Surge Quartet

BlueStem Jazz Presentation | Continuing in the boundless endeavors of free jazz and improvisation in the 21st century, the Surge Quartet: Chris Bré, gabby fluke-mogul, Keefe Jackson and Fred Lonberg-Holm is a group of the times. The unique tandem instrumentation of violin and cello with two others playing saxophones and bass clarinets create a special timbral zone from which the music can grow. Their collective resumes include collaborators such as Tomeka Reid, Joe McPhee, William Parker, Peter Brötzmann, Ava Mendoza, Jaimie Branch and Hans Koch and such venues as The Stone (NYC), Constellation (Chicago), der Stadtgarten (Cologne) and the Bimhuis (Amsterdam). Currently hailing from Lucerne, New York, Chicago, and El Cerrito, the musicians' backgrounds are diverse as well. The four regularly tour in the US and in Europe, and between them have released hundreds of recordings in various settings, for labels including Relative Pitch, Delmark, Clean Feed, and Hat Hut Records. This tour is sponsored in part by Blue Stem Jazz.A New Formation in Free Improvisation - Surge Quartet with gabby fluke-mogul, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Keefe Jackson, and Chris Bré. 

Four extraordinary musicians from the international improvisation scene come together for the first time in a unique quartet: gabby fluke-mogul (violin), Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello & electronics), Keefe Jackson (saxophones & clarinets), and Chris Bré (saxophones & clarinets) create a sonic world filled with spontaneity, energy, and unexpected turns.

Each musician brings a distinctive voice to the ensemble: fluke-mogul is a master of expressive textures on the violin, moving seamlessly between raw intensity and delicate nuances. Lonberg-Holm fuses his cello with electronics, expanding the instrument’s possibilities into uncharted sonic territory. Jackson is known for his powerful tone and melodic finesse, while Bré explores the depths of saxophone and clarinet with an ever-surprising sense of space and dynamics.

Without predefined structures or compositions, the music unfolds in the moment, ranging from fragile, intricate passages to explosive, high-energy interactions. It is a dialogue of tension, spontaneity, and boundless creativity, drawing the audience into an immersive and unpredictable experience. This tour is sponsored in part by Blue Stem Jazz.

Host or Publisher Al Rasho