Samo Šalamon
Samo Šalamon (born October 9, 1978, in Maribor, Slovenia) is a Slovenian jazz composer, guitarist, and bandleader. He has performed on over 35 releases and is credited with over 300 compositions.[1]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Samo_Salamon.jpg/220px-Samo_Salamon.jpg)
Biography
Šalamon started playing the guitar at the age of seven and studied classical guitar in Maribor, a large city in Slovenia, until the age of 15. He continued his studies at the University of Ljubljana, where he obtained a PhD in the field of American poetry and translation. During his time at college, he became interested in jazz and improvisation.[1]
In 1999, Salamon met jazz guitarist John Scofield, who became a close mentor and inspiration. In the early 2000s, Salamon started to play and record 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 his debut as a bandleader entitled Ornethology featuring a European quartet with Achille Succi, Salvatore Maiore and Zlatko Kaučič. With this group he performed at Ljubljana Jazz Festival,[2] Roma Jazz Festival and Skopje Jazz Festival[3] The album Ornethology was also selected among the 1001 best albums in the history of jazz according to the Penguin Guide to Jazz.[4]
Salamon regularly toured Europe 2-3 times per year where his groups included various European and American jazz musicians, especially maintaining long musical relationships with French tubist Michel Godard, American reed player and founding member of the group Oregon Paul McCandless, saxophonists Achille Succi and Tony Malaby, drummer Roberto Dani and pianist Stefano Battaglia.[5] In his later work, he has regularly mixed modern composition and improvisation,[6] as seen in his latest projects, such as duos with guitarist Hasse Poulsen[7] and clarinetist Francois Houle,[8] his European sextet for Clean Feed Records – The Colors Suite[9] featuring Julian Arguelles, Achille Succi, Pascal Niggenkemper and two drummers, Christian Lillinger and Roberto Dani, as well as a large free orchestra, composed of European improvisers, including Fredrik Ljungkvist, Luis Vicente, Albert Cirera, Martin Küchen and others.
He has recorded for European jazz labels such as Clean Feed Records, Fresh Sound New Talent, Not Two Records, Steeplechase Records, and Splash Records. As a composer, he has developed projects with multiform syntheses of contemporary jazz, classical music, and free improvisation.[10]
Salamon has been involved in playing Eric Dolphy's music on solo acoustic guitar[11] which resulted in the album Dolphyology.[12] The album features all 28 compositions by Eric Dolphy, rearranged for acoustic guitar, venturing from the avant-garde to the highly lyrical.[13]
In June 2022, Salamon released a trio album Pure and Simple with the jazz legends - Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen and US drummer Ra-Kalam Bob Moses, followed by an extensive European tour in October 2022.[14]
Style
Salamon's fluid style of guitar playing is primarily based on his studies of jazz saxophonists Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy, which is obvious on his first two albums Ornethology[15] and Ela's Dream, where his playing has been described as having a "quirky yet intriguing original sound".[16] His early guitar playing is influenced by guitarist and mentor John Scofield, while also drawing inspiration from players like John Abercrombie, Ben Monder, Adam Rogers and Bill Frisell. His compositional style draws from different areas of jazz as well as modern classical composers, such as Bela Bartok, Witold Lutoslawski and Olivier Messiaen.
Discography
Release year | Title | Label | Line-up |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Dances of Freedom | Samo Records | Vasil Hadžimanov, Ra-Kalam Bob Moses |
2023 | State of Grace | Samo Records | Bruce Saunders |
2023 | Electric Duo | Samo Records | Martin Speake |
2023 | Eating Poetry | Clean Feed Records | Emanuele Parrini, Vasco Trilla |
2023 | Rainbow Bubbles | Samo Records | Asaf Sirkis |
2022 | Before It Rains | Samo Records | Cene Resnik, Jost Drasler, Bojan Krhlanko |
2022 | Pure and Simple | Samo Records | Arild Andersen, Ra-Kalam Bob Moses |
2022 | Dolphyology | Samo Records | solo acoustic guitar |
2022 | Free Distance, Vol. 2: Poems are Opening | Fundacja Sluchaj | Emanuele 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, Samo Salamon, Marcelo Dos Reis, Silvia Bolognesi, Vasco Trilla |
2022 | Joy and Sorrow | Klopotec Records | Samo Salamon, Sabir Mateen |
2021 | Unobservable Mysteries | Afterday Records | Samo Salamon, Francois Houle |
2021 | String Dancers | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Hasse Poulsen |
2021 | Timelessness | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Cene Resnik, Bojan Krhlanko |
2020 | Free Distance, Vol. 1: Love is More Thicker | Samo Records | Emanuele 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, Samo Salamon, Marcelo Dos Reis, Silvia Bolognesi, Vasco Trilla |
2020 | Almost Alone Vol. 1 | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Alex Machacek, Rafal Sarnecki, Cenk Erdogan, Andre Fernandes, Kalle Kalima, Jacob Young, Albert Vila, Dušan Jevtović, Lorenzo Di Maio, Philipp Schaufelberger, Spiros Exaras |
