"Barry John Guy (born 22 April 1947, in London) is a British composer and double bass player. His range of interests encompasses early music, contemporary composition, jazz and improvisation, and he has worked with a wide variety of orchestras in the UK and Europe. He also taught at Guildhall School of Music.

Born in London, Guy came to the fore as an improvising bassist as a member of a trio with pianist Howard Riley and drummer Tony Oxley (Witherden, 1969). He also became an occasional member of John Stevens' ensembles in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Spontaneous Music Ensemble. In the early 1970s, he was a member of the influential free improvisation group Iskra 1903 with Derek Bailey and trombonist Paul Rutherford (a project revived in the late 1970s, with violinist Philipp Wachsmann replacing Bailey). He also formed a long-standing partnership with saxophonist Evan Parker, which led to a trio with drummer Paul Lytton which became one of the best-known and most widely travelled free-improvising groups of the 1980s and 1990s. He was briefly a member of the Michael Nyman Band in the 1980s, performing on the soundtrack of The Draughtsman's Contract.

Guy's interests in improvisation and formal composition received their grandest form in the London Jazz Composers Orchestra. Originally formed to perform Guy's composition Ode in 1972 (released as a 2-LP set on Incus and later, in expanded form, as a 2-CD set on Intakt), it became one of the great large-scale European improvising ensembles. Early documentation is spotty - the only other recording from its early years is Stringer (FMP, now available on Intakt paired with the later "Study II") - but beginning in the late 1980s the Swiss label Intakt set out to document the band more thoroughly. The result was a series of ambitious, album-length compositions designed to give all the players in the band maximum opportunity for expression while still preserving a rigorous sense of form: Zurich Concerts, Harmos, Double Trouble (originally written for an encounter with Alexander von Schlippenbach's Globe Unity Orchestra, though the eventual CD was just for the LJCO), Theoria (a concerto for guest pianist Irène Schweizer), Three Pieces, and Double Trouble Two. The group's activities subsided in the mid-1990s, but it was never formally disbanded, and reconvened in 2008 for a one-off concert in Switzerland. In the mid-1990s Guy also created a second, smaller ensemble, the Barry Guy New Orchestra.

Guy has also written for other large improvising ensembles, such as the NOW Orchestra and ROVA (the piece Witch Gong Game inspired by images by the visual artist Alan Davie).

His current improvising activities include piano trios with Marilyn Crispell and Agusti Fernandez. He has also recorded several albums for ECM, which often focus on the interface between improvisers and electronics, including his work in Evan Parker's Electro-Acoustic Ensemble and his own Ceremony.

Guy's session work in the pop field includes playing double bass on the song "Nightporter", from the Japan album Gentlemen Take Polaroids.

He is married to the early music violinist Maya Homburger. After spending some years in Ireland, they now live in Switzerland. They run the small label Maya, which releases a variety of records in the genres of free improvisation, baroque music and contemporary composition.

Guy's jazz work is characterised by free improvisation, using a range of unusual playing methods: bowed and pizzicato sounds beneath the bass's bridge; plucking the strings above the left hand; beating the strings with percussion instrument mallets; and "preparing" the instrument with sticks and other implements inserted between the strings and fingerboard. His improvisations are often percussive and unpredictable, inhabiting no discernible harmonic territory and pushing into unknown regions. However, they can also be melodious and tender with due regard for harmonic integration with other players, and at times he will even play with a straight jazz swing feel.

Similarly, in his concert works, Guy manages to alternate harmonic and rhythmic complexity worthy of 1960s experimentalists such as Penderecki and Stockhausen with joyous, often ecstatic, melody. Works such as "Flagwalk" for string orchestra and "Fallingwater - Concerto for Orchestra" display Guy's compositional skill in handling extended forms and writing for large instrumental groups.

Some of his compositions, such as "Witch Gong Game" for ensemble, use graphic notation in conjunction with cue cards to lead performers into playing and improvising material from numbered sections of the score.

He is also an architect."

