High Octane triple bill of coruscating Euro-improv. Bassist Luc Ex – of cult Dutch proto-punk band The Ex fame – leads a quartet that features the brilliant drummer Hamid Drake alongside a pair of multi-generational reeds players, Ab Baars and Ingrid Laubrock.

The astonishing Swiss trombonist Samuel Blaser leads a brand new trio with guitarist Marc Ducret and drummer Peter Bruun, whilst French saxophonist and sound explorer Guillaume Perret returns with the band that’s taken France by storm, winning this year’s talents jazz Adami Award.



LUC EX ASSEMBLEE

Luc Ex / acoustic bass
Hamid Drake / drums
Ab Baars / reeds
Ingrid Laubrock / saxophones

Dutch Acoustic bass player Luc Ex is a founder member of the punk group The Ex, and since leaving in 2003 has become a force of creative music making and improvisation driven by his punk roots and the Dutch experimental music scene.

He worked for many years with the cellist Tom Cora in ‘ROOF’ - A 4tet with vocal virtuoso Phil Minton and drummer Michael Vatcher, which after Tom’s death became 4WALLS with the maverick British pianist Veryan Weston, both groups receiving international acclaim. They were specifically appreciated by their new approach of combining tightly rehearsed pieces with free improvisations. Forming a new group in 2007 with Veryan Weston, Tony Buck, Hannah Marshall, Mandy Drummond and Ingrid Laubrock – SOL 6 saw luc continuing a collaboration with Veryan Weston combining original rhythmically driven pieces with open and highly explosive improvisations, who’s live performance was featured last year on The Arts Council’s ‘Space’ online. He has recently started to work on a new project TRIOLEX with improvisation maestro’s Tristan Honsinger, Phil Minton and African drummer Serigne CM Gueye.

“Guaranteed to make hairs stand up where you didn't know you had any”- Dan Warburton (about 4Walls)




SAMUEL BLASER TRIO

Samuel Blaser / trombone
Marc Ducret / guitar
Peter Bruun / drums

At a time when there are more musicians in the world trying to be heard than ever before, rare gems like Samuel Blaser seem, paradoxically, to rise above it all. With As the Sea, Blaser's follow-up to his 2011 Hatology debut Boundless and featuring the same multinational, transatlantic quartet - French guitarist Marc Ducret, Swiss bassist
Bänz Oester and American drummer Gerald Cleaver - he's already achieved a rare prominence as one of his generation's most wildly elegant, relentlessly forward-thinking and undeniably virtuosic trombonists.

"Blaser's multifaceted dynamics and insightful compositional acumen sparks a massive body of knowledge, seasoned with the instrumentalists' impressive technical faculties and sympathetic treatments under the canopy. Indeed, a striking exposition from this nascent talent who artfully defies mainstream principles and packs a mighty punch along the way." - All About Jazz

ELECTRIC EPIC

GUILLAUME PERRET & the ELECTRIC EPIC is a French jazz band, founded in 2008 by composer and sax player Guillaume Perret.

Guillaume was born July 21, 1980, graduated by Conservatoire de Chambéry. His musical career was started at 2002, when he wrote music for Théâtre d'Icy, played with different jazz musicians, toured Switzerland (with 4tet NOSQUARE). During next years he was busy ,collaborating with many musicians, toured (with 4tet NOSQUARE) Poland, Thailand, Argentina, Chile, Germany, few more times Switzerland, etc. As guest musician participated in several albums. Played concerts with Nguyen Le between others. With LINDEMANN 6TET recorded few albums and toured Vietnam and Thailand. With 4tet NOSQUARE toured Poland, Germany and Switzerland, recorded album.

Electric Epic members are Yoann Serra (ONJ),Philippe Bussonnet (Magma) and Jim Grandcamp (Eric Serra, Jannick Top). Band's music is heavy jazz fusion with zeuhl elements. In 2009 Electric Epic played in Paris' Olympia, debut album released in April 2010.