"Achille Succi, has recently been singled out as "one of the European musicians to keep an eye on in the next ten years" (Bill Schoemaker, Giornale della musica, January 2010), while journalist Mario Gamba defines him as a "genius of italian Jazz" (Alias, March 20th, 2010).

Born in Modena, Italy, in 1971, he began self-taught and later won several scholarships that gave him the chance to study in some of the most important schools and workshops in the world (Berklee, D.Liebman masterclasses, Kopenhagen Rhythmic conservatory, Siena Jazz).

Among the many artists he has collaborated with are Uri Caine, Ralph Alessi, Sylvie Curvoisier, Steve Swell, Louis Sclavis, Ernst Reijseger, Pierre Dørge and Franco D'Andrea; he also took part in the recording of many CDs and performed all over the world.

As leader Achille Succi has recorded two CDs: "Shiva's dance" and "Terra", and a duo session with Bass player Salvatore Maiore: "Pequenas flores do inferno".

Together with Fabrizio Puglisi and Alberto Capelli he founded the "Atman" group, with two CDs released.

With pianist Christopher Culpo he just released "Fresh Frozen", for the "El Gallo Rojo" record label, featuring tuba player Oren Marshall.

Achille Succi teaches music ensemble in Nonantola (Modena) and holds improvisation workshops and masterclasses in several Italian cities. Since 2001 he has been a faculty member of famous summer workshop Siena Jazz, and recently taught at the In.Jam masterclasses; since 2006 he also teaches clarinet and improvisation techniques at the Ferrara, Bologna and Brescia Conservatory."

"From his beginnings with the legendary Loose Tubes, through his worldwide collaborations, to his searching solo projects, UK composer, saxophonist, bandleader and educator Julian Argüelles has always spoken with a unique voice and is hugely influential to a new generation of British and European jazz musicians. His music has been described as supremely lyrical, with beautiful melodies whilst staying cliche free. He was nominated for Best CD in the 2015 Parliamentary Jazz Awards for Circularity (Cam Jazz label) and won best CD for his Let it Be Told CD (Basho Records) in 2016. Most recent award nomination includes JazzFM's "Live Experience Of The Year" in the public vote category (results tba 25 April 2017).

Born near Birmingham, UK, Julian moved to London at the age of 18 where he gained recognition as a creative and original musician. At 20 he joined the much acclaimed band Loose Tubes. Over the past 30 years, he has toured and recorded throughout the world with leading musicians such as Hermeto Pascoal, Dave Holland, John Taylor, Django Bates, John Scoffield, Kenny Wheeler, John Abercrombie, Mario Laginha and Bill Frisell.

Julian's has, as at today's date, released 13 CDs as a leader that have won many awards and accolades and have become hugely influential to a new generation of British and European jazz musicians. He is due to release his next two CDs on the Edition Records label the first of which is with a new trio with Portuguese pianist Marhio Laginha and Norwegian percussionist Helge Norbakken (UK Tour planned for October 2017 to coincide with CD release). See official press release HERE for more information.

Julian's most recent CD as a leader "Tetra", with his critically acclaimed UK quartet of the same name, was released on the Whirlwind Recordings label.

Julian's current quartet brings together the best of Britain's young, contemporary jazz talent. Their much anticipated first CD together "Tetra" was release on Whirlwind Recordings label in October 2015 and there are plans for a 2nd in 2018. The band have featured across the UK and Europe at venues and festivals and Julian's manager is currently planning dates in European for November 2017. Julian's compositions have been described as "supremely lyrical, with beautiful melodies whilst staying cliche free" by the Irish Times and have received accolades from many others."

