"The music of saxophonist and composer Jorrit Dijkstra (Eindhoven, Netherlands, 1966) draws from the jazz tradition in spirit and sound, but has crossed stylistic and cultural borders in order to express a strong, evolving personal vision. He spent his formative years in Amsterdam's vibrant improvisation community playing jazz, free improvisation, and world music. Since moving to the United States in 2002, Dijkstra has deepened his affinity with the experimental forces of American music, while staying in touch with his Dutch musical roots. Jorrit works as a composer and is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music and a faculty member of the New England Conservatory in Boston.

Dijkstra's recent projects include The Whammies play the Music of Steve Lacy, with leading Chicago, Boston, and Amsterdam improvisers, and duos with drummer/composer John Hollenbeck and trombonist Jeb Bishop. In Boston he leads the free improvisation quartet BOLT. In his solo project, he incorporates an array of electronic effect devices to process his saxophone improvisations live on stage. Dijkstra's use of analog electronics - including the Lyricon, a vintage electronic wind instrument from the seventies - extends his already flexible saxophone style into an idiosyncratic mix of cool jazz, free improvisation, and electronic minimalism.

Jorrit's work as a composer balances between similar stylistic boundaries. Commissioned by the North Sea Jazz Festival 2009, Pillow Circles brings together eight top improvisers in a mesmerizing sound world filled with indie guitar-rock and free jazz influences. His ongoing project Music for Reeds and Electronics explores the sonic possibilities of reed and electronics players in different improvisation communities in North America and Europe. Dijkstra has received other commissions from the David Kweksilber Big Band, Tetzepi Big Band, Amstel Saxophone Quartet, Kaida Duo, Duo X, The Harvard Jazz Band, electric guitarist Wiek Hijmans, saxophonist Ties Mellema, and bass clarinetist Fie Schouten. His commissioned works often incorporate electronic soundtracks and various forms of improvisation. Dijkstra's work has won him a Fulbright grant and the prestigious Podium Prize for jazz musicians in the Netherlands.

Jorrit has released eighteen CDs as a leader, and has participated in projects ranging from Anthony Braxton's Ghost Trance and Guus Janssen's opera Noach to a rare live performance of Texas outsider musician Jandek. He studied improvisation and composition with Misha Mengelberg, Steve Coleman, Steve Lacy, Bob Brookmeyer and Lee Hyla. He is co-founder of the artist-run label Driff Records. Jorrit is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music and a faculty member of the New England Conservatory in Boston."

"Tony Malaby (born January 12, 1964 in Tucson, Arizona) is a jazz tenor saxophonist. Malaby moved to New York City in 1995 and has played with several notable jazz groups, including Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band, Mark Helias's Open Loose, Fred Hersch's Trio + 2 and Walt Whitman project, and bands led by Mario Pavone, Chris Lightcap, Bobby Previte, Tom Varner, Marty Ehrlich, Angelica Sanchez, Mark Dresser, and Kenny Wheeler. Other collaborators have included Tom Rainey, Christian Lillinger, Ben Monder, Eivind Opsvik, Nasheet Waits, and Michael Formanek. His first album as a co-leader was Cosas with Joey Sellers."

"Jeb Bishop was born in Raleigh, North Carolina during the Cuban missile crisis. He began playing the trombone at the age of 10, under the tutelage of Cora Grasser. Other influential teachers during junior high and high school included Jeanne Nelson, Eric Carlson, Richard Fecteau, Greg Cox, and James Cozart.

He majored in classical trombone performance at Northwestern University from 1980-82, studying with Frank Crisafulli. Deciding he did not want to pursue a career as an orchestral musician, he returned to Raleigh in 1982 and took up engineering studies at NC State University. Raleigh's developing underground rock scene attracted him, and from 1982-84 he played bass guitar in rock bands in the Raleigh area.

At the same time, he developed an interest in philosophy, eventually majoring in the subject, and spent 1984-85 studying philosophy at the Higher Institute of Philosophy of the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.

Returing to Raleigh in 1985, he spent the next few years working at menial jobs and playing guitar, bass, cheap keyboards, drums, etc., in rock bands including and/or, the Angels of Epistemology, Egg, and Metal Pitcher.

In 1989 he left Raleigh to pursue graduate studies in philosophy, first at the University of Arizona, then at Loyola University of Chicago (where he was awarded the Crown Fellowship in the Humanities). During 1991-92 he returned to Europe, spending the summer of 1991 studying German at the Goethe-Institut Iserlohn (now closed), and then pursuing independent studies in philosophy at the French-language division of the University of Louvain.

Returning to Chicago in 1992, he completed his M.A. at Loyola in 1993. By this time he had already begun to make connections with improvising musicians in Chicago, having joined the Flying Luttenbachers as bassist (later adding trombone) in late 1992, and playing guitar occasionally in a quartet with Weasel Walter, Ken Vandermark, and Kevin Drumm. Other bands during this period included the Unheard Music Quartet (with Vandermark, Mike Hagedorn on trombone, and Otto Huber on drums) and the Rev Trio (with Walter and saxophonist Joe Vajarsky). Bishop played electric bass in both these bands.