"Agustí Fernández (Palma de Mallorca, 1954), with a perfectly based career and a well-deserved international reputation, is one of the Spanish musicians of major international projection and a world reference in the field of improvised music. Fernández has worked with famous musicians of the free improvisation scene like Peter Kowald, Derek Bailey, Butch Morris, Evan Parker, Barry Guy, Mats Gustafsson, Joel Ryan and Peter Evans a.m.o. He is a member of the Blue Shroud Band, Mats Gustafsson NU Ensemble and Barry Guy New Orquestra. Up to the current date he has published more than 80 CD's

He has also worked with the recognised composer of contemporary music Héctor Parra, who composed in collaboration with the pianist FREC, a solo for expanded piano. FREC has been premiered at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in 2013 with the collaboration of the video artist Lucas Caraba. He has conducted various improvised music ensembles like Ad Libitum Ensemble (Varsaw), Free Art Ensemble (Barcelona), Ansambl Studio 6 (Lujbljana) Orquesta FOCO (Madrid), Entenguerengue (Jérez de la Frontera), Impromtu Ensemble (Valencia), etc.

Along his professional life Agustí Fernández has received much recognition. His solo for piano "Mutza" presented in New York in 2007 was distinguished by the New York magazine AllAboutJazz as one of 10 best concerts from that year. The CD "Un llamp que no s'acaba mai" on PSI (Agustí Fernández, John Edwards and Mark Sanders) has been distinguished by Allaboutjazz as one of the best 10 cd's in 2009; the CD "Aurora" on Maya Recordings (Agustí Fernandez, Barry Guy and Ramón López) was selected by Cuadernos de Jazz magazine as the best CD in 2007, by the Jaç magazine as the best fourth disc of the history of the Catalan jazz and it was Disc d'émoi (February, 2007) for the French Jazz Magazine. The "Agustí Fernández Aurora Trio" received the second prize at the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2012 celebrated in Münich, Germany. In 2000 he received the Festival Altaveu Award, Sant Boi de Llobregat (Catalonia). In 2001 he received the FAD - Sebastià Guasch Award, Barcelona (Cataluña) with Andrés Corchero por el or the performance "A modo de esperanza". In 2011 Agustí Fernández was the main character of the documentary film "Los dedos huéspedes" by Lucas Caraba, which has been screened in several international festivals of documentary. In 2014 the Ad Libitum Festival (Warsaw) dedicated a monographic edition to celebrate Fernández's 60th Birthday.

He's professor of improvised music at the Escuela Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC). He's developing an important teaching activity in the field of improvised music and, among other, he has been teaching in IRCAM in Paris, the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre de Tallin, the Royal Conservatory in The Hague (Holland), the Conservatory in Arhem (Holland), the Taller de Músicos in Gijón (Spain), the Taller de Músics in Barcelona (Spain) and the Conservatorio Superior de Música in Salamanca (Spain)."

"Michael Niesemann (born October 11, 1960 in Velbert ) is a German oboist and university teacher.

Niesemann was a founding member of the baroque ensemble Concerto Köln and played for ten years as a member of Musica Antiqua Köln. Today he is solo oboist of the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchester Révolutionnaire et Romantique , each under the direction of John Eliot Gardiner.

Michael Niesmann studied from 1979 to 1987 at the University of Music and Dance Cologne , where he also taught from 1993. From April 2004 he was professor for baroque oboe at the University of Music Würzburg. In October 2007 he was appointed professor of oboe at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen.

Among his musical releases are recordings from the fields of early music , new music and jazz."

"Torben Snekkestad was born in 1973 in Norway and now resides in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Torben Snekkestad is a classically educated saxophonist, dedicated in both contemporary music and many different forms of improvisation. Alongside with his classical work, he also focuses extensively on jazz.

Torben Snekkestad has premiered numerous pieces, both with his ensembles and also as a soloist with orchestras such as 'The Norwegian Radio Orchestra' and 'Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen'.

He is the soprano-saxophonist of the 'Copenhagen Saxophone Quartet' - one of Denmark's most prominent chamber music ensembles, their records and concerts being internationally acclaimed. He also plays contemporary music in another Danish chamber music ensemble, '4 Elements'.

Duo projects include those with composer Jens Hørsving such as 'Among Machines' and with saxophonist Rolf Erik Nystrøm. Torben Snekkestad also gives solo-saxophone concerts which include compositions by composers such as Berio, Stockhausen and Scelsi, along side with Scandinavian compositions and also his own improvisations/compositions.

As a jazz musician Torben Snekkestad's main projects are: 'Conic Folded' - a solo, duo and trio project which feature many of his own compositions. He performs with such groups as Spring (a Danish free jazz quartet),Tri O`Trang (a Norwegian trio) and Trygve Seim Orchestra(a Norwegian band on the ECM label). Torben Snekkestad's wide ranging musical interests have led him into numerous musical settings over the years, ranging from the music of the baroque and classical chamber music genres to rock, folk music and free jazz.