"Samo Šalamon is "one of the most talented and interesting young guitarists and composers to emerge on today's jazz scene" (AllAboutJazz), being selected by the magazine Guitar Player as one of the hottest 10 new guitarists in the world. He began his musical journey by studying classical guitar in Maribor. In December 2000 he was living with and studying individually for one month in New York with the jazz master John Scofield, with whom he has been a friend for years. Through the years he was studying guitar and had lessons with known guitar players such as Rudy Linka, Tim Brady and Andrea Allione. So far he has composed more than 200 compositions and recorded 21 albums as a leader for labels Clean Feed Records (Portugal), Fresh Sound New Talent (Spain), Splasch Records (Italy), Steeplechase Records (Denmark), Sanje Recordings (Slovenia), Klopotec (Slovenia) and Goga Records (Slovenia). So far he has played, toured and recorded with many great international players like John Scofield, Paul McCandless, John Hollenbeck, Mark Turner, Michel Godard, Nguyen Le, Drew Gress, Tony Malaby, Mark Helias, Tom Rainey, Tim Berne, Donny McCaslin, Dave Binney, Josh Roseman, Gerald Cleaver, John Hebert, Julian Arguelles, Dominique Pifarely, Carlo DeRosa, Tyshawn Sorey, Bruno Chevillon, Stefano Battaglia, Christian Lillinger, Pascal Niggenkemper, Matt Brewer, Loren Stillman, John O'Gallagher, Mikkel Ploug, Manu Codjia, Alex Machacek, Sabir Mateen, Kariem Riggins, Luciano Biondini, Jim Mullen, Dejan Terzic, Rudi Mahall, Fareed Haque, Don Falzone, Rudy Linka, Tim Brady, Paolino Dalla Porta, Ares Tavolazzi, Roberto Dani, Wilbert De Joode, Joris Teepe, Bruno Cesselli, Zlatko Kaucic, Salvatore Maiore, Kyle Gregory, Emanuele Cisi, Gianluca Petrella, Achille Succi, Steve Altenberg, Yayoi Ikawa, Kruno Levacic, Igor Lumpert, Dusan Novakov, Andrea Allione, Axel Dörner, Uli Jennesen, Loris Bertot, Nicolas Muresu, Jan Rhoder, Danilo Gallo, Dejan Pecenko, Alex Deutsch, Luigi Mosso, Aya Shimura, Francesco Bigoni, Giorgio Pacorig, Vasko Atanasovski, Robert Jukic, Jure Pukl, Nino Mureskic, Aljosa Jeric, Boštjan Gombač, Igor Matkovic, Dre Hocevar, Domen Gnezda, Bojan Krhlanko and others.

From year 2000 until 2004 he was theleader of the jazz etno group Ansasa Trio, which published a CD in 2002 under the name Ansasa Trio: Arabian Picnic. In 2003 he released the highly aclaimed album Ornethology with his new quartet (Achille Succi, Salvatore Maiore, Zlatko Kaucic), which was featured at the jazz festivals Ljubljana, Skopje and Rome and got fantastic reviews from Europe and from the USA, being also album of the week in the highly acclaimed jazz magazine All About Jazz and among Top Ten Selections in the Jazz Times magazine. Ornethology got the highest rating (4 stars) in the Penguin Jazz Guide and was also selected by the Penguin Jazz Guide as one of the 1001 Best Albums in the history of jazz (Penguin Jazz Guide: The History of the Music in the 1001 Best Albums).

In April 2004 Samo Salamon had his first bigger European tour with a fantastic new sextet featuring Dave Binney (USA), Paolino Dalla Porta (Italy), Kyle Gregory (USA), Achille Succi (Italy) and Zlatko Kaucic (Slovenia). The band got again brilliant reviews from all over the world. From the tour the CD Ela's Dream was released in April 2005 on the Italian label Splasc(h) Records. The record again received great reviews and got the honor of being album of the week on All About Jazz as well as receiving the highest rating (4 stars) in the Penguin Jazz Guide.

In the end of 2004 Samo went again to New York for two months, where he played in various jazz clubs (Detour, 55 Bar) and recorded there two new projects as a leader with some of the best jazz musicians in the world: one with Tony Malaby, Mark Helias and Tom Rainey, and the other one with Dave Binney, Josh Roseman, Mark Helias and Gerald Cleaver. The first project was released on Fresh Sound Records in early 2006 as Samo Salamon Quartet: Two Hours, receiving rave reviews from all over the world again, especially in magazines like Downbeat, Musica Jazz, Allaboutjazz and others. The second project was released in fall 2006 again on Fresh Sound Records as Samo Salamon NYC Quintet: Government Cheese. Like Ornethology and Ela's Dream, Government Cheese also got the highest rating (4 stars) in the Penguin Jazz Guide.

