Irreversible Entanglements // Clay Kin

Acclaimed American free jazz group Irreversible Entanglements, featuring spoken word artist and composer Camae Ayewa (aka Moor Mother), presents music from their new album "Protect Your Light": infectious grooves meet vocal intensity and densely woven improvisations. Afterwards, the Clay Kin trio of drummer Julian Sartorius, keyboardist Dan Nicholls and video artist Lou Zon bring a highly interactive mix of field recordings, electronics and ever-changing grooves to the stage.

22:00

Irreversible Entanglements

(US, PA)

Since its formation in 2015, the American quintet Irreversible Entanglements has been unstoppable. Without compromise, the five musicians transport the energy of 1960s free jazz into the present day. The band works consistently as a collective, with each member participating in the composition process, even though the group is best known for Philadelphia vocalist, musician and activist Camae Ayewa (aka Moor Mother) - named Best International Artist at the 2023 German Jazz Awards. The infectious grooves of drummer Tcheser Holmes and bassist Luke Stewart push forward while providing an equally solid foundation for the vocal intensity of Moor Mother and the tightly woven improvisations of trumpeter Aquiles Navarro and saxophonist Keir Neuringer. They released their first three albums on the influential Chicago label International Anthem. However, the band has since signed with Impulse Records - a sign of their artistic evolution, insofar as the label has released some of the most important recordings of such greats as John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, Archie Shepp and Albert Ayler. In January 2023, Irreversible Entanglements recorded their most impressive and diverse album to date, entitled "Protect Your Light," at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder Studio. And even if some musical guests broaden the instrumental spectrum, the biggest changes come from within the band itself: be it the increasing use of electronic elements or the emphasized role of Moor Mother, for example her distinctive sprechgesang in "Free Love". Moreover, as a libertarian free-jazz collective, the group continues to combine musical originality with a demand for social change and freedom. It's an ensemble we desperately need in these difficult times.



Line-up

Camae Ayewa - vocals

Keir Neuringer - saxophone

Aquiles Navarro - trumpet

Luke Stewart - double bass

Tcheser Holmes - drums

23:30

Clay Kin

(CH, UK, NL)

Julian Sartorius, Dan Nicholls and Lou Zon (Louise Boer) have given their trio the name Clay Kin (Engl. "clay kin") to indicate, among other things, the importance of their close friendship to the creative process. Sartorius, as experienced as he is versatile as a drummer, has not only collaborated with Swiss pop singer Sophie Hunger, jazz pianist Stefan Aeby or composer and guitarist Rhys Chatham, but also has a remarkable solo career to his credit: be it documentary soundscapes created during long hikes or the extensive rhythmic excursions on his 2014 album "Zatter." Keyboardist Dan Nicholls was already on stage at the 2021 Jazzfest Berlin with Oli Steidle's band The Killing Popes. He has collaborated closely with a whole range of artists* in the jazz environment, such as Y-Otis and Alabaster DePlume. His 2021 solo album "Mattering and Meaning", on the other hand, is an electronic adaptation of Erik Satie's piano compositions. Together with video artist Lou Zon, they have created a reservoir of organic sounds, many of which come from field recordings they made on their own. In their interactive live performances, they draw from this source as they send sounds back and forth to each other, transforming them endlessly.



Line-up

Julian Sartorius - drums, percussion

Dan Nicholls - keyboards, sampler

Lou Zon - video art