As a composer he writes mainly for his own ensembles, as well as for other projects.

Torben Snekkestad currently teaches classical saxophone at 'The Royal Danish Academy of Music' and at various workshops.

He has toured extensively throughout Europe, the USA, Russia, East Asia and Argentina."

"Jürg Wickihalder was born in 1973 in the little Alpine town of Glarus in central Switzerland. Unlikely as it may seem, in the '80s Glarus was home to a remarkable community of musicians and a lively jazz scene, where Wickihalder as a teenager already met such well-known musicians as Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand), Benny Bailey, or Ray Anderson. While still in high school in the '90s, Wickihalder commenced his studies in jazz composition and saxophone with Urs Leimgruber at the Jazz School Lucerne. In 1992, he moved to Boston, Massachusetts (USA), where he studied with Joe Viola and George Garzone at the Berklee College of Music and developed a strong and widely heard voice, particularly on soprano saxophone. After his return to Europe, Wickihalder continued to deepen his musical language by studying with American soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy in 2000 and expanded his knowledge of the art of great jazz composers such as Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus.

Since 1996, Wickihalder has mainly worked as the leader of his own groups performing his compositions. The Jürg Wickihalder Overseas Quartet (CD "Furioso," Intakt 153), the Jürg Wickihalder European Quartet feat. Irène Schweizer (CD "Jump," Intakt 194), and the Jürg Wickihalder Orchestra (CD "Narziss & Echo," Intakt 209). He regularly plays in duos with pianist Chris Wiesendanger (CD "A Feeling for Someone," Intakt 134) and Irène Schweizer (CD "Spring," Intakt 234).

BEYOND, a trio with Barry Guy on bass and Lucas Niggli on drums (CD "Beyond," Intakt 277) is Wickihalder's most recent project, receiving considerable critical acclaim.

Wickihalder tours worldwide and is a member of the Barry Guy New Orchestra (GB) and the Uli Gumpert Quartett (GER), among other groups. He is a winner of numerous awards, including composition and soloist awards from the Dienemann Foundation, made the dean's list at the Berklee College of Music, received the 18th Annual Student Award of the US music magazine Downbeat and has been performing and teaching as an official Selmer Paris Artist since 2006."

Simon Picard is a British jazz saxophonist. He has been associated with the groups: Elton Dean's Unlimited Saxophone Company, John Stevens Folkus, Keith Tippett Tapestry Orchestra, London Improvisers Orchestra, London Jazz Composers Orchestra, Paul Dunmall Moksha Big Band, Paul Dunmall Octet, Paul Dunmall Quartet, Paul Dunmall Sextet, Stinky Winkles, The British Saxophone Quartet, Trevor Watts Moire Music Sextet, Trevor Watts' Moiré Music.

"Julius Gabriel is a saxophonist and composer dedicating himself to the universal power of music. He is part of the Blue Shroud Band from Barry Guy, of the orchestra The Dorf, a founding member of About Angels and Animals, Blutiger Jupiter, Das Behälter, Ikizukuri, Paisiel and developing his original music as a solo artist. Among many others he performed with Gunter Hampel and the London Jazz Composers Orchestra. He studied music at conservatories in Berlin and at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen."

"Konrad "Conny" Bauer, born in Halle an der Saale in 1943, began making music as a teenager. After self-taught beginnings as a singer and guitarist in various bands, he studied trombone in Dresden. There he discovered jazz for himself. After completing his studies, he moved to Berlin and played among other things. in the "Modern Soul Band", later in the groups "FEZ", "Exis" and "Doppelmoppel". In 1974 Conny Bauer gave his first solo concert at the legendary Peitz Festival. Since then he has fascinated his audience with ever new sounds and surprising harmonies, which he creates with his characteristic polyphonic blowing techniques. The American music journalist John Corbett coined the term "conradisms" and described Bauer's music as "one of the most radical original voices in improvised music." Bauer toured Europe, the United States, South America and Japan. He played with internationally renowned improvisation musicians such as Gianluigi Trovesi (sax, cl), Peter Kowald (b) or Peter Brötzmann (sax) and is next to Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky (sax), Günter "Baby" Sommer (dr) and Uli Gumpert ( p) Founding member of the "Central Quartet"."

"Andreas Tschopp was born on May 15, 1979 in Zurich, Switzerland. At the age of eleven he started to play the trombone. In 2003 he graduated from the Hochschule für Musik Basel with a degree in music pedagogy and jazz trombone.Currently, he is teaching jazz trombone at the Lucerne University of Arts.

