"Joëlle Léandre is a famous French Bassist and is known for her collaborations with other musicians in the field of improvised music. Born in France on September 12th, 1951, she made her music debut in 1984 with Les Douze Sons. Her childhood was filled with music, and she was particularly interested in the piano during her early years. In her later years, she developed an interest in double bass, which won her many honors and scholarships during her education. Her double bass teacher Pierre Delescluse encouraged her to apply to the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris, where she was formally trained and noticed for her talent in the bass. Her outstanding musicianship took her to the United States and to the Centre for Creative and Performing Arts in Buffalo through a scholarship. In the United States, she expanded her network and met some of the best composers, such as John Cage, Giacinto Scelsi, and Morton Feldman. Among them, John Cage greatly influenced her music and compositions. Her time in the United States also enabled her to experience downtown New York music, which was another significant influence that led to her continued involvement in the field of improvised music.

Some of her notable collaborations in the field of contemporary music are with Pierre Boulez, Merce Cunningham, John Cage, and Giacinto Scelsi. Among them, John Cage and Giacinto Scelsi were the biggest influences in her life and music. In an interview, Joëlle Léandre said that John Cage was her spiritual father and changed her perception of sound and music. In another interview, she tells how Giacinto Scelsi allowed her to discover her own music and how his music transported her into a new world of improved consciousness. In the field of jazz music, she collaborated with Derek Bailey, William Parker, and Sebi Tramontana. Her music was owned and distributed by different music labels, including FMP, Leo, RougueArt, and Red Toucan. Some memorable songs and albums she released throughout the years include Instant Replay, Les Douze sons, Trios, Sweet Zee, Frerebet, Joelle et Tetsu, Philippe Fenelon, Voyages, etc. Some of the recent releases include Can You Hear Me and Unleashed. She has also performed live at the Tampere Jazz Festival twice, where popular international artists compete with each other.

Joëlle Léandre is also the member of European Women's Improvising Group (EWIG). The group evolved from the Feminist Improvising Group, and Joëlle Léandre joined the group in 1983. In the early 1900s, she co-founded Les Diaboliques with Irene Schweizer and Maggie Nicols, who were her long-time musician friends. Besides that, she also teaches several classes in prestigious universities about contemporary and improvised music. She has lived in France, Germany, and U.S during her lifetime, teaching at academic institutions in the religions and playing concerts. In 2002, she was invited to Canada as a visiting professor for music and composition."

"Lotte Anker. Soprano- alto- and tenor saxophone. Composer.

Lotte Anker is born 1958 in Copenhagen. As a child and young she studied classical piano but took up the saxophone and improvised music in 1980, primarily influenced through the music of John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter but also the more experimental jazzscene in Scandinavia at that time.

She studied music at the Copenhagen University from 1980-84 and in the 80'ties par- ticipated in several courses and workshops lead by e.g.: Joe Henderson, David Liebman, John Tchicai, Marilyn Mazur, David Murray.

As a composer she is mostly selftaught but has a degree in composition fromRhytmic Music Conservatory, Cph. Compositionclass led by Bob Brookmeyer and with assisting guest teachers Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgren, Svend Hvidtfeldt-Nielsen ao.

In 1988 she formed her own quartet with pianoplayer Mette Petersen:Lotte Anker/Mette Petersen Quartet. In 92 the quartet transformed into a quintet with Norwegian trumpetplayer Nils-Petter Molvær.In 95 she became a member of the free improvising trio Anker,Friis,Poulsen (with Hasse Poulsen, guitar and Peter Friis-Nielsen: bass)

1996-2013 co-leader (together w/ trombonist/composer Ture Larsen) of the 12-piece orchestra Copenhagen Art Ensemble. Cph. Art Ensemble is performing new music and besides playing new Danish music, the band has done projects/tours with e.g.: Tim Berne, Django Bates, John Tchicai, Marilyn Mazur, The Zapolski Quartet, Mats Gustafsson, Marc Ducret.

In 97 L. Anker formed a trio with Marilyn Crispell and Marilyn Mazur. The collaboration with M. Crispell has continued through the years in various formations: as duo, trio and quartet.

In 2003 the trio : anker,taborn,cleaver was formed with pianoplayer Craig Taborn and drummer Gerald Cleaver.

In 2006 the quintet Sonographic July (LA, Tim Berne, altosax, Sylvie Courvoisier, pno, Ikue Mori, electr, Tom Rainey, dr) was established and also a trio: Anker, Courvoisier, Mori.

In 2010 LA was invited to do a special project at Huddersfield Contemporary Musicfestival & Wundergrund Festival which resulted in the forming of the 8-piece-group: What River Ensemble. WRE includes: Phil Minton, LA, Anna Klett, Garth Knox, Jesper Egelund, Fred Frith/Kim Myhr, Ikue Mori & Chris Cutler.

Other recent group collaborations : Anker, Leandre, Strid (w/ Joelle Leandre & Raymond Strid), Quartet (w/ Johannes Bauer, Clayton Thomas, Paul Lovens). Anker, Frith,Mori (w/ Fred Frith & Ikue Mori) and duo w/ Fred Frith.

Besides working with own groups Lotte Anker has been a member of various Danish/Scandinavian groups e.g.: Marilyn Mazurs Primi Band, Two Bass-Hit, Saxmachine (saxophonequartet), Jazzgroup 90, Art-Out, Ictus, Mokuto, Konvoj-Art.

Projects/collaborations/tours with Peter Brotzmann, Miya Masaoka, Michael Formanek, Tim Berne, Marc Ducret, Dylan van der Schyff , Paal Nilssen-Love, Herb Robertson, Arve

Henriksen, Anders Jormin, Sten Sandell, Andrew Cyrille, Fred Frith, Benoit Delbecq, Wilbert de Joode, Thomas Lehn, Paul Lovens, Okkyung Lee, Fred Lonberg-Holm ao."

"Kresten Osgood is one of these people who at the same time defy and totally own categories. An extraordinary drummer and improviser who with the fullest respect to tradition, challenges it at any given moment of his creative endeavors. He has about a 100 albums to his credit, toured practically everywhere, has been performing and/or recording with legends like Roscoe Mitchell, Paul Bley, Lee Scratch Perry, William Parker, Masabumi Kikuchi, Derek Bailey, Wadada Leo Smith, Jason Moran, Michael Blake, Oliver Lake, Kurt Rosenwinkel, John Tchicai, Tim Berne, Justin Vernon, Peter Brötzman, Joshua Redman, Eugene Chadbourne, Billy Preston, Alan Silva, Brad Mehldau, Mats Gustafsson, Bennie Maupin, The National, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Sam Rivers, Henry Grimes, Dr. Yusef Lateef, Warren Smith, and many many others.

But even that doesn't really cover the full spectrum of what he has been up to in his career. A successful rapper, composer, pianist, vocalist, saxophonist and trumpeter, a true multi-instrumentalist, a powerful organizer being an extremely important driving force in lifting and pushing the music life in Copenhagen forward, entertainer with his own shows in TV and radio, receiver of numerous awards and honors, A very sharp kaleidoscope man, regardless of the context always realizing his fullest potential.

Kresten has been involved in a 17 part series about the history of danish jazz. a podcast released by the Danish National radio."