The acclaimed Red Desert Orchestra led by French pianist Eve Risser will perform on April 19th in Espoo, on April 20th in Salo, and on April 23rd in Tampere. The EJN Green Pilot Tour project will also take the 12-member orchestra to Tallinn on April 22nd.
French pianist-composer Eve Risser released the album Eurythmia in 2022 with her 12-member Red Desert Orchestra. The ensemble consists of nine European and three Burkina Faso-based musicians. Their music navigates between groove-driven jazz and hypnotic cadences from West Africa. At times, melancholic or vehement horn melodies intertwine with catchy polyrhythms shaped by African percussion instruments such as djembes, balafons, and baras, challenging the soloists to playful improvisation.
Over the past decade, Risser has successfully led several small and large ensembles, creating modern and experimental jazz. In 2023, Eve Risser was awarded the Paul Acket Prize, one of the world's most significant jazz festival awards, presented annually by the Dutch North Sea Jazz festival to an artist whose exceptional musical talent deserves wider recognition. The winner is selected by an international jury of one hundred jazz critics and promoters from among the nominees chosen by the jury.
Eve Risser Red Desert Orchestra Lineup:
Eve Risser: piano, compositions (FR)
Alexandra Grimal: alto saxophone (FR)
Sakina Abdou: tenor saxophone (FR)
Grégoire Tirtiaux: baritone saxophone, qarqabas (FR)
Nils Ostendorf: trumpet, analog synthesizer (DE)
Matthias Müller: trombone (DE)
Tatiana Paris: electric guitar, vocals (FR)
Ophélia Hié: balafon, bara, vocals (BF)
Mélissa Hié: balafon, djembe, vocals (BF)
Fanny Lasfargues: bass (FR)
Oumarou Bambara: djembe, bara (BF)
Emmanuel Scarpa: drums, vocals (FR)
Eve Risser Red Desert Orchestra: Eurythmia
EJN Green Pilot Tour April 19th-23rd, 2024 in Finland and Estonia
Fri 19th Apr at 8:00 PM in Espoo, Louhisali / April Jazz
Sat 20th Apr at 7:00 PM in Salo, Musine / SaloJazz Live
Mon 22nd Apr at 6:00 PM in Jaik – Telliskivi, Tallinn / Jazzkaar
Tue 23rd Apr at 7:00 PM in Tampere, G Livelab
Tour production: compagnie ReveR
The tour is organized in collaboration with the Europe Jazz Network (EJN) through the Green Pilot Tour model, aimed at designing and implementing more environmentally sustainable tours, encouraging more diverse and gender-balanced programming, and promoting international mobility for artists.
Image (c) Vera Marmelo / Jazz em Agosto