In 2005 Samo had a longer European tour with a new quartet featuring Achille Succi (Italy), Carlo DeRosa and Tyshawn Sorey from the USA. The result of the tour was a new CD Samo Salamon New Quartet: Kei's Secret released in 2006 on Splasch Records. The record only strengthened Salamon's status as one of the best young jazz guitarists and composers in the world.

Salamon started 2006 with the project (Michel Godard, Julian Arguelles and Roberto Dani) with a performance in Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana. The concert was recorded and released in 2007 on the Slovene label Goga Musica as Samo Šalamon European Quartet: Nano. The record also marked the beginning of Salamon's collaboration with the best tuba player in the world, Michel Godard. The same year Salamon recorded another record with Michel Godard, where also two Italian virtuosos participated, accordion player Luciano Biondini and drummer Roberto Dani. The record was released in 2007 on the Italian label Splasc(h) Records as Samo Šalamon European Quartet: Fall Memories. That the year 2006 was really fruitful in Samo Salamon's work proves yet two another excellent projects. In February 2006 Salamon had a European tour with an excellent lineup (Mark Turner - tenor saxophone, Matt Brewer on bass and drummer Aljoša Jerič). The band again recorded an album Mamasaal feat. Mark Turner which was released in late 2008. In the end of 2006 Salamon had another European tour in Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Slovenia and Great Britain, which featured two stars from the jazz world, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Tom Rainey. The project was recorded in Switzerland and was released in 2011 by the label Sanje as Samo Salamon Trio feat. Drew Gress & Tom Rainey: Almost Almond. The CD received great reviews from the USA and Europe, strengthening Salamon's reputation as one of the best guitarists in Europe.

In 2007 Salamon had two European tours with two new projects. In May 2007 he had a tour in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia and Belgium with his New Quartet (Donny McCaslin, John Hebert and Gerald Cleaver), which again received amazing reviews. The band recorded a live album, which is waiting to be released. Salamon finished 2007 with a promotional tour of his two 2007 records. The group featured again Michel Godard on tuba, and two excellent players - french violinist Dominique Pifarely and drummer Dejan Terzić.

The year 2008 began with a longer European tour with the jazz legend Tim Berne and drummer Tom Rainey. In 2011, the CD SAMO SALAMON BASSLESS TRIOS: Duality (Samo Records, 2011) with Tim Berne, Tom Rainey, Achille Succi & Roberto Dani was released featuring a US and a European Bassless Trio.

In 2009, Samo Salamon had a trio featuring the best tuba player in the world Michel Godard and drummer Roberto Dani. The band recorded a live CD Live!, which was released in the end of 2009. The same trio played on jazz festival Ljubljana and Maribor in 2010 and had a long European tour in Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Germany and Slovenia also in 2011. The band recorded a new CD Samo Salamon Trio feat. Michel Godard & Roberto Dani was released in September 2012. In 2013, Samo Salamon released a new CD entitled SAMO SALAMON QUARTETS: Stretching Out featuring 2 amazing bands - a US one with Donny McCaslin, John Hebert and Gerald Cleaver and a European one with Dominique Pifarely, Bruno Chevillon and Roberto Dani.

Since 2001, Samo Salamon has regularly had tours and played all over the world in many world recognized venues, clubs and festivals in Europe (Italy, France, Germany, Austria, UK, Belgium, Switzerland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Romania, Liechtenstein, Croatia, Macedonia...) and USA, which again showes his strong reputation in the world of jazz. He has released 20 CDs as a leader, which all featured his own compositions - so far, Samo has composed more than 200 compositions."

"New York City-based German-French bassist, composer and improviser Pascal Niggenkemper is a performing and recording artist active on the creative music scene in the US and in Europe.

From 1999-2005 he was musicaly active in Cologne having studied jazz & classical double bass at the Hochschule für Musik. In 2005 he received the DAAD award and moved to New York.

