Colin Stetson / Stian Westerhus

This musical summit at the end of the year sees Canadian saxophonist Colin Stetson and Norwegian guitarist Stian Westerhus team up for a half-improvised live set to showcase their two decade-spanning contributions to the diversification of musical genres and establishing new standards in live music. Stetson has played saxophone for Tom Waits, Feist or Arcade Fire, made horror-film music ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre"), and made 10 solo albums that went beyond jazz to drone and minimal music. The way he blows into his alto saxophone live with full body effort and plays endless arpeggio arcs with circular breathing is a physical and acoustic experience for both the instrument and the audience (e.g., at Kampnagel during the ÜBERJAZZ Festival). Stian Westerhus, however, is one of the most outstanding Norwegian jazz guitarists due to his collaborations with Nils Petter Molvr or Jaga Jazzist, but he's also ennobled the metal band Ulver with his raw, effect-driven sound cascades and is also a singer on several solo albums with minimalist, gloomy electric guitar acrobatics. Now, these two musical prodigies will meet live on stage in a half-improvised set.