Léon Phal (CH)

Among the artists of his generation, few, if any, have experienced a rise as meteoric as Léon Phal. In just four years, a career marked by victories at the Nancy Jazz Pulsations and Jazz à Vienne competitions in 2019, the Swiss saxophonist has become the flagship figure of an entire generation of artists who hold jazz in as high regard as electronic music – and who, without dissolving one into the other, have never set boundaries between their passions, proving how much they can communicate when skillfully combined.

With one of the most versatile and creative quintets on the European scene: Zacharie Ksyk on trumpet, Gauthier Toux on keyboards, Rémi Bouyssière on double bass, and Arthur Allard on drums, he has released three albums, each revealing new facets of his music. The latest, Stress Killer, represents his maturity, the perfect balance between all the styles he loves: from the immortal themes of John Coltrane to house rhythms, from bebop to French touch.

Live, Léon Phal and his band never forget that a great concert is played for and with the audience, and every performance becomes a moment of true sharing.