"Frank Gratkowski, saxophone. Born in Hamburg, 1963.

Started playing the saxophone at 16 and, following a period at the Hamburg Conservatory (Hamburger Musikhochschule), moved in 1985 to study at the Cologne Conservatory of Music with Heiner Wiberny, graduating in 1990.

Further studies with Charlie Mariano, Sal Nistico and Steve Lacy.

Frank Gratkowski has been working as a soloist in various international formations (Grubenklang Orchester, Klaus Koenig Orchester, Musikfabrik NRW, Tony Oxley Celebration Orchestra, Bentje Braam, BikBentBraam, All Ears, Zeitkratzer, WDR Big band, etc.). Since 1990 he has been giving solo performances throughout Europe, Canada and USA. With his first solo program, he was a 1991 prizewinner in the Musik Kreativ contest. The release of the solo CD "Artikulationen" followed the same year and a new one "Artikulationen II" in 2002.

Since 1992 he has been working in a duo with the pianist Georg Graewe (CD "VicissEtudes"). The duo is often extended through the participation of different additional musicians, such as drummer Paul Lovens (CD "Quicksand") and bassist John Lindberg (CD "Arrears").

In 1995 he founded the "Frank Gratkowski Trio" with Dieter Manderscheid (Germany), bass, and Gerry Hemingway (USA), drums, (CDs "Gestalten" and "The Flume Factor" ). In 2000 the trio has been extended to a quartet by Dutch trombonist Wolter Wierbos (CDs "Kollaps", "Spectral Reflections", "Facio" and "Le Vent et la Gorge"). Since 2003 also appearing as a Double Quartet plus Tobias Delius, Herb Robertson, Wilbert DeJoode and Michael Vatcher. In 2005 he got the SWR Jazzprize.

In 1999 the duo with the Italian trombonist Sebastiano Tramontana has been formed and since 2001 Frank Gratkowski has been performing with a trio including Wilbert De Jode (NL) on bass and Achim Kaufmann (D) on piano (CDs "Kwast" and "Unearth"). Since 2006 he's working with the Trio Gratkowski / Brown / Winant (CDs "Wake" and "Vermilion Traces/Donaueschingen 2009"). He is also a co-leader / composer of the Multiple Joy[ce] Orchestra and got a commission to compose for the ensemble Apartment House by "November Music " (Den Bosch NL) and the "Huddersfield Comtemporary Music Fesitival" (England) in 2009. Further actual projects are Fo[u]r Alto, a saxophone ensemble dedicated to microtonal music and "Artikulationen E" a solo program for saxophone with 8 channel live electronic.

Frank Gratkowski played on nearly every German and on numerous international Jazz and contemporary music Festivals including Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago, New York, Seattle, Quebec, Les Mans, Muelhuus, Groeningen, Nickelsdorf, Barcelona, Lithuania, Warsaw, Zagreb, Prague, Bratislava, Sofia, Bucharest, Odessa and Roma, Huddersfield, London.

He has been teaching saxophone and ensembles at the Cologne, Berlin and Arnhem Conservatory of Music and is giving workshops all around the world.

Furthermore he has performed with Robert Dick, Phil Wachsmann, Radu Malfatti, Herb Robertson, Marcio Mattos, Eugenio Colombo, Peter Kowald, Ray Anderson, Michael Moore, Ken Vandermark, Greg Osby, Kenny Wheeler, Louis Sclavis, John Betsch, Jane Ira Bloom, Connie and Hannes Bauer, Xu Fengxia, James Newton, Muhal Richard Abrams, John Lindberg, Michael Formaneck, Ernst Reijseger, Fred van Hove, Theo Jörgensmann, Phil Minton, Peter Brötzmann, Mark Dresser, Mark Feldman, Hamid Drake, Michiel Braam, Han Bennink, Mal Waldron, Misha Mengelberg a.m.o."

"Steve Heather (Composer/Performer/Musician) is a freelance musician (drums, percussion, electronics) and composer, performance and installation maker based in Berlin. Born in Melbourne and studied percussion/improvisation at the Victoria College of the Arts and performance art at Das Arts/Amsterdam.

