John Tchicai’s Six Points is a collaborative ensemble consisting of the following six sensible musical personalities: Saxofonist/singer Tchicai, the bass is “the base” bassist Dmitry Ishenko. Totally in tune with herself violinist/singer Rosie Hertlein, excuisite drummercompanion Ches Smith & with sounds ready for Victoriaville and elsewhere guitarist Garrison Fewell, and he who always knows when and where to place the next tone fabulous saxofonist Alex Weiss.
The ensemble paints wonderful inner landscapes, plays compositions by the groups members and improvises solo’s duo’s trio’s etc. and continues the way of music communication initiated by John Coltrane on his momentous Ascension recordings.
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By approaching jazz from a wide scope, Afro-Danish-American John Tchicai has been continuously progressive throughout his life. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1936, of a Danish mother and a Congolese father and growing up in healthy surroundings, John Martin Tchicai became a leading exponent of the jazz avant-garde in New York in the ’60s and a father-figure for the European avant-garde after that. Now based in Davis, California, and Claira, France, by a single-mindedness of purpose and action, his work still reflects what he’s always been doing, which is innovate and inspires other people, in a most refreshing way. The Danish ministry of Culture recognized his work by awarding him a lifetime grant.