Kaja Draksler Octet

Two years ago, at Moldejazz' final concert, a fascinated audience could hear the Slovenian pianist, Kaja Draksler, together with the Portuguese trumpet-player, Susanna Santos Silva, in a packed Storyville. The duo spellbound the audience with their intense and intimate playing and proved why they're both mentioned of as two of the most promising musicians on the European improvisation-scene today.

In 2017, Kaja released the album Gledalec on the label, Clean Feed, with her octet, which has been her main project since then. The band's seen regularly at European jazz-stages and it's obvious that the band's compositional passages with a feeling of a classical renaissance, is as natural as moments of free improvisation. The idea behind the project was writing music to poems by the American poet Robert Frost, while the music also should challenge both the musicians and herself.

With two vocalists as a part of the crew, the musical voice is at the centre in their musical expression. Kaja Draksler lives in Amsterdam and together with her octet, she's some of the most interesting improvisational musicians the Netherlands has to offer. We are very lucky to have the band on stage in our venue, Storyville, Friday 19. July.

Laura Polence - vocal / Björk Níelsdóttir - vocal / Ada Rave – saxophone, clarinet / Ab Baars – saxophone, clarinet / George Dumitriu – fiddle and viola / Kaja Draksler - piano / Lennart Heyndels – double bass / Onno Govaert – drums and percussion.