Samo Šalamon


Samo Šalamon is a Slovenian jazz composer, guitarist and interviewer. He has performed on over 35 albums and is credited with over 300 compositions.
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Biography

Šalamon started playing guitar at the age of seven, studying classical guitar in Maribor until the age of fifteen. He later studied at the University of Ljubljana, earning a PhD in American poetry and translation. During his time at the university, he developed an interest in jazz and improvisation.
In 1999, Šalamon met jazz guitarist John Scofield, who became a collaborator and influence on his musical development. In the early 2000s, Šalamon began performing and recording with musicians from the New York jazz scene, including Tim Berne, David Binney, Josh Roseman, Tony Malaby, Mark Helias, Tom Rainey, Gerald Cleaver, Tyshawn Sorey, John Hebert, Donny McCaslin, and others. In 2003, he recorded Ornethology, his debut album, featuring a European quartet with Achille Succi, Salvatore Maiore, and Zlatko Kaučič. With this group, he performed at the Ljubljana Jazz Festival, Roma Jazz Festival, and Skopje Jazz Festival. The album Ornethology was included in The Penguin Guide to Jazz list of the 1001 Best Albums in the History of Jazz.
Šalamon performed extensively across Europe, collaborating with both European and American jazz musicians, including French tubist Michel Godard, American reed player Paul McCandless, saxophonists Achille Succi and Tony Malaby, drummer Roberto Dani, and pianist Stefano Battaglia. His work has incorporated elements of modern composition and improvisation. His projects have included duos with guitarist Hasse Poulsen and clarinetist Francois Houle, and a European sextet on the album The ''Colours Suite, featuring Julian Arguelles, Achille Succi, Roberto Dani, Pascal Niggenkemper, and Christian Lillinger. He also led a large improvisational orchestra with members such as Fredrik Ljungkvist, Luis Vicente, Albert Cirera, and Martin Küchen.
Šalamon has recorded for European jazz labels such as Clean Feed Records, Fresh Sound New Talent, Not Two Records, SteepleChase Records, and Splasc Records. As a composer, he developed projects synthesizing contemporary jazz, classical music, and free improvisation.
In 2022, Šalamon recorded the album Dolphyology, a collection of Eric Dolphy's music played on solo acoustic guitar. The album features 28 compositions by Eric Dolphy, rearranged for acoustic guitar, ranging from avant-garde to lyrical. In June 2022, Šalamon released Pure and Simple'', a collaborative trio album featuring Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen and American drummer Ra-Kalam Bob Moses. The album was followed by a European tour in October 2022.

Style

Šalamon's guitar style is influenced by his studies of jazz saxophonists Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy, evident in his first two albums, Ornethology and Ela's Dream. His early guitar playing was influenced by guitarist John Scofield and musicians like John Abercrombie, Ben Monder, Adam Rogers, and Bill Frisell. His compositional style draws from different areas of jazz and modern classical composers such as Béla Bartók, Witold Lutosławski, and Olivier Messiaen.

