Biography
"A" Trio is a free improvisation group from Lebanon, and one of the oldest and most representative improvisational music ensembles in the country. Formed in 2002 by trumpeter Mazen Kerbaj, guitarist Sharif Sehnaoui, and double bassist Raed Yassin, the group was initially assembled to perform a single concert at the second edition of the experimental music festival Irtijal in Beirut.
"A" Trio approaches sound in a textural manner, heavily relying on prepared techniques and extended techniques to radically transform the traditional sound production of their respective instruments. Their work retains the spirit of jazz improvisation while moving away from conventional rhythmic patterns and melodic frameworks, with live performances full of dramatic visual elements. After twenty years of collaboration, Kerbaj, Sehnaoui, and Yassin have developed a unique language affectionately referred to by critics as "textural swing"—acoustic, powerful, yet simultaneously creative and minimalist.
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In 2002, "A" Trio made their debut at the Irtijal Festival. Following the performance, the three musicians recorded the Arab world's first free jazz album, 《A》 (released in 2003 by La CD-thèque). Since then, the trio has collaborated long-term in various configurations, including as a trio and other formations, gradually developing a highly personal musical language. In 2022, the band celebrated its 20th anniversary, touring Europe and North America in the spring, and releasing the live album 《The Binding Third》 (on the German label Unrock) and the studio album 《Folk》 (on the Lebanese label Al Maslakh) in the autumn of the same year.
Mazen Kerbaj – trumpet, saxophone, and extended instruments, also visual art and design
Sharif Sehnaoui – acoustic guitar / electric guitar
Raed Yassin – double bass
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.