Part 2

Jazz has always had an interesting relationship between honouring its roots and exploring the unknown. What does the balance between these two poles look like in your music?

 I don’t really have a precise answer to this question, but I think the most logical way to understand the balance between these two poles in my music is simply to listen to my tracks and form your own opinion.

What I can say is that I have a deep respect for the origins and roots of jazz. I wouldn’t claim to be a major expert on the fundamentals, but it’s something I’ve studied and continue to study, both in my instrumental work and in my overall musicianship.

I don’t know to what extent this comes across in my music, but it’s certain that these two aspects — respecting the roots and exploring new territory — are always connected. The roots of jazz are such a vast field of study that I’ll probably continue exploring them throughout my life.

This will naturally be reflected in what I write, without me consciously trying to create a link — it just happens organically.

How much potential for something “new” is there still in jazz? What could this “new” look like?

Honestly, there are so many possibilities in jazz. There’s this saying that everything has already been invented in music and that nothing new can be created. I’m not sure I agree with that. I find that what’s happening today is still incredibly surprising.

I think of an artist like Miles Davis, who reinvented himself throughout his life. If, thirty years before some of his most innovative works, someone had told him he would one day release Doo-Bop, his final album blending jazz and rap, I don’t think he would have believed it.



I still feel the same applies to us, even in 2025. In reality, anything is possible.

For many artists, life-changing musical experiences take place live. How do you see that yourself?

Honestly, I’m not really sure how to answer this question. I’ve had great experiences performing live, but I’ve also had very impactful moments in the studio. There isn’t really one or the other that stands out more or that I prefer, so I can’t really choose.

Maybe I haven’t yet encountered that truly “magical” moment, even though some experiences have been magnificent and grand. But whether in the studio or on stage, my life has always been shaped by these experiences, without me feeling them as enormous or immediate changes.

How, would you say are your live performances and your recording projects connected at the moment? How do they mutually influence and feed off each other?  

I would say that at the moment, my live performances and recording projects are quite closely connected.

Maybe that hasn’t always been the case in the past, but for this current project, I’m thinking while I record and compose about how we will be able to play it live. This is probably because I now have more opportunities to perform on stage under my own name.

I always try to consider how to make the music engaging both on a CD or recording and in a live concert. For example, on stage, I want to create an experience that is both improvised with organic instruments in the jazz spirit, but also improvised from the perspective of electronic music, almost a bit techno.

I find that these two styles, which might seem far apart, can come together in my music. This allows me to improvise with my trumpet as well as with my machines, phasers, crossfaders, pads, and other electronic instruments.

It's an approach I try to shape both for live performance and for recorded music.

Ímprovisation is obviously an essential element of jazz, but I would assume that just like composition, it is transforming. How do you feel has the role of improvisation changed in jazz?

It’s a very broad question, and the evolution of improvisation in jazz really depends on the type of jazz you’re talking about. In my music, we tend to work in a more modal approach to improvisation, with perhaps fewer chord changes or constant key shifts.

What’s interesting in my music is that I try to blend jazz improvisation with improvisation from electronic music. I improvise both with electronic instruments and with organic instruments, like my trumpet, creating a connection between technology and tradition.

Are there approaches, artists, festivals, labels, spaces or anyone/-thing else out there who you feel deserve a shout out for taking jazz into the future?

Yes, I think there are festivals, artists, labels, and venues that deserve more exposure for the future of jazz. What’s tricky is that jazz today has less visibility than it did in its golden age. It’s no longer the popular or mainstream music it once was.

For me, any exposure of a jazz artist, festival, or label is worth highlighting. It helps the style to endure, to be heard, and potentially to become popular again if jazz musicians want it to. I don’t think there’s any taboo in wanting to bring jazz back into the spotlight. In short, any exposure — and especially strong exposure — can only be beneficial for this musical style.

I’m thinking in particular of platforms like Colors, where I was one of the first instrumentalists to perform.

Nowadays, I see that they’re putting more and more instrumentalists in the spotlight, and that’s extremely positive for the jazz landscape. It’s fantastic. I also think of artists like Christian Scott, who renewed the genre in 2015.



The Montreux Festival intends to preserve its archive of recordings for future generations. Do you personally feels it's important that everything should remain available forever - or is there something to be said for letting beautiful moments pass and linger in the memories of those that experienced them?

I think it’s very important to preserve archives and keep them for as long as possible. This is crucial for future generations, especially when it comes to music education, and in particular jazz.

Without archives of what happened in the past, it would be impossible to understand the foundations and roots of this music. It’s essential that, even posthumously, works are performed, shared, and that videos are made accessible. This contributes to culture, helps people understand history, and keeps the memory of great artists and great moments alive.

For me, preserving and sharing these archives is indispensable: it’s what allows the art to evolve and remain alive in collective memory.