The seed of Roast City Quintet started sprouting when Helsinki-born drummer Jesse Luostarinen, who was living in Marseille at the time, was visiting Paris in and incidentally met the Oulu-born electric bassist Jouni Isoherranen. Month after this Paris visit, the drummer had a chance to move to Paris, to a commune led and occupied by artists. From the endless jam sessions they found Charley Rose, a sax player who was active in the Parisian jazz scene, and pianist Arnault d'Angely, who was a conservatory teacher. The last piece of the puzzle was found when Finnish trumpet veteran Antero Priha arrived to Paris to keep an artist residence there.