Andreas Tschopp is one of Switzerland's most in-demand jazz trombone freelancers, playing in Switzerland as well as internationally. He is performing in very diverse musical constellations ranging from duo settings up to Jazz Orchestras. He's a member of the Swiss Jazz Orchestra, the ensembles Hildegard lernt fliegen, Le Rex, Skyjack, Vertigo Trombone Quartet, Starch, Bamert/Tschopp Duo, Lauer Large and numerous other projects. For many of these bands he is also contributing music as a composer.Currently he is preparing the second release of his band Bubaran playing jazz influenced by Indonesian gamelan music, as well as music for two new groups, a chamber jazz trio and an electroacoustic sextet.

Andreas Tschopp played in Bob Brookmeyer's New Art Orchestra, the London Jazz Composers Orchestra, Zurich Jazz Orchestra, Lucerne Jazz Orchestra and various Festival Big Bands. He collaborated in small band settings with Pierre Favre, Carlo Mombelli, Nils Wogram, Hans Feigenwinter, Rainer Tempel, Johannes Lauer, Reto Suhner, Adi Pflugshaupt, Mats Spillmann, just to name a few.

Andreas played concerts on all five continents, performing at prestigious festivals as for example the Northsea Jazzfestival, Jazzfestival Willisau, Montreux Jazzfestival, moers Festival, Jazzfest Berlin, jazznojazz Zürich, Cully Jazz, jz Festival Shanghai, International Festival for Music and Dance Bangkok, National Arts Festival South Africa."

"Alan Tomlinson was born in Manchester and studied trombone at the City of Leeds College of Music. He has been actively improvising since the early 1970s and was a member of I.L.E.A's Cockpit Theatre Music Ensemble, Tony Oxley's Angular Apron, Barry Guy's London Jazz Composers Orchestra and the Ballet Rambert Orchestra.

He works with musicians including Jon Corbett, David Toop, Phil Minton and Paul Hession and has toured all over Europe and as far afield as North America and Siberia. He recorded the solo album 'Still Outside' in 1980 and more recently 'Trap Street', with Steve Beresford (electronics) and Roger Turner (percussion) which was released in May 2003 on Emanem."

"Henry Lowther was born in Leicester, England, in 1941. His first musical experiences were through his father, who gave him cornet tuition, and with the local Salvation Army band. In his teenage years he developed an interest in classical music and studied violin, eventually entering the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 18 to study with the highly respected violinist Manoug Parikian. Shortly after this Henry became interested in jazz after listening to Indian music and, after being inspired by hearing a recording of Sonny Rollins, resumed brass playing on trumpet.

During the sixties Henry was one of the first musicians on the British jazz scene to experiment with total free improvisation, notably with the famous Cream bassist, Jack Bruce, and with Lyn Dobson and John Hiseman. He was a member of the original and seminal Mike Westbrook band (which included Mike Osborne and John Surman) and also in 1967 Henry joined the John Dankworth Orchestra, the beginning of an association that was to last almost 45 years. This was the band that recorded the now legendary Kenny Wheeler album, "Windmill Tilter", and also Dankworth's Million Dollar Collection which also featured Henry playing violin. In the sixties Henry worked on the rock scene with Manfred Mann and John Mayall, and also with Keef Hartley, with whom he appeared at the famous and legendary Woodstock festival in 1969.

Over the last 50 years Henry's work on the British jazz scene reads like a "Who's Who". He has played regularly with, amongst many others, Gordon Beck, Michael Garrick, Graham Collier, Mike Gibbs, Pete King, Loose Tubes, John Surman, John Taylor, Stan Tracey and Kenny Wheeler.

Over the years Henry has toured widely with various artists and bands in Europe, Canada, India, Japan, Finland, the former Soviet Union, Bermuda, Kuwait and the USA. Tours in recent years have included those with the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, John Harle, Rolling Stones's drummer Charlie Watts and His Tentet, the London Jazz Composers Orchestra, the New York Composers Orchestra, the Hamburg NDR band and Hermeto Pascoal. He is one of only two or three players in the world to have had the honour of playing lead trumpet with both Gil Evans and George Russell. In 2000 Henry took part in the "Schuller at 75" concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with the distinguished composer Gunther Schuller and the London Sinfonietta.