From 2008 to 2010 Pascal led the PNTrio with Tyshawn Sorey and Robin Verheyen. (CD "pasàpas" Konnex 2008 & "urban creatures" JazzHausMusik 2010). The trio toured extensively in Europe performing at the Jazzcologne Festival, Jazzherbst Konstanz and at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Recordings for the WDR and the BR Radio.

In cooperation with Jazzdor Strasbourg-Berlin, Pascal formed the septet vision7 that performed at Jazzdor Strasbourg-Berlin, Vive le Jazz in Cologne, Jazz à la Cité in Paris and at the Pori Jazz in Finland. (CD 'Lucky Prime' clean feed records Sept 2013)

In September 2011 Pascal released with Simon Nabatov and Gerald Cleaver the CD/LP upcoming hurricane on NoBusiness Records which is listed among 'Albums of the year' 2011 in the 'The New York City Jazz Record'. The trio performed in Canada and the USA.

He recently recorded a new solo program called: 'look with thine ears' music for bass & preparations was premiered at the Jazzdor Festival in Strasbourg in November 2013. The CD was released in March 2015 on clean feed records. He performed for the France Musique radio broadcast by Anne Montaron called 'a l'improviste'.

In 2014 he presented the double trio 'le 7eme continent' with the program 'talking trash' at the Vive le Jazz festival in Cologne, Germany and the concert was broadcast by WDR3 radio. Their CD was released in May 2016 on clean feed records and the group performed in France, Belgium and Germany.

Pascal is co-leading the groups baloni with Frantz Loriot viola and Joachim Badenhorst clarinets (CD 'fremdenzimmer' 2011, 'Belleke' 2014 & 'Ripples' 2015 clean feed records) PascAli a duo for two prepared basses with Sean Ali (CD 'suspicious activity' creative sources 2012) and Miner's Pick with Thomas Heberer. (CD 'miner's pick' FMR records 2014)

With friends, he curates in NY the house concert series ze couch, where every month artists meet to present their work.

Festival presence includes: Jazzdor Strasbourg-Berlin, Vision Festival New York, Umbrella Festival Chicago, Banlieues Bleues Paris, Strade del Cinema Aosta, météo Mulhouse, Jazzcologne, JIGG Lisbon, Taktlos Zurich, Jazz à la Cité in Paris, ESCUCHA Madrid, Washington DC Jazz Festival, Pori Jazz Festival, Middelheim Antwerp, Grenzenlos Köln, undead Jazzfest NYC, D'Jazz Nevers, NewAdits Klagenfurt, Font New York, Music Unlimited Wels, Vive le Jazz Cologne, GONG Aarau, Konfrontationen Nickelsdorf, Ljubljana Jazz Festival etc...

He received the following scholarships/grants: DAAD, Henry Mancini Institute, North Rhine-Westphalia composition stipend."

"Since the beginning of his career, Roberto Dani has pursued a very particular musical research on the drumset; Most of his work is based on improvisation and the borders between improvised and written music.

In particular, on his Solo performances he investigates the relantionships between sound/body/space.

He focused mostly on interdisciplinary relationship with other art's languages and performed with dancers as in "Mobiles", "Duell(O)" based on a chess duel against a pianist played on an interactive chessboard, In the contemporary opera "Il Sogno di una cosa" as a percussionist/performer, commissioned to composer Mauro Montalbetti and Ensemble Sentieri Selvaggi conducted by Carlo Boccadoro. In contemporary theatre's shows like "Luce Nera" and "Non ricominciamo la guerra di Troia" (for six drums ensemble and actress Patricia Zanco), Stefano Benni's "Baldanders", "Oscillazioni" by Vitaliano Trevisan and composed original music for some of Trevisan's theatre's works such as Quattro Stanze con bagno and Solo RH. Recently, together with Paolo Fresu and others, he took part of the soundtrack recording of last Ermanno Olmi's movie masterpiece "Torneranno i prati"dedicated to World War I.

He also recorded ballet music for Teatro La Scala commissioned to composer Carlo Boccadoro.

