Impro Focus

with his raw, passionate saxophone sound, darius jones is currently making waves in the jazz avant-garde of new york. he’s also acclaimed as a composer. his recent album fluxkit vancouver (i̶t̶s̶ suite but sacred) resulted from a commission by vancouver-based arts center western front. it led to a suite in which classical string instruments set the tone for sprawling and intense improvisations. alto saxophonist darius jones will now reform the ensemble with the musicians that can be heard on the album: drummer gerald cleaver from new york, plus four string players from vancouver. the suite was partly inspired by the radical art movement fluxus, which was active out of western front. but above all it’s a manifesto for artistic freedom and a confrontation against apathy and ego. the project led to critical acclaim in media such as downbeat, pitchfork and the wire. ‘the raw, full-throated cry of jones' alto saxophone has long been one of the visceral pleasures of the improvising avant-garde’ (npr).

forward in all directions: the four members of the ex remain faithful to this indestructible motto. their 45th anniversary as a band will not be a standard retrospective. over 20 players will come on stage in all kinds of formations: a cross-section of the extensive network of the ex. originating from many countries, including the us, the uk, ethiopia, france norway and belgium. the 10 performances there will be room for free improvisation and new encounters, thrilling pop, poetry, visual art, and traditional ethiopian music.   with vocal, electric guitars and drums, the ex continues to seek new challenges. in its 45 year history, the band from wormer has played over 2000 concerts in 45 countries. through intense collaboration with ethiopian artists, the ex has been recognised as a pioneer in fusing music from different cultures. what started with politically conscious punk, rooted in the squatter ideology of the late 1970s, has evolved to an uncategorizable radius of action.   the line-up: zea + tsead bruinja + michelle samba katherina bornefeld + frank rosaly terrie 'ex' hessels + ken vandermark + emma fischer andy moor + marion coutts han bennink + guro kvale + farida amadou kiss my knoblauch etenesh wassie + misale legesse lena hessels xavier charles gw sok the ex presentation: guy peters

anna webber is a composer for whom timbre and sound are as important as harmony, melody, and rhythm. with her new band shimmer whince she explores the oldest and arguably most beautiful tuning in music history, just intonation. combined with contemporary rhythms and grooves it delivers an innovative sound. the international music press is raving: this year anna weber reached the number one spot in the downbeat critics poll in the categories rising star tenor saxophone en rising star flute. anna webber is a unique multi-talent on tenor sax and flute. her music runs like well-oiled clockwork and is fascinating to observe. in her bands she brings together talents from avant-jazz as wel as contemporary classical music. in shimmer whince she works with renowned players from new york such as trumpeter adam o’farrill, who previously performed on our stage in mary halvorson’s bands. the five-piece ansemble also features cellist mariel roberts, keyboardist elias stemeseder and drummer lesley mok.

the brand-new quartet ehbo brings together four generations of improvisational stars, formed during the han bennink vierdaagse at the roode bioscoop. the quartet consists of han bennink (drums), ernst glerum (bass), benjamin herman (saxophone) and oscar jan hoogland (piano). all four have long earned their own spurs within jazz and improvisation and are now joining forces for a limited number of concerts. han bennink, known for his collaborations with big names like dexter gordon and sonny rollins, and as co-founder of icp (instant composers pool), forms the core of the quartet together with bassist ernst glerum, also a member of this group. saxophonist benjamin herman, known from new cool collective, and pianist oscar jan hoogland, prominent in the amsterdam improv scene, complete the ensemble.

lux quartet is a new, adventurous quartet founded by pianist myra melford and drummer allison miller, two leading artists in modern improvised music. with saxophonist dayna stephens and bassist scott colley, they create a sound world that radiates with an intense yet nurturing energy. inspired by their shared passion for nature and their innovative musical approach, they combine original compositions with a profound connection to the natural world. the name lux quartet refers to the life-giving power of light, from the energy of solar rays to the bioluminescence in the deep sea. this reflects the musical heights and depths the group explores. melford and miller have both previously embraced the natural world in their work, as seen in melford's projects such as snowy egret and miller's rivers in our veins. their collaboration in the quartet is an extension of their years of work in miller's ensemble boom tic boom.