Henry's musical breadth is confirmed by his frequent engagements as a classical player with major symphony orchestras and ensembles, including the London Brass Virtuosi, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the London Sinfonietta, Germany's Ensemble Moderne and the Matrix Ensemble. Until its demise Henry was for five years the solo flugelhorn player with the strings of the BBC Radio Orchestra, and as a session musician has recorded with Bing Crosby, George Harrison, Elton John, Henry Mancini, Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, Sir Simon Rattle, Nelson Riddle and Talk Talk, amongst many others.

Jazz albums Henry has played on in recent years include those with Mark Lockheart, Colin Towns' Mask Orchestra, Stan Sulzmann, John Surman's Brass Project, three Kenny Wheeler albums including the highly influential Music for Large and Small Ensembles, and three albums with Jim Mullen and the Great Wee Band including The Sound of Music which was named by four critics as their choice for CD of the Year in 2010.

Henry worked regularly for nearly 45 years playing in many of Sir John Dankworth bands and projects and it was in 2009, whilst playing in duo format with the amazing percussionist and drummer Paul Clarvis in the Stables Theatre, Wavendon, that John played in public for the very last time "sitting in".

In 1996, along with his great friend the great bass player Dave Green, Henry formed his own band Still Waters to enable him to pursue his increasing interest in composition. In 1997 Still Waters recorded an album, "ID", on the Village Life label, to much critical acclaim. Although most of Henry's compositional activity has been directed towards small band jazz as vehicles for improvisation, he has, in the last few years tried to devote more time to larger compositions.

Among these are "Bredon Hill", written for the BBC, a piece commissioned by the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra and "Diversees", a brass quintet commissioned by Chaconne Brass, a recording of which can be found by on their CD, "We Are Not Alone". Henry has also had two commissions for performances by the London Brass Virtuosi (LBV) - one by Rikskonserter, the Swedish State Arts Agency, and the other, "Sticks and Tones", by the Jemina Festival in Spain. This was first performed by Henry and Paul Clarvis, along with the LBV, in 2001.

In 2010 Henry was invited to Singapore to take part in Brass Explosion. As well as other activities there he was invited to write for and play in concert with one of Britain's leading brass bands, the Desford Colliery Band. In 2014 he returned to Singapore with the UK Jazz Masters and again in 2015.

In 2015 Henry was invited by Birmingham Jazz to curate the Jewellery Quarter Festival. In this role he played in a number of different bands as well as with Still Waters.

Currently Henry writes for and plays in the London Jazz Orchestra, gigs with Still Waters and the Great Wee Band and also performs free improvised music in trio format with violinist Satuko Fukada and guitarist John Russell. The great jazz composer and conductor Scott Stroman often invites Henry to participate in many of his choral projects and also with Scott, Henry has played the solo role a number of times in performances of all of the Miles Davis and Gil Evans incomparable albums, Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain. This year, 2017, Henry played on two major tours. First with the Julian Siegal Jazz Orchestra and then with the distinguished composer Mike Gibbs. Henry, in fact, played on Mike Gibbs's first ever gig as a leader at Lancaster University in 1969 and has been a regular member of his bands in England ever since.

In 2011 Henry was awarded a Fellowship by the Royal Academy of Music and last year, 2017, he was nominated for a Parliamentary Jazz Award in the category Services to Jazz."

Martin Eberle

born in Dornbirn/Austria (1981)

Education:

Studies in Classical Trumpet at the State Conservatory in Feldkirch (Austria)

Studies in Jazz Trumpet at the University of Arts Bern/Swiss Jazz School (Switzerland)

Studies in Arts Management at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna/IKM. (Austria)

Professional Career:

Trumpet teacher at the College of Music in Dornbirn and member of the Symphony Orchestra of Vorarlberg/Austria  (2000 - 2004)

 Trumpet substitute in the Bern Symphony Orchestra/Switzerland (2004 - 2006)

Cofounder and musical director of the Jazzorchester Vorarlberg/Austria (Since 2005)

Freelance musician & composer based in Vienna/Austria (Since 2006)

Awards:

 Winner of first prizes in austrian competitions (Prima La Musica, Musik in kleinen Gruppen, Jugend Musiziert) at the regional and national level (1991 - 2000)

Winner of the Hans Koller Preis in the category Newcomer of the Year with the collective Jazzwerkstatt Wien (2006)

Austrian Music Award (Amadeus) Nomination for the CD "Elegant" with "Die Strottern & Jazzwerkstatt Wien" (2009)

Member of the European Jazz Orchestra (2010)

Winner of the German World Music Award RUTH with "Die Strottern & Blech" (2012)

