Teis Semey Quintet + Ella Zirina Trio

Tein Semey Quintet | album release: "En Masse!"

Teis Semey returns with his Amsterdam quintet, and he does so convincingly. After the success of “Mean Mean Machine” (2021) and “Midnight Mess Vol. 1” (2023), he is ready to surprise again with the new album “En Masse!”, to be released on Sept. 26.

Staying true to their signature acoustic punk sound, the Teis Semey Quintet offers an evening of energy and musicality. Semey, often hailed as the “bad boy of jazz,” uniquely manages to combine chaos and tenderness in his compositions, as heard in songs such as “A Tender Melody To Help Me Get Through Winter” and “A Song for My Siblings.”

The quintet is joined by newcomer Jesse Schilderink, whose powerful playing pushes the band in an extroverted and wild direction. Together with José Soares, he forms a versatile saxophone duo, supported by the solid rhythm section of Sun-Mi Hong (drums) and Jort Terwijn (bass). With Teis Semey's direct and piercing guitar playing, the band moves as a powerful unit, driven by raw energy and unspoken signals.

“Het Teis Semey Quintet is een liefdevolle jazztornado” - 3voor12

"En Masse! - besides its title in French - is a beautiful success, colorful and inventive, full of energy and beauty." - Matthieu Jouan (Citizen Jazz)

“ The music has fine detail and dynamics rewarding close listening. The quintet embraces multitudes musically and in personal outlook. “ - UK Jazznews

Ella Zirina Trio | album release: "Boundless Blue, Sunset Hue"

Amsterdam based jazz guitarist and composer Ella Zirina (originally from Latvia) presents new music with her Trio from their new album. Zirina is joined by Jamie Peet on drums and Ton Felices on double bass. They interweave their musical characters with one another and express their individuality in the canvas that are the compositions of Zirina. Love for a melodically strong and expressive approach as well as passion for exploring textures, timbres and grooves - those are the musical pillars that unite the band. Zirina’s led band has performed in various venues and festivals around Europe like Oslo Jazz Festival (Norway), Nigran Jazz Festival (Spain), BIMHUIS (The Netherlands) among others. The band was awarded the first prize in the Virtual Jazz Club Competition in 2022. Ella was an artist in residence at BIMHUIS (Amsterdam) for ‘New Makers’ talent development project within which she released her band’s well received debut album ‘Intertwined’ in March 2023. Since then she has also released a solo guitar album. She graduated with the highest honors at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. As a sidewoman she has performed in numerous projects and shared the stage with musicians such as Ben van Gelder, Reinier Baas, Tineke Postma, Jesse van Ruller, Pablo Held, Kurt Rosenwinkel and others.