«Cellular Structures» – Schaffhauser Jazzfestival – Video
Composing suites is Steffen Schorn’s passion. «Cellular Structures» is a conceptual composition that goes its own way. Rhythmic, harmonic and melodic units composed of various building blocks combine to form a sensual tonal language and result in a new world of sound off the beaten track.
The hour-long work is based on elements that have already been played in various compositions and formations. Just as his music takes the path from the simple to the complex in the arrangement, the creation process of Schorn’s suites always leads from the smallest possible group instrumentation to intensified work with an orchestral big band instrumentation extended by soloists. Schorn’s new arrangement will now be heard for the first time in a big band format with the Zurich Jazz Orchestra and the exceptional violinist Julia Philippens from Amsterdam at the Schaffhausen Jazz Festival. An exquisite combination!
«We have fantasy, we are willing to take risks,» Schorn summarizes, «which makes the ZJO so unique. But that’s not all: NZZ cultural journalist Manfred Papst wrote with good reason that the Zurich Jazz Orchestra is «one of the most innovative and important formations» in Europe’s big band scene. A praise that obliges us anew at every concert and with every composition.