Winner of the Bremer Jazzpreis 2014 with Kompost 3

Winner of the BAWAG P.S.K. Next Generation Jazz Award 2014 with Kompost 3

Collaborations:

Jazzwerkstatt Wien, Die Strottern, Studio Dan, Soap & Skin, Bauchklang, 5/8erl in Ehr'n, Die Pilze, Clemens Salesny Electric Band, Martin Reiter "Alma" Band, Schnittpunkt Vocal, Fatima Spar, Pro Brass, Flip Philipp & Ed Partyka Dectett, Velvet Elevator, Nouvelle Cuisine, Gerd Hermann Ortler Orchestra, RingTrio, Swiss Jazz Orchestra, Vienna Concert Jazz Orchestra, Festspiele Bregenz, Theater an der Wien, Volksoper Wien, H.K. Gruber, Ed Partyka, Jon Sass, Christian Mühlbacher, Lukas Niggli, Hannes Löschel, Christoph Cech, Maja Osojnik, Peter Herbert, Alegre Corea, Ana Paula da Silva, Andreas Schreiber, Lucas Niggli, Mamadou Diabate, Tim Lefebvre, Mark Guiliana, Uri Caine, etc...

"Rich Laughlin was born on October 21st, 1958 ( sharing a birthday with Dizzy Gillespie)in Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA). His musical odyssey began there, a culturally liberal city where diverse musical styles from classical through jazz,rock and funk coexisted peacefully creating hybrid forms and optimal integration of artists. Early influences in these processes included the iconic trumpeter/composer Don Ellis ( who, like Rich, attended Minneapolis West High School) and the soon to be pop star Prince ( a classmate with whom Rich'screative path briefly intersected). Rich began playing music at age 10, choosing the trumpet two years later as his main instrument. Earnest private study with some of the city's top local players ( Greg Lewis, Steve Wright and Billy Shiell)provided a solid foundation and a mastery of stylistic expression. At this juncture, Rich began self study in Music Theory and Composition, starting his own jazz-rock group ultimately documenting his first arrangements.

Following a stint in college at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ( under the tuteledge of renowned trumpet pedagogue Dominic Spera), Rich picked up his first professional gig as trumpet soloist with Lionel Hampton's former drummer John Stafford and his Big Band. Shortly afterwards in 1978, he joined the 528th U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America, relocating to St. Louis, Missouri. Private study continued with St. Louis trumpet great Bob Ceccarini and the renowned Prof. William Adam at Indiana University. As lead trumpet,soloist and arranger for the Air Force Band, Rich took advantage of an overseas assignment to Europe in 1982, giving concerts throughout the continent from Denmark down through Northern Africa. The ensuing socio-cultural experiences spurred the development of a unique approach toward composing and arranging in hybrid classical-jazz-rock idioms.

Upon leaving the military in 1984, Rich Laughlin settled in Munich, Germany, quickly becoming one of the most " in demand" trumpeters in the lively studio, theater and jazz scene there.Now enjoying central Europe as a base, he had the opportunity to perform with major jazz artists such as Charlie Mariano, Benny Bailey, Dusko Goykovich and Wolfgang Dauner. A four year stint with the legendary Swiss jazz drummer Charlie Antolini as trumpet soloist,composer and arranger brought first accolades on the European Jazz scene. As a member of the groundbreaking Salsa/ Latin Jazz Orchestra Conexion Latina, Rich further developed his writing concepts culminating in his first major composition dedicated to and featuring an early influence, the incredible trumpeter and fellow ex-pat Benny Bailey. The suite entitled " Three Cuban Moods for Trumpet" premiered to great critical response at the 1987 Munich Jazz Festival. Shortly afterwards Rich formed his own Jazz Quintet: the Rich Laughlin Group with leading soloists on the local scene: Tony Lakatos (Tenor Sax) , Larry Porter (Piano) , Paolo Cardoso (Bass) and Mario Gonzi (Drums). Parallel to his creative endeavors, Rich exercised his stylistic mastery to include performing as solo trumpet in major theater productions in Berlin ( Theater des Westens) Vienna and Munich ( Deutsches Theater) and many others. As part of a then thriving studio scene he logged countless recording sessions for movies and television, including the music to the Hollywood feature "The Cool World" ( Mark Isham composer). Live backing iconic European singing stars including Ute Lemper , Catarina Valente and Milva further enriched the musical palette."

