SPECTRUM: Thunderblender / Catherine Sikora & Brian Chase

An intimate free jazz double-header of two exceptionally innovative acts on Saturday night at SPECTRUM festival.

THUNDERBLENDER

Bringing the thunder to Spectrum’s Saturday night are Thunderblender, a Brussels based jazz/improv trio led by Irish saxophonist Sam Comerford.

Blending adventurous free improv wrapped in their trademark thunderous grooves and interspersed throughout with moments of fragile beauty, Thunderblender’s bassless horn-piano-percussion format, inspired by artists like Tim Berne and Henry Threadgill, have catapulted the band across the European Festival circuit over the past two years.

Collectively they are three of the most inventive and exciting musicians on the European scene evidenced by the fact that all have been awarded the "Toots Thielemans Award" in recent years, most recently, pianist Hendrik Lasure, himself a rising star with his Belgian duo SCHNTZL, who were the 12 Points Festival’s Belgian pick at the 2017 edition in Denmark. In the summer of 2017 Thunderblender wowed the jury at the Concours Tremplin Jazz d’Avignon, bestowing Comerford the award for best soloist. Their debut EP, "Last Minute Panic" was released in October 2017 on Honolulu Records.

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Catherine Sikora & Brian Chase

Presented in association with Note Productions, the powerful duo of Catherine Sikora (tenor and soprano saxophones) and Brian Chase (drums) pairs up two distinguished voices working at the forefront of modern jazz. At once lyrical and powerful, dynamic and focused, their music opens itself to a wide emotional and conceptual range which in turn provides for a broad expressive palette.

Catherine's voice on her instruments offers an impressive breadth of tonal color, fashioning and re-contextualizing melody as it sings and weaves through its many journeys. Brian on drumset is just as apt to use texture in addition to rhythm to drive the music, setting the scene for unlimited possibilities. The duo's debut recording, untitled:after , is the result of playing and performing together for several years.

Saxophonist, improviser and composer Catherine Sikora was born and raised in West Cork, Self taught to begin with, she moved to New York City to study and play with great improvisers. She recently opened IMC’s BAN BAM festival with an outstanding solo performance.

Brian Chase is a drummer and composer living in Brooklyn. His diverse range of work includes that with Grammy nominated rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the community of the New York experimental music scene, and his solo project Drums & Drones.

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*This is a BYOB event

**Early Bird tickets €16 while offer lasts*

Standard Tickets €20 online or €22 on the door