FOILS QUARTET
Matthias Müller – trombone
Frank Paul Schubert – soprano saxophone
John Edwards – bass
Mark Sanders – drums
FOILS originally started as a duo with Matthias Müller, trombone, and Frank Paul Schubert, soprano saxophone (CD: ‘FOILS’; fmr, 2011). Since 2012 it has been augmented to the FOILS QUARTET with John Edwards, bass, and Mark Sanders, drums. Since then, the quartet has been playing in Rumania, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and the UK, and released the CD ‘The Jersey Lily’ (creative sources, 2014).
„[…] Music that lives from the excellent communication between the participants. The contrast between the various tone colors of soprano saxophone and trombone is both unusual and attractive at the same time, yet there is a lot to discover beyond this obvious contrast. In general the quartet’s playing is very homogenous and on a very high energy level […] Even if the music is sonically investigative and intellectually challenging it is also emotional and gripping.“
Martin Schray, freejazzblog.org, August 26, 2014
„[…] What a joy to listen to! Never a dull moment here. Throughout they play intense and concentrated on a continuous high level. Thrilling playing by Schubert, what a player. […] It is above all the constant stream of musical ideas that make their interplay very rich and fascinating. Quite and subtle textures change for high-energy battles. Totally gripping music, emotional as well as cerebral if this distinction is of any meaning.“ Dolf Mulder, Vital Weekly #964, January 2015
Matthias Müller was born 1971 in Zeven, Germany and starting playing trombone in the local trombone choir at the age of 10. From 1994 to 1999 he studied jazz-trombone at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, where he also made his first steps into improvised music. His CD “Bhavan”, which was released in 2004, was produced by Chicago based musician and journalist John Corbett. In the same year he moved to Berlin and has since been regularly playing with internationally recognized improvisers such as John Edwards, Mark Sanders, Peter Evans, Nate Wooley, Johannes Bauer, Tobias Delius, Olaf Rupp, Paul Lovens, Toshimaru Nakamura, Clayton Thomas, Michael Vorfeld, Axel Dörner, and many more. He is a member of the 24-member improvising ensemble, “Splitter Orchester“, and was also a member of the “German-French Jazzensemble“ under the direction of Albert Mangelsdorff. In addition, Müller is also active in the field of contemporary music, having worked with the Berlin-based ensembles “Xenon“, “Work In Progress“, and “Zinc & Copper Works“. He also took part in the performance and CD-recording of composer Mark Andre’s opera „…22, 13…“ and was soloist in Orm Finnendahl’s work “Gegenüberstellung I-III für Solo-Instrumente und Elektronik“. Müller has toured Africa, Asia, North America and many countries in Europe, having played on numerous festivals, and released more than 20 CDs of his own projects
Saxophonist Frank Paul Schubert, born in Neuss/Germany in 1965, lives in Berlin since 1999. Schubert works regularly with Willi Kellers, Andreas Willers, Johannes Bauer, Paul Dunmall, Matthias Müller, John Edwards, Mark Sanders, Uwe Oberg, Günter Baby Sommer, Alexander von Schlippenbach and many more.
Frank Paul Schubert is member of the Quartet GRID MESH and the Willi Kellers Quartet feat. Clayton Thomas and Paul Dunmall.
Since 2009 he has been playing in a duo with pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach as well as small group gigs and CD productions featuring Mr. von Schlippenbach.
Tours led him to Poland, Romania, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, Holland, UK, USA and Canada. Festival appearances include Nickelsdorf Konfrontationen, Ulrichsberg Kaleidophon, Madrid Hurta Cordel, Sibiu Jazz&More, Hamburg ElbJazz and many more.
He released several recordings on labels including Leo Records, NoBusiness Records, FMR, Creative Sources, gligg, JazzHausMusik, KONNEX, farai-NRW.
Frank Paul had the pleasure to collaborate with many fine musicians including the following (in alphabetical order): Antonis Anissegos, Johannes Bauer, Paul Dunmall, John Edwards, Rudi Fischerlehner, Paul Hubweber, Peter van Huffel, John Hughes, Hilary Jeffery, Kalle Kalima, Achim Kaufmann, Willi Kellers, Jan Klare, Meinrad Kneer, Matthias Müller, Uwe Oberg, Olaf Rupp, Mark Sanders, Julie Sassoon, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Harri Sjöström, Günter Baby Sommer, Christof Thewes, Clayton Thomas, Andreas Willers.
John Edwards is a true virtuoso whose staggering range of techniques and boundless musical imagination have redefined the possibility of the double bass and dramatically expanded its role, whether playing solo or with others. Perpetually in demand, he has played with Evan Parker, Sunny Murray, Derek Bailey, Joe McPhee, Lol Coxhill, Peter Brötzmann, Mulatu Astatke and many others.
“I think John Edwards is absolutely remarkable: there’s never been anything like him before, anywhere in jazz.” – Richard Williams, The Blue Moment
Mark Sanders has played with many renowned musicians including Derek Bailey, Henry Grimes, Roswell Rudd, Okkyung Lee, Barry Guy, Tim Berne, Otomo Yoshihide, Jah Wobble, Harold Budd, Sidsel Endresen , in duo and quartets with Wadada Leo Smith and trios with Charles Gayle with Sirone and William Parker.
Mark and John Edwards have a long history as a rhythm section with many groups including Evan Parker Trio, Trevor Watts Quartet, with electro acoustic composer John Wall, `FOILS` with Frank Paul Schubert and Matthias Müller, Veryan Weston, John Tilbury, Agusti Fernandez and Mathew Shipp.
In situations using composition in one form or another Mark works in various projects including Christian Marclay`s `Everyday` piece for film and live music includes Mark with Christian, Steve Beresford, John Butcher and Alan Tomlinson. John Butcher`s `Tarab Cuts` interacting with Arabic music based backing tracks, with both projects he has performed major festivals and Biennales throughout Europe. For artist Henrik Hakensen`s film `The End` he has performed John Coxon`s music in Glasgow and Sydney playing with the Scottish and Sydney symphony Orchestras. With New York`s ICE Ensemble he has performed John Zorn`s `The Tempest` in London and at Huddersfield New Music Festival As a member of the group `The Langston project` with Hasse Poulsen, Deborah Cameron and Luc Ex they perform pieces based on the poetry of Langston Hughes.
Mark also works in trios with Lotte Anker & Adam Pultz Melbye, Toby Delius & Olie Brice, and in the groups of Paul Dunmall including Deep Whole Trio with Paul Rogers, and the ensembles of Mikolaj Trzaska, Gail Brand, Peter Jaquemyn, and Simon H Fell. He has performed in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Morrocco, South Africa, Australia, Mozambique and Turkey, playing at many major festivals including, Nickelsdorf, Ulrichsburg, Glastonbury, Womad, Vancouver, Isle of Wight, Roskilde, Berlin Jazz days, Mulhouse, Luz, Minniapolis, Banlieue Bleues, Son D`hiver and Hurta Cordel.
He has released over 120 CDs.