Cast
Neue Grafik
Matt Gedrych — Bass guitarist
Jack Banjo — Trumpeter
Faye Thompson — Saxophonist
Benjamin Appiah — Drummer
Program notes
DJ, producer, and keyboardist Neue Grafik has built up a solid reputation for his house and hip-hop productions. With Parisian roots and a love for the London groove, his band takes the stage at Jazz à la Villette for an incredible live show!
Coming at a time when European jazz has begun to transition from traditional jazz conventions to having more liberty in expression, French instrumentalist Neue Grafik is bridging the gap between London and Paris. Trained as an academic, he crossed paths with drummer Dougal Taylor, bassist MaddAddam, saxophonist Jordan Saintard, and Emma-Jean Tharckray during a jam session at the Total Refreshment Centre, now an essential venue in the English capital. The group was born and the rest is history. Its repertoire explores Afro-jazz, soul-funk, and hip-hop, and their emblematic broken-beat. Neue Grafik himself describes the ensemble's music as being at the crossroads of all it's musicians' influences, placing value on taking the time to share and experiment. Each musician incorporates their own sensibility: between magic and rebellion, Neue Grafik Ensemble embodies the new generation of up-and-coming London jazz.