Mads Tolling & Jacob Fischer at Scandinavian Cultural Center

MADS TOLLING & JACOB FISCHER – A TRIBUTE TO SVEND ASMUSSEN
Denmark has proud traditions, when it comes to playing jazz violin. Svend Asmussen was very loved all over Scandinavia, and even in the US many know of “The Fiddling Viking.” Residing in San Francisco – Danish-born violinist Mads Tolling is making a career in music. Mads has lived in the US since 2000, where he began his studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Soon after graduating he was discovered by French Jazz violinist, Jean-Luc Ponty, who recommended him to join bassist Stanley Clarke’s band. This encounter led to eight years of international touring and recording with Clarke. Mads has performed with some of the biggest names in jazz including Ramsey Lewis, Kenny Barron, Chick Corea, Paquito D’Rivera, and he has won two Grammy Awards as part of the string group, Turtle Island Quartet....

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MADS TOLLING & JACOB FISCHER – A TRIBUTE TO SVEND ASMUSSEN
Denmark has proud traditions, when it comes to playing jazz violin. Svend Asmussen was very loved all over Scandinavia, and even in the US many know of “The Fiddling Viking.” Residing in San Francisco – Danish-born violinist Mads Tolling is making a career in music. Mads has lived in the US since 2000, where he began his studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Soon after graduating he was discovered by French Jazz violinist, Jean-Luc Ponty, who recommended him to join bassist Stanley Clarke’s band. This encounter led to eight years of international touring and recording with Clarke. Mads has performed with some of the biggest names in jazz including Ramsey Lewis, Kenny Barron, Chick Corea, Paquito D’Rivera, and he has won two Grammy Awards as part of the string group, Turtle Island Quartet.

Ever since Mads as a 15-year-old called up Svend Asmussen, the two of them have stayed in contact till Svend’s passing last year. Back then Svend told Mads to listen to violinist Stuff Smith, and he soon after donated a large chunk of his music collection to Mads – including many handwritten charts.

Joining Mads Tolling this evening is Danish guitarist Jacob Fischer. Jacob is one of the premiere jazz guitarists in Europe, and many compare him to the great Django Reinhardt. Jacob was a member of Svend Asmussen’s quartet for the last 20 years of Svend’s life, and he is featured on several albums with the quartet. Mads and Jacob connected in 2014, when Mads put a new group together to tour Scandinavia. The two of them have performed over one hundred concerts in Northern Europe and the US.

The program will feature a mix of tunes all the way from Svend’s s collaboration with guitarist Ulrik Neumann back in the 40s and 50s up to his more recent quartet works. Svend’s signature tune “June Night” and the Swe-Danes hit “Scandinavian Shuffle” are on the set list, along with Danish folk tune, “I Skovens Dybe Stille Ro” as well as songs from the Great American Songbook.

Mads Tolling and Jacob Fischer have released an album that will be available on this tour of the US and Canada: Celebrating Svend Asmussen.

Thursday, September 19th | 7pm | $25; $15 for SCC Members

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