“A” Trio
This concert is produced and sponsored in part by the Goethe Institut Chicago
The “A” Trio makes its Chicago debut, an extremely rare opportunity to see this influential and important ensemble. This longstanding working band features three leaders of the improvised music scene based in Beirut, although all three split time between that city and European hubs such as Berlin and Paris. We’ll also be projecting slides before the event of Kerbaj’s recent graphic novel “Learning Deutsch", about his experience as a foreigner learning the German language. And as the first set of tonight’s concert, we’ll present a screening of his 2021 film “The Musical.”
8:30 PM : “THE MUSICAL” - a screening
This short film was written, directed, and performed by Kerbaj in 2021
9:00 PM : “A” Trio
Mazen Kerbaj - trumpet
Sharif Sehnaoui - guitar
Raed Yassin - bass
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
“A” Trio is the oldest Lebanese improvisation group. Formed in 2002 in Beirut during the second Irtijal Festival of Experimental Music, they went on to record the first free jazz CD to be produced in the Arab world (“A”, La CDth que, 2003). Their music later moved away from its jazz roots towards a more textural approach, relying strongly on prepared & extended techniques for a heavy diversion of their respective instruments.
After a decade of working together in trio and various other contexts, Merbaj, Henaoui & Rassin have finally reached a very characteristic sound that has that has been fondly described as “textural swing.” Creative yet simple, acoustic yet powerful, their live performances are very playful and rely on a strong visual component.
The “A” Trio has often worked on collaborations with other musicians or groups coming from genres as varied as Lebanese punk rock (Scrambled Eggs), American contemporary folk (Alan Bishop) or British first-generation free improvisers (AMM). Some of these collaborations have been released on albums, while some other, like the 4 hour-long concert where they joined forces with the Australian trio The Necks still wait for a proper release. Other collaborations include Turkish free jazz band KonstruKt, French poet Patrick Dubost as well as various musicians like Michael Zerang, David Stackenas, Martin Kuchen, Georg Wissel & Tony Buck.
Individually, Merbaj, Henaoui and Rassin are three of Lebanon’s most active musicians, organizing the “Irtijal” international festival since 2001 and running two record labels: “Al Maslakh” devoted to "publish the un-publishable" on the Lebanese musical scene. And “Annihaya”, that focuses on sampling, recycling and the displacement of various aspects of popular culture.