hydrangea by jo jena

this album focuses on composition, arrangement and improvisation, in that order.

the suite "el arpa de la guerrera" was originally freely improvised in four parts (see free solo #38). i turned it into a through-composed work for extended range nylon guitar, influenced by latin american guitar literature and pop music.

it is followed by three arrangements of modal pieces by jazz composers who are known for a specific harmonic vocabulary (presumably closer to the language of neoclassical composer paul hindemith than black american music legends like duke ellington). i allow myself some liberties in the improvisation of the musical material, which in this form and spontaneity are certainly only possible when playing solo. having explored the pieces in three successive takes, i recommend listening to them as a suite as well. you might then agree with me that there is a clear family resemblance (wittgenstein: "familienähnlichkeit").

the album closes with one of my free solo ambient pieces - improvised on the spot. nevertheless, i place a great deal of emphasis on thematic work here. hence, the term spontaneous composition is probably more precise.

downloads include 20 page score for 3 part suite "el arpa de la guerrera" and postscore of „ilkley moor“.

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"our next artist may be the most prolific guitarist you never heard of."

scott millsop, minor7th podcast

"german guitarist jo jena makes his recording debut with his nylon string fanned fret 7-string stoll guitar on hydrangea. the acoustic portion of the album is split between original compositions and arrangements of challenging jazz and fusion music. "suite part I: norwegian odd" earns its title with a kind of paraphrase of the beatles tune "norwegian wood." played fingerstyle with liberal use of the instrument's lower register, it strongly suggests its inspiration without ever actually quoting it directly. "suite part II: el arpa de la guerrera" takes its title from a piece by cuban composer/guitarist leo brouwer, and alternates lyrical passages with propulsive odd-metered moto perpetuo. "suite part III: hydrangea" gives the album its title with a gentle, almost folk-like melody. wayne shorter's "teru" (from his 1967 album adam's apple) is a beautiful ballad. kenny wheeler's "ma belle hélène" (from his 1990 album the widow in the window, featuring guitarist john abercrombie) is played freely, an interpretation suggesting the way ralph towner might approach it. the final cover is allan holdsworth's "zarabeth" (from his 1992 album wardenclyffe tower), largely bypassing holdsworth's solo pyrotechnics and stripping the tune back to its lyrical compositional basics. the album closes with the extended "ilkley moor," one of jena's free solo ambient improvisations employing electric guitar, electronics, and looping. A slowly evolving soundscape, it provides a contrast to the acoustic pieces as well as a lovely final chapter."

mark sullivan, minor7th review, spring issue

"the guitarist jo jena, a student of elliott sharp, is concerned with levelling genres. he mostly performs and records solo. in doing so, he feels, as one can hear, equally indebted to the solo playing of ralph towner or egberto gismonti as well as to advanced contemporary classical music, but also to naked sounds that reverberate in space and are worth listening to – his cd ‘hydrangea’, released in 2024, was the last to feature his classically based solo playing."

gabriel aniol, jazzpodium

„jo jena seamlessly melds a variety of influences – extended acoustic techniques, ambient guitar, and 20th century harmonic practices to deliver a captivating and fascinating listening experience.”

ben monder

imm is an independent r&d hub with the aim of exploring new forms of musical expression. most recordings are solo works by jj. collaborations i.e. with burtis knight complement it.

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