| Two Portuguese, a Belgium, an Italian and a Czech: this is a true European combo. Combo? Well, not the conventional one: there are two drummers, João Lobo and Marek Patrman, and two horn players, Daniele Martini and Toine Thys. The band leader, Hugo Antunes, plays the only lone instrument, the double bass, being the axis of everything happening. All the pieces are structures for improvisation, and if Antunes' writing is intended to ignite musical situations, as points of departure, it's also the result of a research work, in order to achieve the idea, and its realization, of "an unique act of creation, of absolute artistic freedom, in which all the participants are, simultaneously, composers and interpreters". There's nothing new in it, but it's also true that the old aspiration to master "real time composition" is a work-in-progress with no end on sight. That's a mission in itself, and these five young improvisers are totally commited to it. Antunes has already an envyable international career, with the likes of Adam Lane, Michael Attias, Alexandra Samsonova, Jesus Santandreu, Benny Lackner, Robin Verheyen and Alexi Tuomarila, among others, and is involved in projects like Loopless, Velkro and Noi Trio. Lobo plays frequently with Enrico Rava, Alexandra Grimal, Giovanni Guidi, Carlos Bica, Scott Fields and had the opportunity to share experiences with Roswell Rudd, Gianluca Petrella, Julian Arguelles and John Hebert. Daniele Martini had John Abercrombie, Adam Nussbaum and Bert Joris as stage partners and is involved in an afro-beat band with Neco Novellas and Oghene Kologbo, from the legendary Fela Kuti's Afro 70. Thys leads the groups Toine Thys Hammond Trio, Take the Duck and Rackham, and played, for instance, with Ben Monder, Andrew D'Angelo, Chris Cheek and Rick Margitza. Patrman has Erik Vermeulen, John Ruocco and Ben Sluijs as usual companions. They're right in the middle of the new jazz scene, and you're gonna hear (about) them more often. Start now. |