Singer, composer and improvisor Sanne Rambags moves listeners in her own deliberate, very personal way. She uses her voice to express her deepest feelings freely, with no boundaries, interacting with her fellow musicians. Rambags sometimes has to pinch herself to make sure it’s all really happening: playing fabulous concerts all over the world, sharing stages with people who were once her idols but are now her colleagues. Audiences everywhere particularly respond to – and are moved by – Rambags’ wordless vocals. Rambags not only believed in her dream, she did everything she could to realize it. She took initiatives and risks, and learned from experienced and inspiring musicians. By exposing herself, she was seen, for example, by Martin Fondse – conductor and artistic director of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of the Netherlands (2015-2017). In the interim, she completed a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies (Vocal Performance) at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Tilburg (2017). During her studies, Rambags discovered the music of singer Susanne Abbuehl and later studied under her in Lucerne. In the youth orchestra and in the trio she formed with drummer Joost Lijbaart and guitarist Bram Stadhouders, Rambags put the lessons she had learned straight into practice in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia. She released an album with this trio in 2017: Under The Surface, a recording of free improvisations, sometimes based on Rambags’ original poetry. Singing her own lyrics (written in English) Rambags works with several groups, including the trio Mudita whose other members are pianist Sjoerd van Eijck and trumpeter Koen Smits. She also composes for Mudita, the album Listen To The Sound Of The Forest being an example. Rambags also performs solo as a singer-songwriter, accompanying herself on guitar. Rambags’ vocals are reminiscent of Susanne Abbuehl, Simin Tander and Mari Boine each of whom –in their own way – uses more sounds in their improvisations than is usual in scat singing. As a singer-songwriter, Rambags looked most of all to Joni Mitchell. Rambags has drawn inspiration from all of these women; now it’s her turn to be inspiring. She doesn’t have to convince anyone, she just has to let it happen: by herself, from her inner self, in interaction and, most of all, in the hearts of her listeners.

Aleksander Paal is a demanded jazz saxophonist who is currently working as a performer, composer and educator in Tallinn, Estonia. Initially starting with classical piano at age 7 he switched to saxophone and discovered jazz music at age 10. During his early years Paal participated in numerous local saxophone competitions, both classical and jazz oriented, and managed to win some of them. Most notably in 2012 he got the 1st prize in the Northern European Jazz Talent Contest in Groningen, Netherlands. Aleksander has studied jazz music at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (2008-2014) and at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar in Germany (2010). During his studies he took part in many international workshops, most notably attended the IASJ meeting in the Hague in 2010. Nowadays he has become a sought-after improviser in the jazz idiom. Knowing his way around different styles of music (including free jazz, contemporary free improvisation, pop, funk, R&B and more) is definitely one of the strongest sides of Paal's playing. Back in 2016 Aleksander was a lead alto player in an international project called Euroradio Jazz Orchestra which took place in Scotland and was conducted by Tommy Smith. In 2018 Paal was among few musicians who were comissioned to compose a symphonic jazz piece for a large orchestra with a jazz rhythm section. The work was done together with Raul Sööt and got premiered later in November, celebrating 100 years of Estonia. Besides leading his own groups (one quartet and two trios) Aleksander plays lead alto in Estonian Dream Big Band and New Wind Jazz Orchestra. As a sideman he has played and recorded with various local groups such as S.P.A.R. Quartet, Trading Fives, Jason Hunter Quintet, Sofia Rubina Band and more. Paal teaches at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre since 2018.

Dawid Bowden , award-winning bass player and composer based in Glasgow, working primarily in the fields of jazz, folk and contemporary improvised music. A mainstay of the Scottish scene, David Bowden has toured the UK and Europe extensively with a variety of projects. In 2015, David won Yamaha Jazz Scholarship Award and in 2017, fresh from graduating from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, he was awarded the title of ‘BBC Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year’. David specialises in writing genre-spanning instrumental music for bespoke ensembles. He has a diverse musical palette that is reflected in his main compositional project inspired by his studies in Ghana and Amsterdam: the acclaimed world/jazz fusion ensemble ‘Mezcla’. Tying together modern jazz with influences from West Africa, Latin America and RnB music. The band has appeared at festivals across the UK and will be releasing their debut album in 2020. As a sideman, David is a member of the Fergus McCreadie Trio. The band’s acclaimed album ‘Turas’ was shortlisted for the ‘Scottish Album of the Year’ award and has followed with appearances at venues such as Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, Ronnie Scott’s, Oslo and Stockholm Jazz Festivals. David is also a co-leader of the contemporary jazz quartet ‘Square One’ described as a ‘powerhouse of Scottish Jazz talent’ by BBC Radio Scotland. The band won the Peter Whittingham award 2015 and have released two albums to critical acclaim followed by a tour of the UK, Austria and Poland. David is also active outside of the Jazz scene, regularly performing with acts such as Robin Adams, Avocet, Dosca, Finn Anderson to name a few. Recent performance highlights have included festivals across the UK as well as performances in the Czech Republic, Poland, France, Belgium, Holland, Australia, Dubai and Zambia.