early 1990s Gustafsson has been a regular visitor to the United States, forming a particular affinity with Chicago musicians Hamid Drake, Michael Zerang, and Ken Vandermark and recording for Okka Disk.
He was awarded the 2011 Nordic Council Music Prize.
Gustafsson has worked extensively with artists from the worlds of dance, theatre, poetry and painting. He has lived in Nickelsdorf, Austria since 2011.

Festival curator

Gustafsson curated the Perspectives festivals in Västerås, Sweden in 2004, 2007 and 2009. This festival of musical improvisation is noted for its cross-genre character and creative atmosphere among musicians. The festival slogan for 2004 was "Fight Global Stupidity", 2007 "Fight Local Stupidity" and for 2009 it became "Fight our stupidity".
Gustafsson was also joint curator of the 2010 Konfrontationen festival in Nickelsdorf, Austria.

Discography

As leader

1991: Nothing to Read, with Paul Lovens
1995: Parrot Fish Eye
1995: For Don Cherry, with Hamid Drake
1996: Mouth Eating Trees and Related Activities, with Barry Guy & Paul Lovens
1997: Frogging, with Barry Guy
1997: Impropositions
1999: The Education of Lars Jerry
1999: Windows _The Music of Steve Lacy
1999: Hidros One, with Nu-Ensemblen
2000: Port Huron Picnic, with Kurt Newman & Mike Gennaro
2002: The School Days and Thing, the music of Norman Howard presented by Mats Gustafsson
2003: Blues, with David Stackenäs
2004: Hidros 3, Sonic Youth With Friends
2005: Slide
2005: Catapult
2007: It Is All About...
2007: Words on the Floor, with Yoshimi P-We
2008: Mats G Plays Duke E
2008: Cosmic Debris Volume IV, with My Cat Is An Alien
2008: The Vilnius Implosion
2008: Mats G Plays Duke E
2009: Mats G. Plays Albert A.
2009 You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago with Fire!
2011 Released with Fire! & Jim O'Rourke
2011 Uneleased with Fire! & Jim O'Rourke
2012 In the Mouth a Hand w with Fire! & Oren Ambarchi
2012: Baro 101, with Paal Nilssen-Love & Mesele Asmamaw
2012: Mats G. Plays Gullin
2012: Birds, with John Russell & Raymond Strid
2012: Bengt
2013 Without Noticing with Fire!
2013: Eissalon , with Didi Kern
2013: Vi Är Alla Guds Slavar, with Thurston Moore
2014: Hidros6 Knockin' , with NU Ensemble
2014 Enter with Fire! Orchestra
2015 Exit with Fire! Orchestra
2015 Second ''Exit with Fire! Orchestra
2015: Hit The Wall!, with Thurston Moore
2016 MG 50_Peace & Fire & Friends
2016 She Sleeps She Sleeps with Fire!
2016: Piano Mating
2016 Ritual with Fire! Orchestra
2018 The Hands with Fire!
2019 Arrival with Fire! Orchestra
2020 Actions with Fire! Orchestra
2021 Defeat with Fire!