The evening will include a set by the Lebanese free improv group “A” Trio as well as a solo by Mike Bullock.
Please note, everyone is required to wear a CDC-approved mask during all indoor public events at the Goethe-Institut Boston, except when actively eating or drinking.
About the artists
“A” Trio is the oldest Lebanese free improv group. It was formed in 2002 initially for a single concert at the second edition of the experimental music festival Irtijal. After this concert the three musicians went on to record the first free jazz album to be produced in the Arab world (A – La Cédéthèque, 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 working together in trio and various other contexts for many years, Kerbaj, Sehnaoui and Yassin reached a characteristic sound that has been fondly described as “textural swing.” Creative yet simple, acoustic yet powerful, their live performances are playful and rely on a strong visual component.
In 2012, and for their 10th anniversary, “A” Trio finally released their long awaited second album Music to Our Ears, followed a year later by their first live album, recorded at the Konfrontationnen festival in Nickelsdorf. In 2022, the group is celebrating their 20th anniversary with the release of two new albums (The Binding Third and Folk).
"A" Trio has also often worked with guest musicians or in collaboration with other bands, in live setup or in the recording studio. They have so far collaborated with: folk singer/musician Alan Bishop, improv pioneers AMM, Lebanese punk-rock band Scrambled Eggs, Turkish free jazz band KonstruKt, French poet Patrick Dubost, acclaimed Australian trio The Necks as well as various musicians including Michael Zerang, David Stackenas, Martin Kuchen, Georg Wissel, Tony Buck, Maurice Louca and Michel Doneda.
“A” Trio has widely toured in Europe and the USA, performing in festivals such as Skanu Mesz in Riga, Club Transmediale and Maerz Musik in Berlin or Météo in Mulhouse. Individually, Kerbaj, Sehnaoui and Yassin 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. Kerbaj and Yassin are currently based in Berlin, while Sehnaoui lives in Lebanon.
Mike Bullock is a composer, performer, and environmental sound recordist based in rural Massachusetts. He has been creating electroacoustic and improvised music since the mid 90s, and has performed across the US and in Europe. Bullock has received grants from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage and the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. As Ears In Space, he also designs and builds wave field synthesis and other spatial audio arrays.
Bullock's work has been presented at ISSUE Project Room, Experimental Intermedia, and the Park Avenue Armory in New York City; Fylkingen in Stockholm, Sweden; Instants Chavirés in Paris; Café OTO in London; The Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Goethe Institut Boston; and EMPAC in Troy, NY.