In late 1995, Bishop joined the Vandermark 5 as one of its founding members, and remained with the band through the end of 2004. During this period he also became associated with many other groups, including the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet, School Days, Ken Vandermark's Territory Band, and his own Jeb Bishop Trio, and became a very frequent participant in ad hoc and free-improvised concerts in Chicago. Bishop performed in the inaugural concerts of two of the longest-running free-music concert series in Chicago: the Myopic Books weekly concerts (originally at Czar Bar; with Rev Trio) and the Empty Bottle Wednesday night concert series (with a quartet of Terri Kapsalis, Kevin Drumm, and Jim O'Rourke). He curated the monthly Chicago Improvisers Group concerts at the Green Mill from 1999-2002, and co-curated the weekly Eight Million Heroes concert series at Sylvie's in 2005-6.

Bishop has made dozens of recordings with many different groups, has toured North America and Europe many times, and maintains a busy performing schedule."

"Violist / composer Oene van Geel (1973) is a true adventurer in music. Influenced by jazz, chamber music, Indian music and free improvisation, he has applied his virtuoso improvisation skills and his composition talents to a wide scope of musical activities. He toured in Europe, India, Japan, the USA and Canada.

As a player he is currently active with: Zapp4, Estafest, The Nordanians, Haanstra & van Geel and a duo with Matteo Mijderwijk. Besides these groups he is regularly invited as an improvising guest soloist.

He has won the Boy Edgar Award (2013), the Sena Performers Toonzetters Award (2012, with Zapp4) Kersjes Award (2005, with Zapp4), the Deloitte Jazz Award (2002), Dutch Jazz Competition (2001) and the Jur Naessens Music Award (2000).

Oene composes for his own groups, but also writes for other ensembles / soloists such as:

The David Kweksilber Big Band, Osiris Trio, New European Ensemble, Calefax, Ensemble Black Pencil, Amstel Quartet, Steven Kamperman Quintet, Frederieke Saeijs, Remy van Kesteren & Eric Vloeimans, Eric Bosgraaf, Jeugd Orkest Nederland, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Matangi Quartet, Tetzepi bigtet, Ricciotti Ensemble, Nikolay Shugaev, David Braid and many others.

In 2015 Oene wrote his first viola concerto for Emlyn Stam and the New European Ensemble (premiered 18 December at the Bimhuis, Amsterdam).

Oene often gets commissions by festivals such as: Het Nederlands Vioolconcours (2016), Cello Biennale Amsterdam (2016 and 2008), 25 years Osiris Trio (2014), Storioni Festival (2013), Orlando Festival (2012), North Sea Jazz Festival (2005), SJU Jazz Festival (2002), Marathon Festival Oosterpoort (2002).

As a player and / or composer he was involved in theatre productions with the following companies / directors: Silbersee, Holland Opera, Marcel Sijm, Hollands Diep, Boukje Schweigman, Eric Vaarzon Morel, Saartje van Camp, Tafel van Vijf (Herman van Baar), De Wereldband and the Sonnevanck theatre.

Oene has a special interest in dance: he often works with dancer/ choreographer Kenzo Kusuda, dancer/ choreographer Heather Ware and he will do a collaboration with choreographer Kalpana Raghuraman in 2018."

"Amsterdam based guitarist, bassist, composer and improviser Raphael Vanoli has developed a musical voice of his own by being a versatile guitarist specialised in the usage of multiple electronic setups. By constantly experimenting with all possibilities of the guitar, he found and developed a technique that uses breath on the strings. Both in his solo music as well as in his many collaborations in the modern music world, his quest to blur the limit between electronic and acoustic sounds resolves into a singular language, sometimes with unheard colours. He performed all over Europe, Russia and Brazil.

Next to his solo work his main project is the critically acclaimed experimental post-rock duo KNALPOT with drummer Gerri Jäger and the (momentarily not very active) space-dub band STOLPERNOVA (with Omar Ka, Franz Hautzinger, Hilary Jeffery, Gerri Jäger).

Other bands and ensembles : Jameszoo, Zuco103, Krupa & The Genes, Lackritz, Regenorchester XV, Opositor, Tetzepi, Spinifex Orchestra, Slagwerk Groep Den Haag, Asko Schönberg Ensemble, Lunatree, David Kweksilber Bigband, amongst many others.

