THUNDERBLENDER

With Sam Comerford (saxophone, composition), Hendrik Lasure (piano, live sampler), Jens Bouttery (drums, synthesizer)

Irish saxophonist and composer Sam Comerford is based in Brussels where he leads the jazz trio Thunderblender. Together with two young trailblazers of the Belgian jazz scene, Hendrik Lasure (SCHNTZL) and Jens Bouttery (Hi Hawaii), they play Comerford’s dark and unpredictable compositions with joy and abandon. The music explores intense emotions, moving between order and chaos, free improvisation and intricate writing, heavy grooves and fragile intimate moments. The trio see themselves as a European band with a nod to the American avant-garde, influenced by Henry Threadgill and Tim Berne, with references to 20th century classical harmony. They have toured around Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands as well as Germany and in September 2020 the band released their debut album, Stillorgan.

Just before Thunderblender’s performance, we are pleased to present a jazz track by our musician in residence Neil Ó Lochlainn and his ensemble Cuar.

Full details of the 18th edition – online and free – of Jazzycolors (13 Nov to 1 Dec), the international jazz festival organised by the Forum des Instituts Culturels Etrangers à Paris : www.ficep.info

Photo: © Sophie Saporosi

Discover their debut album below: