Kęstutis Vaiginis - saxophones, compositions (Lithuania)
Joonas Haavisto - piano (Finland)
Boris Kozlov - double bass (USA)
Jonathan Blake - drums (USA)

>Elite Grammy Award winners and nominees, the cream of US jazz at the Jazz Cellar 11. This time Kęstutis Vaiginis, one of the most active saxophonists in our country, is sharing the stage with New York's jazz greats and introducing this impressive quartet.

Jonathan Blake is one of today's most sought-after drummers, playing with such renowned ensembles as the Kenny Barron Trio, the Tom Harrell Quintet, the Maria Sneider Orchestra, and many other jazz ensembles, Praised by DownBeat and other elite jazz magazines as New York's most innovative drummer today

Boris Kozlov is a double bassist, a member of the Brian Lynch and Eddie Palmieri Quartet, a member of Michael Brecker's ensemble, and a member of the Opus 5, the Manhattan Transfers, the Mingus Bigband, and many other ensembles.

Joonas Haavisto, one of the most prominent and active pianists from Finland, member of international jazz ensembles, debuting in 2023 with his trio at the Blue Note Club in New York, Steinway artist, and a regular stage partner of Kęstutis Vaiginis.Saxophonist and composer, Kęstutis Vaiginis, is one of Lithuania's most prolific jazz artists, and is the inspiration and leader of numerous international projects. He has performed his music with various ensembles in Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain, France, USA, Germany, Poland, Turkey, Brazil, India, P. Korea, China, Azerbaijan, Georgia and other countries.

His past and present collaborators include David Berkman, David Kikoski, Boris Kozlov, Donald Edwards, Alex Sipiagin, Barbara Dennerlein, Hernan Romero, Ed Howard, Adam Cruz, Randal Corsen, Joonas Haavisto, Mike Stern, and musicians from Indonesia, Korea, Italy, and Indonesia.

As a bandleader and guest artist, Kęstutis has appeared with various ensembles at the Nord Sea Jazz, Rotterdam, London, Ottawa, Cape Town, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Tokyo and other prestigious jazz festivals, and has toured on four continents. The saxophonist was awarded the Europamusicale Prize by the European Cultural Foundation, which is given to one European musician only once a year.

Kęstutis Vaiginis' discography includes ten albums, including five solo albums.

"His vision is subtle and provocative, born out of respect for tradition, but always looking forward" - this is how the renowned American saxophonist Steve Wilson described Kęstutis's album Unexpected Choices, recorded with renowned musicians from New York.

This is Kęstutis's debut tour of the quartet. Its programme includes previously composed and completely new compositions by Kęstutis Vaiginis.