Steve Heather's current music projects/bands vary from avant guard, free jazz to noise, drone rock and prog fitness disco include: STIFF LEATHER, TUB, NEU TRAINERS, THE STILL, BOOKLET, MRS CONCEPTION, RAFT, SHELTER, THE PEELED EYE and ASHES. Steve was the co founder of the Amsterdam based electo acoustic music series, Kraak Geluiden and is also is the co-founder of the new media/ performance group SXS ENTERPRISE with Siegmar Zacharias and Xander De Boer.

As sound designer, composer and performer, Steve Heather works regularly in the fields of dance, theatre, film new media, performance and has worked with The Netherlands Dance Theatre, Sandra Parker Dance, Scapino Ballet, Ivana Müller, United Sorry and Dansgroep Amsterdam.

He performs regularly at European Festivals with performances, among others, at Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin) Haus Der Berliner Festspiele (Berlin), BRUT (Vienna), Grand Theatre (Gronigen), Sophiensaele (Berlin) and Volksbuhne (Berlin). Steve Heather has undertaken numerous artistic residencies in institutes such as Les Bains (Brussels), sophiensaele (Berlin), Steim (Amsterdam), STUK (Leuven), Grand Theatre (Gronigen), Dance House (Melbourne)."

"Dan Peter Sundland is a unique electric bass player and composer active in the jazz and improvising scenes in Norway and Berlin. His playing is set apart by his expressive, wide ranging playing techniques, including cello-like bowing and a varied palette of percussive colours.

His discography includes compositional work for his own eleven-piece Elevenette, the Berlin based improvising quartet Home Stretch and sideman work and collective groups including Lina Allemano's Ohrenschmaus, Simon Kanzler's hardcore opera and singer-songwriter Port Almond.

Dan Peter was born in Oslo, Norway, 15th July, 1986, and grew up in a village outside Trondheim, Norway called Børsa.He started playing bass at age 14, and studied with bass players Andreas Bergsland and Mattis Kleppen.He attended the jazz department of Sund Folk College 2005-06 and attained a bachelors degree in performing jazz at the jazz department of NTNU Music Institute in Trondheim in 2010.A European Jazz Masters degree (EUJAM) at the jazz department of NTNU Music Institute in Trondheim with exchange to Berlin Jazz Institute (Spring 2012) and Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium in Copenhagen (Fall 2012) followed in 2013.

Teachers include Bjørn Alterhaug, Mattis Kleppen, Ole Morten Vågan, Mats Eilertsen, Michael F. Duch and Tor Haugerud.

Member of Midt-Norsk Ungdomsstorband (Middle-Norwegian Youth Big Band) 2004-2006. Member of big band S. Møller 2009-2010.

Lead Trondheim Improvisation Orchestra together with Peder Simonsen 2009-2010.

Received Geir Digernes memorial award in 2012 and Sparebank1 Jazz Talent Award 2013.

Nominated for ECHO Jazz Newcomer of the year 2017 with Clara Haberkamp trio.

Has been featured with musicians including Jim Black, John Hollenbeck, Axel Dörner, Tobias Delius, Hans Hulbækmo, Hanna Paulsberg, Eirik Hegdal, John Pål Inderberg and Tor Haugerud."

"Kazuhisa Uchihashi (内橋和久, Uchihashi Kazuhisa) is a Japanese guitarist involved in free improvisation music. Born in 1959 in Osaka, Uchihashi began to play the guitar at age 12, playing in various rock bands, though he later studied jazz music. In 1988 he joined the band the First Edition, and in 1990 formed the band Altered States. He was also a member of Otomo Yoshihide's Ground Zero from 1994 to 1997. Uchihashi also plays daxophone, and in addition to his role as a free improviser, Uchihashi has been the musical director for Osaka theatre group Ishinha, has held improvisation workshops (a project known as New Music Action) in various cities in Japan, as well as London, Oslo, and currently in Vienna also. Uchihashi has set up his own record label, Innocent Records a.k.a. Zenbei Records, had held a music festival annually since 1996 Festival BEYOND INNOCENCE."