Vollmaier: Kind of Laibach // Igor Lumpert "Innertextures"

Vollmaier is Slovenian pianist mostly known for his bold solo projects which he combines with different fields of art. His most notable solos are “Vollmaier:Kind of Laibach” and “Vollmaier:Ligeti (How to explain Ligeti to a dead audience)” , both were premiered at Cankarjev dom. His personal breakthroughs have shown his ability to play within different boundaries- between the classical and the improvisational worlds. He searches for the warmth in darker area of his expression. This is one of the reasons that this quality was recognised by Yamaha, where he was recognised as Yamaha artist (April 2023). In recent years he has been active in the fields of performance and theater. His performances include stage sound design with the interventions of movement and spoken words. Vollmaier creates music for dance and theater performances. His passion for the human voice led him to the “Centre Artistique International Roy Hart (CAIRH)” in the south of France, where he shares his research and knowledge as a teacher and musical co-director for vocal works.

Formed in 2002, Innertextures consists of Igor Lumpert on saxophone, Greg Ward on alto saxophone, Chris Tordini on bass, and Kenny Grohowski on drums. For their european tours they are joined by Matheus Jardim on drums and Masa Kamaguchi on double bass. As the leader and composer of the contemporary jazz ensemble Innertextures, Lumpert believes that writing and touring are crucial to the development of every musician’s original voice and the creation of a powerful music. The eclectic music of Innertextures weaves together musical, personal and cross- cultural experiences of the ensemble members. It is characterized by complex rhythmic patterns, intricate melodies, and improvisation that break barriers and build bridges.
The group draws inspiration from various sources, including classical music, Eastern European folk music, rhythms and patterns from African American culture, as well as chamber music and contemporary jazz.
Innertextures released five albums and the most recent three albums, released on the Portuguese label Cleen Feed Records, received critical praise for their “elusive lightness” and “original funk brilliance.” On “Eleven”, they were joined by some of the strongest voices in contemporary jazz: John Ellis, Greg Ward, and Jonathan Finlayson. The distinctive harmonies, the rhythms flavored by the traditional music of Eastern Europe, and the imaginative reworking of the Bosnian folk song, Brela, all served to push forward contemporary jazz and were well-received by critics and musical contemporaries.