Jonathan Bäckström & Marcus Wärnheim duo

Swedish alto saxophonist Marcus Wärnheim and Finnish double bass player Jonathan Bäckström have been playing together as a duo since 2018. Through a long-lasting close collaborative process they are consequently pushing the limits of the intimate duo setting, exploring sound by embracing the spontaneous, pre-determined and arbitrary.

Jonathan Bäckström is a Finnish bassist, composer and improviser, currently based in Stockholm where he is finishing his master studies at the Royal College of Music. Over the past decade he has made his mark on the Northern European improvisation and jazz scene with his personal voice working in a variety of acoustic, electroacoustic and cross-disciplinary settings.

Marcus Wärnheim is a Swedish alto saxophonist and improviser, currently based in Amsterdam. His artistic output is primarily based in a genuine curiosity of sound, which he works with through intense listening and a thorough research of the physical possibilities of his instrument.  In recent years he has been preoccupied with acoustic solo performances, improvisational meetings, interpretation of other’s compositions as a sideman, as well as trans-disciplinary collaborations with dancers and circus artists.

Jonathan Bäckström: double bass
Marcus Wärnheim: alto saxophone

The duo will release their first album, recorded at various concerts, “Ett” on October 31. It will be available both as a cassette and as a downloadable version via their Bandcamp page.

Photo: Sakari Puhakka

The concert is supported by City of Helsinki, Svenska Kulturfonden and The Finnish Music Foundation.