"Marc Unternurer, born in 1975, studied music with tuba as his main subject in Lucerne. Since then he has been very versatile as a freelance musician. He has maintained an intensive exchange with Chicago musicians since his stay in the Lucerne studio in Chicago in 2002. Other important collaborations for him were and are with Albin Brun, Ruedi Häusermann, Erika Stucky, Barry Guy, Markus Lauterburg, Simon Hari (aka King Pepe), Matto Kämpf, Gerry Hemingway, Silke Eberhard, Manuel Troller, Hans-Peter Pfammatter, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Josh Berman, Keefe Jackson, Frank Rosaly, Hans Hassler, Julian Sartorius, Ensemble Phoenix, Miriam Sturzenegger, Sebastian Strinning and many more; quite a few of them are documented on sound carriers. He currently plays in the following bands: Le Rex, Trampeltier of Love, Looty Trio, Bubbles and Bangs, Blue Shroud Band, Frode Gjerstad Tuba Trio and the NAH Quartet. The Mullbau, a space for improvised music that he helped initiate, received a Lucerne work grant and the Young Ears Prize for the children's concert series. This was followed in 2014 by the Lucerne work contribution and a stay in the central Swiss studio in Berlin. Since 2015 he has been program director of the Stanser Musiktage. Marc Unternurer is a lecturer at the HSLU Music and a lecturer at the Bern University of the Arts. In 2020 he received the Art and Culture Prize of the City of Lucerne."

"Philipp Wachsmann. Born Uganda, 1944; violin, viola and electronics.

In the CD booklet to Gushwachs, John Corbett notes that Phillip Wachsmann came to free improvisation from a predominantly classical background, particularly via the contemporary experiments of "indeterminacy, graphic and prose-based scores, conceptualism and electroacoustics, listening to Webern, Partch, Ives, Berio and Varèse, reading 'Die Reihe' and interrogating the rhythmic, harmonic and melodic preoccupations of Western art music. Starting in 1969, Wachsmann was a member of Yggdrasil, an ensemble performing works by Cage, Cardew, Feldman, Ashley and others and in this group he used contact mikes on the violin and made his own electronic instruments, ring modulators and routing devices. Ironically, his studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris (1969-1970) pushed him hard in the direction of free music. He recalls: 'Despite her neoclassical orientation, her insistence that composition is about the imagination of performance and its realisation, the live moment, and her stunning ability to make this happen was a powerful influence on me, steering towards 'performance' and therefore 'improvisation'.'"

Wachsmann moved from Yggdrasil to Chamberpot - recorded on Bead 2 - and shortly thereafter appeared on Tony Oxley's influential February papers, forward looking in the virtual 'industrial' orientation of some of the tracks, years before this became an accepted genre; the two musicians have continued to work together, in various groupings but notably in the percussionist's Celebration Orchestra. Philipp Wachsmann has also performed and/or recorded with: Derek Bailey's Company, e.g. on the recording Epiphanies; Georg Graewe; Barry Guy; Iskra 1903; King Übü Orchestrü; London Jazz Composers' Orchestra; Evan Parker, particularly as part of the Evan Parker Electronic Project; Quintet Moderne; Fred Van Hove's ML DD 4; Rüdiger Carl's COWWS (now CPWWS) Quintet; and Lines, with Martin Blume, Jim Denley, Axel Dörner and Marcio Mattos. He also plays as a solo musician.

Phillip Wachsmann also administers Bead Records."

"Bruno Chevillon (born 23 August 1959) is a French jazz double bassist who is well known in avant-garde jazz as well as in new improvised music.

Born in Valréas Vaucluse, Chevillon followed a double training since he graduated from the Beaux Arts in 1983 where he studied photography, and at the same time followed Joseph Fabre's classical double bass teaching at the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional d'Avignon [fr]. He made his debut in jazz by following the class of André Jaume [fr], is a member of the Groupe de recherche et d'improvisation musicales (GRIM), then joined the Lyon collective Association à la Recherche d'un Folklore Imaginaire [fr] where he made a decisive encounter: that of Louis Sclavis. Chevillon was then associated with a large part of the clarinettist's projects.

In addition to his long collaboration with Sclavis, the double bassist plays with the main actors of avant-garde jazz and Free improvisation : Marc Ducret, Claude Barthélemy, Stéphan Oliva, François Corneloup, François Raulin, Joey Baron, Elliott Sharp, Franck Vigroux, Benjamin de la Fuente, Samuel Sighicelli, Laurent Dehors, Gerome Nox etc.

Essentially a sideman, Chevillon also flourishes as a soloist, however, notably in his performance on Pier Paolo Pasolini. Contemporary classical music is also part of his work.

