DE LOOZE – BARON – MORGAN – ROBERTS
Embarking on an exhilarating journey into uncharted musical territories, pianist Bram De Looze assembles a quartet of extraordinary talent, featuring Joey Baron on drums, Thomas Morgan on double bass, and Hank Roberts on cello. This convergence of masterful musicians promises a transcendental exploration of sonic landscapes, where spontaneity, intuition, and boundless creativity intertwine.
“This will be a beautiful and special encounter for me, to work together with these three incredible personalities. All of them have a unique sound and character as players, and they have a high instinct for interplay among each other. It will be interesting to follow where the music will go. To observe who’s aware of what, and decides to go for searching, supporting or creating tension. Curiosity will be central here, combined with trust and generosity.” – Bram De Looze
To say that Joey Baron’s resume reads like a who’s who of modern jazz is an understatement. In addition to his own solo records, Baron played a crucial role in projects ranging from the infectiously energetic Masada with John Zorn, Dave Douglas and Greg Cohen to the intimate, nostalgic Jakob Bro trio, with in between collaborations with Bill Frisell, John Abercrombie, Fred Hersch, Toots Thielemans and Joe Lovano, among others. In short, an ideal partner for De Looze, Morgan & Roberts. Bram De Looze: “Joey brings an uplifting energy and joy with his melodic drumming. He’s so responsive in the interplay and incredibly inventive on the spot. As I’ve played quite regularly with him in MiXMONK, this felt like the ideal occasion to invite Joey in this completely different instrumentation and special group of players.”
Thomas Morgan began playing the cello at 7 years of age, before switching to upright-bass at 14. He is appearing on albums led by Tomasz Stanko, John Abercrombie, Masabumi Kikuchi, Craig Taborn, David Virelles, Dan Weiss, and most recently, Bill Frisell. Morgan worked with David Binney, Steve Coleman, Joey Baron, Josh Roseman, Brad Shepik, Steve Cardenas, Timuçin Şahin, Kenny Wollesen, Gerald Cleaver, Adam Rogers, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner throughout his career. He is also cooperating with Jakob Bro, Dan Tepfer, Jim Black, and the Sylvie Courvoisier-Mark Feldman Quartet. Bram De Looze: “Thomas is a unique player. I have so many fantastic memories of him playing, for example with Paul Motian at the Village Vanguard. He has such an incredible sense for feeling what is necessary for the music in the moment. His great use of intonation on the double bass makes me hold my breath every time.”
Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, Hank Roberts initially made his name in the 1980s legendary New York Downtown scene alongside such frequent collaborators as Bill Frisell, Tim Berne, Marc Ribot and John Zorn, finding a second home at the famed Knitting Factory. Roberts has shared stages and recording studios with some of the most celebrated musicians in the world. He’s recorded 10 albums as a leader and co-leader on the ‘Winter & Winter’ label, along with numerable self-released recordings. His 2008 CD Green, with drummer Jim Black and guitarist Marc Ducret, won that year’s German Recording Critics’ Award in the Jazz category. Bram De Looze: “Hank has a unique sound. He has such a broad variety of directions in music, he is a great improviser and he has a special character as a player. Just as all the members of this band, he is also relating strongly to the jazz tradition. It’s immediately noticeable how comfortable and fluent Hank is on the cello. An invitation for a project 10 years ago didn’t work out, now I’m extremely excited to invite him to this setting.”
This new quartet will be presented at Brussels Jazz Festival in Flagey on Friday the 10th of January 2025, where Bram De Looze is the artist in residence.
Bram De Looze (BE) – piano
Joey Baron (US) – drums
Thomas Morgan (US) – double bass
Hank Roberts (US) – cello
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