The Ex + Brass Unbound in November
THE EX + BRASS UNBOUND
- Katherina Bornefeld - drums
- Terrie Hessels - guitar
- Arnold de Boer - guitar, voice
- Andy Moor - guitar
- Hanne De Backer (Belgium) - baritone sax
- Ken Vandermark (USA) - baritone/tenor sax
- Guro Kvale (Norway) - trombone
- Roy Paci (Italy) - trumpet
- Signe Emmeluth (Denmark) - alto sax
- Mats Gustafsson (Sweden) - baritone/tenor sax
The Ex (founded in 1979) has always experimented with styles, musical forms, freedom and kindred spirits, preferring improvisation over predictability and risk over safe formulas. This may be one of the main reasons the band is still around, as strong as ever. Since the 1980s, they have teamed up with improvisers from all over the world, both on record and in concert. Think of their legendary Ex festivals, their unique collaboration with Tom Cora, and albums such as Joggers & Smoggers, Instant, Een Rondje Holland and The Ex at Bimhuis (1991–2015), not to mention the members’ adventures outside the mothership.
One particularly striking expansion of The Ex was their project with Brass Unbound, which grew out of their collaboration and concerts with Ethiopian icon Getatchew Mekuria. For these performances, they were joined by improvisers such as Mats Gustafsson, Ken Vandermark, Wolter Wierbos and Roy Paci, all of whom appeared on their album Enormous Door (2013). On stage, the line-up could further expand with musicians such as Joost Buis, Peter Evans and Ab Baars, among others. They tore through their own material and cuts from the Great Ethiopian Songbook with equal energy and eagerness.
More than a decade after Enormous Door, The Ex revives their collaboration with Brass Unbound for a string of concerts. They will be joined by familiar fellow travellers Ken Vandermark (USA, reeds), Mats Gustafsson (Sweden, reeds) and Roy Paci (Italy, trumpet), as well as three younger musicians who have entered their orbit in recent years: Hanne De Backer (Belgium, baritone sax), Signe Emmeluth (Denmark, sax) and Guro Kvale (Norway, trombone). A quartet and six guests: ten musicians in all. Anyone who has ever witnessed the energy and wealth of ideas The Ex can conjure up with an inspiring group of collaborators will recognise these performances as vital bursts of creativity — a celebration of the possibilities of the here and now.
