“Li” is a neo-Confucian term for patterns in nature. Fixed and dynamic patterns, patterns in time and space. Simultaneously cyclic, asymmetric and organised. Clouds, trees and dunes. Flow and chaos.
These concepts have inspired composers and artists for centuries, including Per Zanussi, who also considers it a useful metaphor when composing for improvising musicians.
Zanussi is himself part of this category of musicians, and he has played with many of the biggest names both nationally and internationally. Organizing improvisation is also the subject of his artistic PhD project from 2017, titled “Natural Patterns – Music Making for an Ensemble of Improvisers”.

Per Zanussi is known for his Zanussi 5 and 13 constellations, and is also currently currently working with Trespass Trio, Party+1 and Eyolf Dale Trio, among others. He is an Associate Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music and the University of Stavanger, Norway, and one of the country’s leading composers of jazz and contemporary music. Zanussi has previously written music for Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and BIT20, as well as more than 20 theatre and contemporary dance performances.
Li (and the Infinite Game) consists of 10 different sections, inspired by lots of different music, often at the same time, resulting in music from futuristic funk and prog-afrobeat to Korean shaman ballads and North African free jazz, reflecting the wide range of Zanussi’s practice.
The inspiration behind the second part of the title comes from James P Carse’s book “Finite and Infinite Games”:

“Finite games are those instrumental activities – from sports to politics to wars – in which the participants obey rules, recognize boundaries and announce winners and losers. The infinite game – there is only one – includes any authentic interaction, from touching to culture, that changes rules, plays with boundaries and exists solely for the purpose of continuing the game.”
“The Infinite Game” refers to the endless possibilities we have of forming relations with people we meet, in this case represented by the ensemble who join forces to create music together. To make the compositions come to life he has gathered 11 musicians from Bergen and Stavanger, who make up the members of the Vestnorsk Jazzensemble (VNJE) for this project

VNJE is Vestnorsk Jazzsenter’s new ensemble initiative. The musicians in the ensembles are hand picked for each project. The artistic director of VNJE is Kjetil Møster, who has played on and off with Per Zanussi for 25 years, and who is also playing tenor and baritone saxophones in this project.

Recorded January 23rd and 24th, 2022, by Jørgen Træen at Elektrolüd, Stavanger, with Anders Hana and Børge Fjordheim | Mixed by Jørgen Træen | Mastered by Jørgen Træen | Edited by Børge Fjordheim, Jørgen Træen and Per Zanussi
Produced by Per Zanussi | Executive production for Vestnorsk Jazzsenter by Audun Humberset | Executive production by Pedro Costa for Trem Azul | Photos by Jonas Boström | Design by Travassos