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Electronic Press Kit
Berke Can Özcan & Jonah Parzen-Johnson
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Press Quotes
“An arresting tangle of minimalist electronic drones, rumbling drums and modal jazz sax freakouts.”
– The Guardian (UK)
“Their shared rapport has led to a frequently tuneful unspooling.” 4 Stars
– Downbeat Magazine (USA)
“Sofisticanti tentativi di fourth world music che da Hassell portano alle vibrazioni contemporanee di Natural Information Society”
– Blow Up Magazine (Italy)
“A masterfully crafted collection, skillfully layering synthesizers and acoustics to provide a textured backdrop for languid saxophone melodies.”
– All About Jazz (USA)
Biography
In April 2022, Brooklyn based baritone saxophonist, Jonah Parzen-Johnson, found himself on a flight from New York to Istanbul to play a one-off duo concert with a veteran drummer & sound designer at the center of Istanbul’s vibrant music scene, Berke Can Özcan. They met for the first time 30 minutes before soundcheck. The concert that followed could have been the culmination of years of collaboration. Both urgent and timeless, their musical partnership is instantly solid, innocent and joyful.
It Was Always Time meticulously builds on itself, weaving layers of found-sound samples over acoustic percussion to frame poignant saxophone melodies that melt into rich synth interludes. Although the album is almost completely improvised, the depth of texture and devotion to melody make it feel through-composed. From track to track, each musician places their trust in the other, and as ambition evolves into empathy, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. This is not a protest album, or music that sets out to directly change the world. Rather, in the subtle way that only art is capable of, the music made by this international duo of strangers turned friends is a reminder: Be curious, find joy, build something better together. It’s time. It was always time.
Jonah Parzen-Johnson makes music for baritone saxophone that challenges listeners with experimental textures & forms while embracing them with warm approachable melodies. A Chicago native and longtime Brooklyn resident, Jonah has performed solo in more than a dozen countries across four continents. His performances are a deeply intimate experience, as he endeavors to share who he is, how he sees our world, and the temporary moments of community that we can all embrace together.
Berke Can Özcan is a musician, producer, performing and recording artist, composer, and songwriter born in Istanbul, now residing in Abu Dhabi. He has toured the globe (Europe, East Africa, Japan and Satsunan Islands, North and South America, Canary Islands, UK) and his recording credits include collaborations with artists like Arve Henriksen, Jonah Parzen-Johnson, Kenny Wollesen, Erland Dahlen, and Jack Irons. His projects range from dance theatre performances like “The Things We Carry” to sound sculpture installations with “Found Sounds”.
Since their first meeting, this duo has been featured across Europe and in the United States. Following an EP raising money for earthquake relief in 2023, the two are proud to release their debut LP on We Jazz Records in November 2024.
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Jonah Parzen-Johnson Solo
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Press Quotes
“Autechre-esque pings, burbles and boings swirl together in the backs as Parzen-Johnson takes deep, chest rattling sax solos that scale the same ecstatic heights as Mats Gustafson but in a much more disciplined and mantra-like manner.”
“With every melodious note, circular breath and heavy drone, Parzen-Johnson delivers a work of intense beauty.”
“A meditative invocation of self-realization.”
“A rare specialist in that most challenging of disciplines, the solo recital.”
Biography
Jonah Parzen-Johnson makes music for baritone saxophone & flute that challenges listeners with experimental textures & forms while embracing them with warm approachable melodies. A Chicago native and longtime Brooklyn resident, Jonah has performed solo in more than a dozen countries across four continents. You might find him at Jazz festivals in Berlin, Helsinki & Seattle, concert halls in Istanbul & Bruges, rock clubs in Rotterdam, Montreal & Rome, or Jazz clubs in New York & Chicago. His solo performances are a deeply intimate experience, as he endeavors to share who he is, how he sees our world, and the temporary moments of community that we can all embrace together.