2020 | Common Flow | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Igor Matković, Kristijan Krajnčan |
2020 | Rare Ebb | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Igor Matković, Kristijan Krajnčan |
2019 | Punk You | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Eva Poženel, Achille Succi, Bojan Krhlanko |
2019 | Swirling Blind Unstilled | Klopotec Records | Samo Salamon, Szilard Mezei, Jaka Berger |
2019 | Free Sessions Vol. 2: Freequestra | Klopotec Records | Samo Salamon, Matija Krecic, Bostjan Simon, Achille Succi, Ziga Murko, Domen Gnezda, Vitja Balzalorsky, Marko Crncec, Goran Krmac, Bojan Krhlanko, Jaka Berger |
2018 | Pure Magic | Alessa Records | Samo Salamon, Stefano Battaglia |
2018 | Peaks of Light | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Howard Levy |
2018 | Traveling Moving Breating | Clean Feed Records | Samo Salamon, Tony Malaby, Roberto Dani |
2017 | Free Sessions Vol. 1: Planets of Kei | Not Two Records | Samo Salamon, Achille Succi, Szilard Mezei |
2017 | The Colours Suite | Clean Feed Records | Samo Salamon, Julian Arguelles, Achille Succi, Pascal Niggenkemper, Christian Lillinger, Roberto Dani |
2016 | windS | Klopotec Records | Samo Salamon, Stefano Battaglia |
2016 | Unity | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Julian Arguelles, John Hollenbeck |
2015 | Little River | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Paul McCandless, Roberto Dani |
2014 | Ives | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Manu Codjia, Mikkel Ploug |
2014 | 2 Alto | Steeplechase Records | Samo Salamon, Loren Stillman, John O'Gallagher, Roberto Dani |
2014 | Orchestrology | KGOSF Records | Samo Salamon, Roberto Dani, Slovene Philharmonic String Chamber Orchestra |
2013 | Stretching Out | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Donny McCaslin, Dominique Pifarely, Bruno Chevillon, John Hebert, Gerald Cleaver, Roberto Dani |
2012 | Eleven Stories | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Michel Godard, Roberto Dani |
2011 | Duality | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Tim Berne, Achille Succi, Tom Rainey, Roberto Dani |
2011 | Almost Almond | Sanje Records | Samo Salamon, Drew Gress, Tom Rainey |
2009 | Live! | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Michel Godard, Roberto Dani |
2008 | Mamasaal feat. Mark Turner | Dometra Records | Samo Salamon, Mark Turner, Matt Brewer, Aljoša Jerič |
2007 | Fall Memories | Splasc(h) Records | Samo Salamon, Luciano Biondini, Michel Godard, Roberto Dani |
2007 | Nano | Goga Records | Samo Salamon, Julian Arguelles, Michel Godard, Roberto Dani |
2006 | Government Cheese | Fresh Sound New Talent | Samo Salamon, David Binney, Josh Roseman, Mark Helias, Gerald Cleaver |
2006 | Kei's Secret | Splasc(h) Records | Samo Salamon, Achille Succi, Carlo DeRosa, Tyshawn Sorey |
2005 | Two Hours | Fresh Sound New Talent | Samo Salamon, Tony Malaby, Mark Helias, Tom Rainey |
2005 | Ela's Dream | Splasc(h) Records | Samo Salamon, Achille Succi, David Binney, Kyle Gregory, Paolino Dalla Porta, Zlatko Kaučič |
2003 | Ornethology | Samo Records | Samo Salamon, Achille Succi, Salvatore Maiore, Zlatko Kaučič |
References
- ^ a b Jazz, All About (2022-02-28). "Samo Šalamon, prolifica libertà article @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ "Arhiv". 62. Ljubljana jazz festival (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2021-12-16.
- ^ "Skopje Jazz Festival - Archive". www.skopjejazzfest.com.mk. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
- ^ "Explore - Slovenian Music". www.musicslovenia.si. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Gama, Raul Da (2016-08-01). "Samo Salamon & Stefano Battaglia: Winds". Jazz da Gama. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ "Samo Šalamon Sextet - The Colours Suite | SIGIC". www.sigic.si. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
- ^ Jones, Nic (2021-09-27). "Samo Salamon & Hasse Poulsen: String Dancers". Jazz Journal. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
- ^ "FRANÇOIS HOULE & SAMO SALAMON - Unobservable Mysteries". Jazz Views. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
- ^ "Heimesiger med Samo Salamon | salt peanuts*". salt-peanuts.eu. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Jazz, All About (2022-02-28). "Samo Salamon: un mondo di variegate esplorazioni article @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ "Intimni glasbeni esej". www.delo.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Milkowski, Bill (2022-04-02). "GuitArtistry: Samo Salamon Salutes the Genius of Eric Dolphy with an Ambitious Solo-Guitar Project". JAZZIZ Magazine. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ "ERIC DOLPHY FRETS…Samo Salamon: Dolphyology-Complete Eric Dolphy for Solo Guitar". www.jazzweekly.com. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Dourlhès, Nicolas. "La mine de Samo Salamon". Citizen Jazz (in French). Retrieved 2021-12-16.
- ^ Jazz, All About (3 November 2003). "Samo Salamon Quartet: Ornethology album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
- ^ Ornethology - Samo Salamon | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-12-16
External links
- Official website
- Samo Salamon at AllMusic
- Samo Šalamon discography at Discogs