EISQ (European Improvisation Saxophone Quartet)

Gianni Gebbia	soprano (Italy)
Vytautas Labutis	alt (Lithunia)
Warnfried Altmann	Bass tenor (Germany)
Simon Rose	bariton (Great Britain) feat. on request
Anatoly Vapirov	feat. on request (Bulgaria)

A great European improvisation ensemble – special project of Magdeburg Jazz Festival 2022 with four great saxophone player from Europe.

Gianni Gebbia is a saxophonist who uses brilliant circular breathing techniques and various mouthpieces to create interesting and vibrant sounds that can suddenly change – radical improvisation of Mediterranean beauty. He began his career as an autodidact in various Sicilian music orchestras and jam sessions. He gained experience in the New York loft scene and spent several years in Japan. Throughout his career, Gebbia has worked with numerous musicians in the international jazz and avantgarde scene.

Vytautas Labutis is one of Lithuania’s most prominent jazz performers. His music blends experiences from jazz, classical, experimental and alternative music. The synthesis is an unpredictable sound. 

Warnfried Altmann has been playing in various jazz formations and composing since the early 1980s. His main creative field is improvisation which has also brought him together with artists from other fields such as dance, visual arts, and literature. Altmann repeatedly proves his virtuosic improvisations on the saxophone – each time different but always highly emotional and sometimes bizarre sounds that touch every time. 

Simon Rose is a freelance musician and independent researcher, author from London, based in Berlin. He performs on baritone and alto saxophones in numerous collaborations and as soloist. He also collaborates beyond music with dancers, visual artists, mixed media, built instruments, site specific performance and more. His research interest is in creative processes.

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