After the early debut with progressive band "Devil Doll"which reached a high recognition all over , he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston for a while and began an intense concert's activity in the main festivals and theatre's programs in Austria, Spain, Germany, Ceck Republic, Slovenia, Romania, Denmark, Switzerland, Albania, Portugal, France, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, Norway, Estonia, Israel, Greece, Qatar, Turkey, England, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, South America, USA, Mexico, South Corea and Japan.

During his carieer he played with Annette Peacock, Louis Sclavis, Kenny Wheeler, Tim Berne, Dave Liebman, Paul McCandless, Norma Winstone, Michel Godard, Al Di Meola, Mick Goodrick, Ralph Alessi, Ravi Coltrane, Drew Gress, Ben Monder, Erik Friedlander, Christy Doran, Hal Crook, Michele Tadini, Giorgio Gaslini, Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Gianluigi Trovesi, Roberto Fabbriciani, Enea Salmeggia Chamber Orchestra and many others.

Nowdays he regulary performs/records with Stefano Battaglia Trio with whom he recorded three cd's for well known label ECM, with Oslo Art Trio with pianist Misha Alperin and accordionist/singer Evelina Petrova, Roberto Bonati Trio , with artist Gianandrea Gazzola and his water drops installation"Nomos II" , Samo Salamon band.

He run an intense activity as a teacher (Forme Sonore interdisciplinary workshop) and the leadership of few instrumental ensembles whose works are focused on contemporary graph notation.

The discography includes more than 70 CDs."

"Christian Lillinger (born April 21, 1984 in Lübben ) is a drummer, composer and percussionist of modern creative style and new improvisational music.

Lillinger studied at the University of Music Carl Maria von Weber Dresden at Günter Sommer from 2000 to 2004. Between 2001 and 2003 he was a member of the Bundesjugendjazzorchester.

Lillinger plays in the trio Gropper | Graupe | Lillinger, until 2015 under the name Hyperactive Kid, with the saxophonist Philipp Gropper and the guitarist Ronny Graupe, where he is largely confined to the conventional drum kit. In 2008, he composed his first band Christian Lillingers Grund, whose first two released albums were released at Clean Feed Records at the end of 2009 and 2013. In addition Lillinger works as a sideman with well-known musicians such as Rolf Kühn, Joachim Kühn, Miroslav Vitouš, Beat Furrer, Rudi Mahall, John Schröder, Barre Phillips, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Wadada Leo Smith, Frank Gratkowski, Simon Nabatov, Tobias Delius and Axel Dörner, Thomas Lehn, Michael Wollny, Louis Scyvis, Bruno Chevillon, David Liebman, Edmund Lehmugruber, Theo Jörgensmann, John Edwards, Greg Cohen, William Parker, Joe Lovano and Tony Malaby. Since 2004 he has been working continuously in the EUPHORIUM, the international ensemble of contemporary performing arts and music around the Leipzig-based Oliver Schwerdt, especially in the trio with Schwerdt alias Elan Pauer and Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky. Since 2009, Lillinger has also been working in the Klaviertrio Grünen with Achim Kaufmann and Robert Landfermann, who presented a first album on the Portuguese label Clean Feed Records in 2010. Since 2010, Lillinger has also worked in the trio Dell Lillinger Westergaard, which also performed with John Tchicai. In 2011 he founded the Trio Starlight with Petter Eldh and Wanja Slavin, who moved his debut CD 2013 to the Swiss label Unit Records. With Eldh and Slavin he also founded the Quartet Amok Amor with the American trumpeter Peter Evans, who released his first album of the same name in 2015.

Lillinger is also a member of the following groups: Rolf Kühn Unit, Henrik Walsdorff Trio, Pascal Niggenkempervision 7, Ronny Graupes Spoom, Schmittmenge Meier, Marc Schmolling Trio, Wanja Slavin Quintett, Carl Ludwig Hübschs Drift, Hübschacht, Uwe Steinmetz Stream Ensemble, The upper class, Ember, Gerhard Gschlößl's group of four, Gerhard Gschlößls G9, KUU! And also plays with Joachim Kühn in trio.

From 2012 to 2013, Christian Lillinger was a member of the board of the Union of German Jazzmusicians."