Benoît Delbecq - Piano
Born in 1966, Parisian pianist Benoît Delbecq gures today among the innovators of the international contemporary jazz scene. His reputation and in uence have been growing steadily since the early 90’s, and the New York Times recently described him as « an original and unconventional pianist » who « expertly » invents a « serene » music. An inspired adventurer, a goldsmith of prepared piano and a visionary poet in the art of electronically recycling his own statements, he actively participates in the new aesthetic breakthroughs of today.
A former student of Mal Waldron, Alan Silva, Muhal Richard Abrams and Steve Coleman among others, Benoît’s international pro le took o around 1992 from appearances at Paris’s cutting-edge club « Les Instants Chavirés », in parallel with the founding of Kartet, The Recyclers and the Hask Collective, all of which helped revitalize the Paris creative music scene. Since then Benoît has been touring around the globe. He performs solo piano and solo electronics, leads or co-leads a number of bands from duos to quintets, and is involved in many multi-disciplinary productions of theater, dance, the visual arts, cinema etc. His music features mesmerizing grooves that shake out ashing, lunar melodies. An invitation to a voyage into a magic land (in Le Monde).

« Prix de la Sacem » in 1995 (with the collective Kartet), Benoît was awarded the « Prix de la Villa Médicis Hors les Murs » in 2001, and received the prestigious fellowship of the Civitella Fundation New York (2009). His last CDs, The sixth Jump (trio with bass player Jean-Jacques Avenel et drummer Emile Biayenda) and Circles and Calligrams (solo) both received the « Grand Prix International du Disque Charles Cros » 2010 and are part of the ten albums of the year for the New-York Times and Le Monde

Jean-Jacques Avenel, Bass
Jean-Jacques Avenel (b. 1948 in Le Havre), self-taught on bass, made his professional debut in 1972 with vocalist Colette Magny and the expatriate American Steve Waring. He was active in the Parisian free jazz movement, performing with Noah Howard, Frank Wright’s quartet and pianist François Tusques’s Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra. He performed and recorded with saxophonist Daunik Lazro in the late ’70s and early ’80s, replaced Kent Carter in Steve Lacy’s quintet in 1981 and has performed with him ever since, recording over 20 CDs. In the ’80s he also performed and recorded with Butch Morris and Tristan Honsinger’s groups, and in the ’90s with David Murray, more recently working with several younger European pianists – Antonio Farao, Benoît Delbecq (Pursuit, Songlines 1999), Gaël Mevel, and the Australian Chris Cody – and recording with Lacy in Mal Waldron’s trio. He has also worked with Don Cherry, Richard Galliano, George Lewis, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Dino Saluzzi, Paul Bley, and many others.

Steve Argüelles, Remixes
Steve Argüelles (born 16 November 1963 in Crowborough, Sussex) is an English jazz drummer, producer and is the boss of the record label Plush. He has also worked in film and theatre. He is the elder brother of saxophonist Julian Argüelles. Steve currently resides in Paris, France.
From the age of 16, when he became the house drummer at Ronnie Scott's, through his seminal work as a founder of the 80s group Loose Tubes, and his work with Django Bates in the early Human Chain, he has shown an innovation beyond the usual role of the drummer. He also was the drummer of soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy during a series of duo concerts.

Argüelles has collaborated with folk singer Corin Curschellas and John Wolf Brennan of Switzerland and with Nguyên Lê. He also plays in a trio with Benoît Delbecq and Noël Akchoté : The Recyclers. With Benoit Delbecq and electric bassist Christophe Minck, he also played with the French male popsinger Katerine on two LP : Les Créatures (1999) and Huitième Ciel (2002), and a lot of concerts trough Europe.