Authored by Chris Sharkey’s Trio and two Lithuanian musicians, it is the first joint project by London Jazz festival and Vilnius Jazz. It will be presented in both festivals.

"We are delighted to be working with Vilnius Jazz on this collaborative project between trioVD and the Lithuanian musicians Marijus Aleksa and Liudas Mockūnas", pointed out John Cumming, director of Serious, the agency producing the London Jazz Festival. "Serious has been working with the musicians involved in trioVD for some years ago both individually and collectively – they are amongst the most innovative players on today’s British scene, and their debut CD, released this Autumn, is one of the eagerly awaited highlights of the UK jazz year."

Since their first performances in early 2006, trioVD have proven themselves to be among the most exciting and energetic bands associated with the Leeds Improvised Music Association (LIMA). LIMA is a Leeds-based collective of musicians that has been producing and promoting improvised music since its inception in 2005.

trioVD hypnotises the audiences with edgy humour, dark near-Satanic thrashing and disdainful virtuosity. The past year has seen the band blow away audiences at The London and Gateshead Jazz festivals and feature heavily on Radio 3’s Flagship Jazz show Jazz on 3. trioVD’s debut album Fill it up with Ghosts will be released by renowned U.K Jazz label Babel in November.

A graduate of Leeds Music College, Chris Sharkey (b. 1978) is a co-founder of the LIMA. He is the cutting-edge British guitarist worshipped by both free jazz and avant-garde aficionados.

Ch. Sharkey feels at home in music of various styles, which he plays with lots of different people including Matthew Bourne, Pete Wareham and members of London F-ire Collective. Beside trioVD, he is a leader of The Geordie Approach and Bilbao Syndrome.

Christophe de Bezenac came to UK from France. After graduating from the Strasbourg Conservatoire in contemporary improvised music and composition, he went on to study Sundanese gamelan music at The Institute for Traditional Performing Arts (STSI) in West Java, Indonesia. It was there that he got fascinated with perception and cognition of music.

He earned Master’s Degree and PhD from the University of Leeds. His research included improvisatory genres, perception and cognition of music, instrumental experimentation, and human-computer interaction.

The saxophonist’s interests embrace jazz, electronics, and European improvised and electro-acoustic music. He has appeared in a number of international contemporary music and jazz festivals in Europe, collaborated with musicians from diverse musical backgrounds including Christian Sebille, Marc Ducret, Simon Fell, David Murray,
Ken Vandemark, Paul Hession, Matthew Bourne, Fred Londberg-Holm, Frank Vigroux, and Dave Kane.

Chris Bussey is not only a virtuoso drummer, but also a resourceful composer and producer. He has collaborated with exponents of different genres – Evelyn Glennie, Michael Bolton, Minghe Morte, Jennifer Kae, Bilbao Syndrome, LIMA Orchestra, 3 man Bench, Dave Kane Ensemble.

Chris’ music can be heard on BBC and NBC, Discovery documentaries, TV shows and other productions.

Reed virtuoso and jazz champion Liudas Mockūnas graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, and the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. He can deservedly be called a “Lithuanian jazz ambassador”.

Liudas Mockūnas regularly takes part in international jazz festivals, plays in many international collectives. He is a co-leader of Toxikum, Megaphone, Red Planet, Traffic Quartet, Idiot Quartet, Saga and Revolver, a member of Copenhagen Art Ensemble, collaborates with Pierre Dorge and his New Jungle Orchestra.

Liudas Mockūnas works with Stefan Pasborg, Jacob Anderskov, Jakob Riis, Nils Davidsen, Marc Ducret, Vladimir Chekasin, Vladimir Tarasov, Arkady Gotesman, Mats Gustaffsson, Mats Eilertsen, Mark Solborg, Dietrich Eichmann, Jeff Arnal, Jaak Sooaar, and Chordos String Quartet.

He has also performed with Andrew Hill’s Jazz Par octet, Scott Colley, Nasheet Waits, Chris Speed, Mike Svoboda and Edwin Wieringa, played in Swinging Europe and La Villet Jazz Festival international big bands.

Liudas Mockūnas is famed not only as an exponent of improvised music and avant-garde jazz, but also as an expert of contemporary academic music. The saxophonist is a member of contemporary music ensemble Gaida, has performed with the Lithuanian State and Lithuanian National symphony orchestras, as well as St.Christopher Chamber Orchestra.

With various collectives he has toured in Europe, the USA and China.

He is a prize winner of competitions in Lithuania, Latvia and France, a recipient of Vilnius Jazz and Birštonas prizes for contribution to Lithuanian jazz, and Mūzų malūnas (the Lithuanian Daily Lietuvos Rytas cultural supplement) prize.

Marijus Aleksa made his jazz debut in Vilnius Jazz 1999 at the age thirteen. He is a winner of several national jazz competitions. In 2007, he won first prize at the Baltic States’ Drummers Competition.

He appeared in almost all jazz festivals in Lithuania, performed in Norway, Poland, Austria, the USA, UK and Italy.

The drummer has collaborated with Herbie Kopf, Roberto Manzin, Robin Aristoren as well as many Lithuanian jazz masters including Vladimir Chekasin, Vladimir Tarasov, Vytautas Labutis, Petras Vyšniauskas and Dainius Pulauskas.

Marijus Aleksa also plays soul and hip-hop music; is a member of Saga jazz quartet, D’Orange, BrassBastardz and a co-leader of Aleksa Brothers Group.

Since 2008, he has resided in London.