Biography
MAZEN KERBAJ (Lebanon) Mazen Kerbaj lives and works in Beirut where his main activities are music, comics, and painting. He has published 10 books, many short stories, and drawings and has exhibited his work internationally.Kerbaj is one of the founders of the Lebanese free improvisation scene, both as a trumpet player and as an active member in the MILL association that in 2001 founded and organises the annual Irtijal international festival for free music in Beirut - now in it’s 10th year.www.kerbaj.comwww.irtijal.orgwww.almaslakh.org
SHARIF SEHNAOUI (Lebanon) Sharif Sehnaoui is a free improvising guitarist. He plays both electric & acoustic guitars, with or without extended and prepared techniques, focusing on expanding the intrinsic possibilities of these instruments without the use of effects or electronics. He resides in Beirut after more than a decade in Paris, where he started his career as an improviser in 1999, playing at Instants Chavirés where he was a member of several orchestras. In Lebanon, he actively contributed to the emergence of an unprecedented experimental music scene. In 2001, with Mazen Kerbaj he created the Irtijal Festival, which is currently the only improvised and new music festival in the Arab world.
MICHAEL ZERANG (USA) Percussionist, improvisor and composer Michael Zerang was born in 1958 in Chicago, Illinois as a first generation American of Assyrian decent. He has been a professional musician, composer, and producer since 1976, focusing extensively on improvised music, free jazz, contemporary composition, experimental theater, and international musical forms. Zerang has collaborated extensively with contemporary theater, dance, and other multidisciplinary forms. He and has toured nationally and internationally since 1981 with an ever-widening pool of collaborators. Zerang co-founded and performed with the musical groups Liof Munimula, The Neutrino Orchestra, and Trio Troppo amongst others. In addition to these ensembles, Zerang currently performs with many innovative musicians including AACM co-founder Fred Anderson, Peter Brötzmann, Mats Gustafsson, Raymond Strid, Sten Sandell, Don Meckley, Jaap Blonk, Daniel Scanlan, Kent Kessler, Barre Phillips, Jim Baker, Hamid Drake, Ken Vandermark, Luc Hautkamp, and Fred Lonberg-Holm.www.michaelzerang.com
EDDIE PREVOST (England)
Eddie Prévost plays with immense fire, grace and invention. Founder of the essential AMM, collaborator of the greatest improvisers internationally, since the 60's he has kept a continuous with the scene and always manages to invent anew his contribution to "meta-music". Eddie Prévost biography on the Matchless Recordings website
SHARIF SEHNAOUI (Lebanon) Sharif Sehnaoui is a free improvising guitarist. He plays both electric & acoustic guitars, with or without extended and prepared techniques, focusing on expanding the intrinsic possibilities of these instruments without the use of effects or electronics. He resides in Beirut after more than a decade in Paris, where he started his career as an improviser in 1999, playing at Instants Chavirés where he was a member of several orchestras. In Lebanon, he actively contributed to the emergence of an unprecedented experimental music scene. In 2001, with Mazen Kerbaj he created the Irtijal Festival, which is currently the only improvised and new music festival in the Arab world.
MICHAEL ZERANG (USA) Percussionist, improvisor and composer Michael Zerang was born in 1958 in Chicago, Illinois as a first generation American of Assyrian decent. He has been a professional musician, composer, and producer since 1976, focusing extensively on improvised music, free jazz, contemporary composition, experimental theater, and international musical forms. Zerang has collaborated extensively with contemporary theater, dance, and other multidisciplinary forms. He and has toured nationally and internationally since 1981 with an ever-widening pool of collaborators. Zerang co-founded and performed with the musical groups Liof Munimula, The Neutrino Orchestra, and Trio Troppo amongst others. In addition to these ensembles, Zerang currently performs with many innovative musicians including AACM co-founder Fred Anderson, Peter Brötzmann, Mats Gustafsson, Raymond Strid, Sten Sandell, Don Meckley, Jaap Blonk, Daniel Scanlan, Kent Kessler, Barre Phillips, Jim Baker, Hamid Drake, Ken Vandermark, Luc Hautkamp, and Fred Lonberg-Holm.www.michaelzerang.com
EDDIE PREVOST (England)
Eddie Prévost plays with immense fire, grace and invention. Founder of the essential AMM, collaborator of the greatest improvisers internationally, since the 60's he has kept a continuous with the scene and always manages to invent anew his contribution to "meta-music". Eddie Prévost biography on the Matchless Recordings website