Musicians : Fred Frith, Louis Sclavis, Martin Brandlmayr, Manu Delago, Tony Buck, Franz Hautzinger, Hilary Jeffery, Teun Verbruggen, Jozef Dumoulin, Wolfert Brederode, Luc Ex, Mark Haanstra, Omar Ka, Frank Möbus, Achim Kaufmann, Michael Vatcher, Jorrit Dijkstra, Yuri Honing, Frank Rosaly, Guus Janssen, Peter van Bergen, Sanne van Hek, Ernst Glerum, Anton Goudsmit, Wolter Wierbos, Robert van Heumen, Eirikur Orri Olafsson, BC Manjunath, Wiek Hijmans, Seth Josel, Tatiana Koleva, Harry Spaarnay, Tony Malaby, Tomoko Mukayama,

He is also soloist and performer of contemporary classical music and has performed works by Louis Andriessen (Hout), Klaas de Vries, Steve Reich, Frederic Rzewski, Eivind Buene, Peter Adriaansz, Makoto Nomura.He creates music for film, wether live or in the studio and has collaborated with filmmakers such as Martha Colburn, Jochem de Vries, Sebastian Dias Morales.He studied jazz and classical guitar at the Conservatory of Amsterdam from 1999-2007, studying mainly with Maarten van der Grinten, Lydia Kennedy, Jack Pisters.

Labels include: Brainfeeder, Brilliant Classics, Clean Feed, Denovali, Eat Concrete, Karnatic Lab, Shhpuma."

"Jason Roebke is a double bassist, improviser and composer living in Chicago. He was born and raised in tiny Kaukauna, Wisconsin in 1974 and began playing electric bass at age 14. His first fascination was with Motown bassist James Jamerson. Roebke's first introduction to jazz was at a summer jazz camp run by local legend, pianist, John Harmon. Here he heard recordings of Charlie Parker and a life long fascination with music was begun. His high school band director had a small jazz CD collection which included Ornette Coleman's "The Art of the Improvisers" and Charles Mingus "Mingus Ah Um" which he listed to endlessly for years.

Entering college at the University of Minnesota for an extremely short stay, he returned to Wisconsin, graduating from a small liberal arts university in 1996. Roebke moved to Madison, WI to study with legendary saxophonist and composer Roscoe Mitchell. There he worked as Mitchell's music copyist for 18 months, spending nearly everyday at Mitchell's home reworking orchestral and chamber music scores with the composer. In 1998, Roebke entered the University of Michigan where he studied with bassist Rodney Whitaker.

In 1999, Roebke moved to Chicago and quickly began working with a new crop of young improvisers. There were early associations with saxophonists Aram Shelton, Dave Rempis and Matt Bauder (also a Michigan alumnus); drummers Tim Daisy and Frank Rosaly and cornetist Josh Berman. Soon after his arrival in Chicago, Roebke organized his first quartet with Bauder, guitarist Jeff Parker, and drummer Chad Taylor. He also began playing with a large improvising ensemble Chicago Improvisers Group with Ken Vandermark, Jeb Bishop, Michael Zerang, Jim Baker among others. He made his first recording as a leader in 2003 with "Rapid Croche" on 482 Music. A trio session with saxophonist Aram Shelton and drummer Tim Daisy, the recording was a critical success. Also during this time, Roebke began his long and continuing association with Fred Lonberg-Holm. Roebke played, toured and recorded with Lonberg-Holm's Terminal 4 and Valentine Trio. Roebke was the instigator of three recordings and a tour with the improvising trio tigersmilk, with cornetist Rob Mazurek and Vancouver drummer Dylan van der Schyff.

In recent years, Roebke has been playing with Jason Adasiewicz's Rolldown, Jason Stein Trio, Jeb Bishop Trio, James Falzone's KLANG, Jorrit Dijkstra's Flatlands Collective, Pillow Circles, and The Whammies, Keefe Jackson, and Mike Reed's People, Places, and Things. The trio of Nate Wooley, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Roebke released two recordings "Throw Down Your Hammer and Sing" and an untitled LP. Roebke and Berlin-based tenor saxophonist Tobias Delius released a duo CD on Nottwo Records in 2012."

"Frank Rosaly (Francisco Javier Rosaly Amoros Rosello - b. 5/30/74 Phoenix, AZ) is a drummer and composer living in Chicago. He has been involved in the improvised and experimental music community since 2001 where he has become an integral part of Chicago's musical fabric, navigating a fine line between the vibrant improvised music, experimental, rock and jazz communities. He contributes much of his time to performing, composing, teaching, as well as organizing musical events, while also touring regularly domestically and internationally.

Frank is currently active in many projects throughout Chicago as well as New York and in Europe. Some groups include Bobby Bradford/Frode Gjerstad Quartet, Matana Robert's Chicago Project, Rob Mazurek's Mandarin Movie, The Rempis Percussion Quartet, Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten Quintet, Scorch Trio, Nicole Mitchell Ice Crystal Quartet, Jason Stein Quartet, Jeff Parker/Nels Cline Quartet, Josh Abrams' Natural Information Society, Fred Lonberg-Holm's Valentine Trio, Keefe Jackson's Project Project, The Fast Citizens, The Jeb Bishop Trio, Jason Adasievicz's Rolldown, Jorrit Dijkstra's Flatlands Collective, Chicago Lucern Exchange, Hearts and Minds, Slow Cycle, Outskirts, Darren Johnston's Chicago Quintet, Anchor and others."