Pianist-composer REGGIE JÓNÁS Jr is one of the bright new stars on the Hungarian scene. He is a highly original player whose contemporary approach is rooted in the jazz tradition. His playing, both as a soloist and as an accompanist, is mature beyond his years.
He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and graduated from the world-famous Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. He received one of the most coveted grants in his country, the Dezső Ablakos-Lakatos Scholarship. He is also the winner of this year’s Budapest Palace of Arts Jazz Showcase, that is the most important competitive platform for the new generation of musicians in Hungary.
Ace tenor- and soprano saxophonist, JULIAN SIEGEL has had a major impact on the UK jazz scene since the release of the debut album - Close-up (SoundCD1001) in the autumn of 2002. Working a fluent bebop intensity into a fresh modern sound, Julian has established himself as both a remarkable writer and a powerful player on the European Scene. He won the BBC Jazz Award 2007 for Best Instrumentalist. Julian has toured with bands led by Hermeto Pascoal and Andrew Hill and continues to be involved with the most influential British jazz groups of the day. Julian has co-led the influential group Partisans with the in-demand guitarist Phil Robson for the last eighteen years. They have toured extensively around Europe, USA and Canada playing at international jazz festivals in Rochester (New York), Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Berlin and the Tampere Jazz Happening, Finland.
Double bassist MISHA MULLOV-ABBADO, son of violinist Viktoria Mullova and late conductor Claudio Abbado, has been making waves in both the classical and jazz worlds
CHRIS HIGGINBOTTOM is one of the UK’s top drummers. He is a member of both the Kyle Eastwood Band and the Ronnie Scotts All Stars. He lived for eight years in New York where he played with many of the biggest names in jazz including Mark Murphy and Seamus Blake. He has also performed in practically all the famous jazz clubs in the world.