“The early 1980’s was a truly exciting time for those of us who were witnessing the beginning of the Downtown Scene. Japanese trumpeter, Toshinori Kondo, stood out since he was filled with the crazed creative energy, playing some of the most intense trumpet ever, dancing or contorting his body while playing and was filled with strange surprises.”
With the passing of Mr. Kondo in October of 2020, his longtime music partner Henry Kaiser put together a collection of improvisations titled Renzoku Jump – Henry Kaiser Remembers Toshinori Kondo (1948-2020), highlighting their work together from 1978-2020. Angelic harp sounds are interrupted by psychedelic guitar freak outs, electronically manipulated droning trumpet complements free jazz piano weirdness, and a unique improvisational language created over four decades of playing together becomes apparent with every passing second.
