nju:zone

As a composer, I don’t let myself be guided by rules, but by my intuition. My vision for nju:zone was to go beyond genre boundaries and create a new mix of jazz-related music. An authentic sound identity that radiates the joy of life of youth and the boundless energy with which we hope to reach a wider audience and connect with all kinds of music lovers.

Lucas Johnson, bandleader and drummer

Ori Jacobsen, saxophone

Uri Gincel, piano

Luca Curcio, Kontrabass

Lucas Johnson, drums.

nju:zone is a dynamic ensemble that has its origins at the renowned “Jazzcampus” in Basel. Founded by the southern German drummer Lucas Johnson, the band brings together musicians from different cultural backgrounds who are now at home in the creative metropolises of Europe.

Their sound moves freely through the broad spectrum of contemporary jazz and transcends stylistic boundaries with ease. Characterized by the individual expressiveness of each member and Johnson’s unmistakable compositional handwriting, nju:zone develops a musical language that thrives on energy, depth and irrepressible joy of play. The band draws its inspiration from the collaboration with artists such as Mark Turner, Guillermo Klein, Miguel Zenon and Larry Grenadier and brings these influences into an independent sound aesthetic.

With her debut album “nju:zone” Lucas Johnson was appointed as cultural ambassador of the Jazzverband Baden-Württemberg and represented the region at the international jazz trade fair JazzAhead 2019. The ensemble has made a name for itself with performances at renowned festivals such as the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, the Langnau JazzNights, the Offbeat Jazzfestival Basel and the JazzOpen Stuttgart.

This year, nju:zone presents his second album – another stage on their journey through the endless possibilities of modern jazz.