In 2007, he recorded his only solo album Hors-Champ published on the label d'Autres Cordes, which mixes double bass and electronics. In 2014, he joins the [National Jazz Orchestra] as artistic advisor, alongside Olivier Benoit."

"Lucas Niggli was born in a thunderbolt in 1968, West Kamerun. He lived there before he moved to Switzerland. Today he lives in Uster with his three children, Felix, Gaudenz and Emilia and his partner Annette Meier.

IntroHis affinity to Music, especially to percussion instruments, was quite strong at a very young age. Between 1987 and 1995, he played at the experimental New Jazz formation "Kieloor Entartet". The group published three CDs, conquered many stages in diverse countries, formed a not every day orchestra, "ENAO91 and ENAO93", and connected to other artists and composers. After that, Lucas Niggli took charge of the management of the alternative Swiss label "UNIT-Records" until 1998; he was the president of the Swiss Professional Association of Jazz and Improvisation Musicians, SMS, and a long member of the board of the WIM (werkstatt für improvisierte Musik Zurich).

Working Bands

In 1995 he founded the avant-core band "Steamboat Switzerland" with Dominik Blum and Marino Pliakas. More than 150 concerts, 4 cd and 2 vinyl recordings testify to the group's intense and hard work. "Lucas Niggli's Zoom" was founded in 1999 (with Nils Wogram And Philipp Schaufelberger) They performed at all of Europe's big festivals, (Moers, Saalfelden, Willisau, Le Mans) as well n Vancouver and they recorded a first cd in 2001 followed by a CD in 2003. As an extension of this trio, Lucas Niggli created "Big Zoom", a quintet with Claudio Puntin and Peter Herbert as guests, with two releases (Big Ball, Sweat). Since 2002 he plays regularly in the Piano Trio with Jacques Demierre and Barry Guy. Since 1994 Lucas Niggli has played in a variety of different bands with Pierre Favre as his partner. These are, amongst others, "Singing Drums", "European Chamber Ensemble", "The Drummers", as well as a duo.Since 2006 he is composing for and performing with the international Drum Quartet Beat Bag Bohemia (with Kesivan Naidoo (SA), RolandoLamussene (MZ), and Peter Conradin Zumthor (CH). The Duo Black Lotos with chinese Guzheng Player Xu Fengxia is also a long lasting working band, like the Drum Duo Lucas Niggli and Peter Conradin Zumthor. Since 2011 the Trio Biondini - Godard - Niggli with Luciano Biondini and Michel Godard tours extensivly in Europe with two CD Productions for Intakt Records. Since 2013 regulary also in Projects with the Drum Trio Klick with Fritz Hauser and P.C.Zumthor and in a Duo with Swiss Singer Andreas Schaerer.

Other World

Lucas Niggli was always musically active. He toured through all of Europe with different musicians, played on stages in Russia and America, Egypt and Canada, China and Southafria, Taiwan and m.o. He performed on major Jazz festivals in Vancouver, Berlin, Moers, Saalfelden, Willisau, Rome, Nürnberg, Capetown, Le Mans, Münster and Zurich. And New Music Festivals like Huddersfield (UK), Donaueschingen ( D) , Ultima (N), MaerzMusik (D). He is always being tempted into different corners of the music business. If he doesn't perform a contemporary piece by David Dramm, Michael Werthmüller, Felix Profos, Sam Hayden, Kagel, Polanski, Cage, or Rzewski; he will regularly improvise in the Zurich "Werkstatt für Improvisierte Musik." And he plaied in several Bands from Swiss Singer Erika Stucky, like "Bubble and Bangs".

In Best Memories

In his bands and projects, Lucas Niggli had the chance to work hand in hand with musicians from all over the world, from all kinds of different scenes. People like Barry Guy, John Cale, Pierre Favre, Butch Morris, Trevor Watts, Fred Frith, Hans Koch, Peter Kowald, Peter Waters, Samul Nori, Tom Cora, Ikue Mori, Tenko, Michel Doneda, Michel Wintsch, Collegium Novum, Urs Leimgruber, Arkadij Shilklopper, Jean-Luis Matinier, Martin Schütz, Irene Schweizer, Susanne Abbuehl, Wu Wei, Phil Minton, the filmmaker Peter Mettler , Susanne Abbuehl, Erika Stucky, ARTE Quartet, Andrew Cyrille, Andreas Schaerer, Tim Berne and many more."