Multi-instrumentalist Marilyn Mazur began as a child pro- digy in the late 1960s and in the early ‘70s she was already leading her own group. Extremely progressive for the times, Zirenes featured Mazur as composer, pianist, vocalist and dancer. Other groups followed: Six Winds, MM4 and Primi Band, all with Mazur as the creative epicenter. Mazur was extremely active on the international music scene as a member of Miles Davis’ various bands from 1985, and later toured with an impressive list of artists including Wayne Shorter, Gil Evans and Jan Garbarek. Her own group for many years, Future Song, was also an international attraction.

Marilyn Mazur has received many honors: The Ben Webster Award (1983), The JazzPar Prize (2001), Wilhelm Hansen Composers Prize (2004), Django D’Or – Legend of Jazz (2006), Telenor International Culture Prize (2007), JTI Jazz Award (2010), and every year she is listed in various polls of the world’s best percussionists. It is always exciting to start up a new release with Marilyn Mazur. She follows her own chosen path and always challenges the borders of her own musical territory. Flamingo Sky shows Mazur in the most minimalistic of her groups with two Swedish musicians, who have been part of her musical world for years: guitarist Krister Jonsson and vocalist Josefine Cronholm. If anyone should happen to picture anemic, blonde-haired, Swedish jazz, they need to readjust their expectations!

On Flamingo Sky the trio has created powerful, constantly developing music that touches on a multitude of sounds. From tender ballads to dreamy musical canvases, from funky pieces to frenetic acid music, it is always played with ease. Your shoulders will stay in place, and often you will be tempted to just lean back, close your eyes and let the music caress your soul and body.

Each track has its own atmosphere and pulse, and Mazur’s special melodic touch. Each tune starts with a melodic line or a few notes. Soon Josefine Cronholm’s beautiful, pristine alto and Jonsson’s insistent, dynamic guitar are added. And although you may not be able to hum along the first time round, they are interpreted so wonderfully and with such joy, that by the second listening each tune already sounds completely natural and beautiful, and as if you’ve known it all your life.

Marilyn Mazur builds up the grooviest, spellbinding per- cussion patterns. Each percussion instrument has been chosen, prepared and tuned to fit Mazur’s universe of sound. Every beat, roll and tiny bell comes at exactly the right time. And her piano playing also contributes to the beauty of this album.

On FLAMINGO SKY three musicians – augmented on two tracks by bassist Klavs Hovman – have created a unique musical statement that grows with each new listening and gradually becomes part of your DNA.