Discography

Release yearAlbumLabelPersonnel
2003OrnethologySamo RecordsAchille Succi, Salvatore Maiore, Zlatko Kaučič
2005Ela's DreamSplasc RecordsAchille Succi, David Binney, Kyle Gregory, Paolino Dalla Porta, Zlatko Kaučič
2005Two HoursFresh Sound New TalentTony Malaby, Mark Helias, Tom Rainey
2006Kei's SecretSplasc RecordsAchille Succi, Carlo DeRosa, Tyshawn Sorey
2006Government CheeseFresh Sound New TalentDavid Binney, Josh Roseman, Mark Helias, Gerald Cleaver
2007NanoGoga RecordsJulian Argüelles, Michel Godard, Roberto Dani
2007Fall MemoriesSplasc RecordsLuciano Biondini, Michel Godard, Roberto Dani
2008Mamasaal feat. Mark TurnerDometra RecordsMark Turner, Matt Brewer, Aljoša Jerič
2009Live!Samo RecordsMichel Godard, Roberto Dani
2011Almost AlmondSanje RecordsDrew Gress, Tom Rainey
2011DualitySamo RecordsTim Berne, Achille Succi, Tom Rainey, Roberto Dani
2012Eleven StoriesSamo RecordsMichel Godard, Roberto Dani
2013Stretching OutSamo RecordsDonny McCaslin, Dominique Pifarély, Bruno Chevillon, John Hebert, Gerald Cleaver, Roberto Dani
2014OrchestrologyKGOSF RecordsRoberto Dani, Slovene Philharmonic String Chamber Orchestra
20142 AltoSteepleChase RecordsLoren Stillman, John O'Gallagher, Roberto Dani
2014IvesSamo RecordsManu Codjia, Mikkel Ploug
2015Little RiverSamo RecordsPaul McCandless, Roberto Dani
2016UnitySamo RecordsJulian Argüelles, John Hollenbeck
2016windSKlopotec RecordsStefano Battaglia
2017The Colours SuiteClean Feed RecordsJulian Argüelles, Achille Succi, Pascal Niggenkemper, Christian Lillinger, Roberto Dani
2017Free Sessions Vol. 1: Planets of KeiNot Two RecordsAchille Succi, Szilard Mezei
2018Traveling Moving BreathingClean Feed RecordsTony Malaby, Roberto Dani
2018Peaks of LightSamo RecordsHoward Levy
2018Pure MagicAlessa RecordsStefano Battaglia
2019Free Sessions Vol. 2: FreequestraKlopotec RecordsMatija Krecic, Bostjan Simon, Achille Succi, Ziga Murko, Domen Gnezda, Vitja Balzalorsky, Marko Crncec, Goran Krmac, Bojan Krhlanko, Jaka Berger
2019Swirling Blind UnstilledKlopotec RecordsSzilard Mezei, Jaka Berger
2019Punk YouSamo RecordsEva Poženel, Achille Succi, Bojan Krhlanko
2020Rare EbbSamo RecordsIgor Matković, Kristijan Krajnčan
2020Common FlowSamo RecordsIgor Matković, Kristijan Krajnčan
2020Almost Alone Vol. 1Samo RecordsAlex Machacek, Rafal Sarnecki, Cenk Erdogan, Andre Fernandes, Kalle Kalima, Jacob Young, Albert Vila, Dušan Jevtović, Lorenzo Di Maio, Philipp Schaufelberger, Spiros Exaras
2020Free Distance, Vol. 1: Love is More ThickerSamo RecordsEmanuele Marsico, Alberto Mandarini, Mirko Cisilino, Luís Vicente, Emanuele Parrini, Marco Colonna, Achille Succi, Albert Cirera, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Christoph Irniger, Alberto Pinton, Beppe Scardino, Martin Küchen, Marcelo Dos Reis, Silvia Bolognesi, Vasco Trilla
2021TimelessnessSamo RecordsCene Resnik, Bojan Krhlanko
2021String DancersSamo RecordsHasse Poulsen
2021Unobservable MysteriesAfterday RecordsFrancois Houle
2022Joy and SorrowKlopotec RecordsSabir Mateen
2022Free Distance, Vol. 2: Poems are OpeningFundacja SluchajEmanuele Marsico, Alberto Mandarini, Mirko Cisilino, Luís Vicente, Emanuele Parrini, Marco Colonna, Achille Succi, Albert Cirera, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Christoph Irniger, Alberto Pinton, Beppe Scardino, Martin Küchen, Marcelo Dos Reis, Silvia Bolognesi, Vasco Trilla
2022DolphyologySamo Records
2022Pure and SimpleSamo RecordsArild Andersen, Ra-Kalam Bob Moses
2022Before It RainsSamo RecordsCene Resnik, Jost Drasler, Bojan Krhlanko
2023Rainbow BubblesSamo RecordsAsaf Sirkis
2023Eating PoetryClean Feed RecordsEmanuele Parrini, Vasco Trilla
2023Electric DuoSamo RecordsMartin Speake
2023State of GraceSamo RecordsBruce Saunders
2024Dances of FreedomSamo RecordsVasil Hadžimanov, Ra-Kalam Bob Moses
2024Unlocking the CodeSamo RecordsKevin Miller
2024For the Listener Who ListensSamo RecordsRonan Guilfoyle, Rafal Mazur
2024The ThinkersSamo RecordsCene Resnik, Samuel Ber
2025Acoustic DuoSamo RecordsMartin Speake
2025Dream Suites Vol. 1Samo RecordsDave Ballou, Russ Johnson, Tom Varner, Jeb Bishop, Curtis Hasselbring, Steve Swell, Chet Doxas, Ben Goldberg, Vinny Golia, Adam Kolker, Andrew Rathbun, Ned Rothenberg, Dan Willis, Ernst Reijseger, Rez Abbasi, Mike Baggetta, Jonathan Goldberger, Jerome Harris, Michael Cain, Steve Hunt, Jimmy Haslip, Chris Lightcap, Eivind Opsvik, Matt Pavolka, Tim Daisy, Ra-Kalam Bob Moses