Vatchapuj Collective on tour in Nepal & Thailand (October-November 2009):
“It was Jazzmandu’s unofficial kick-off jam session. If it were not for this festival, we would have never met Thai/French/American band, Vatchapuj, and we would have never wished that they ruled the world. They looked like teenagers who drank a little too much coffee, but their lungs… Pharadon Phonamuai can trumpet with or without the saxophone, and even in the dives of London and New York, we haven’t met a flautist like Vincent Martial. These guys probably have rubber valves for lungs, and they can bend their instruments to their will.”
“Vatchapuj was busy at the House of Music, and successful in energizing the ever increasing crowd. The tables soon had no space left for another bottle of beer. Smoky ambience, slow movements, neon lights, and the raining jazz numbers made the night a memorable celebration of music for all those present. No introductions, no obstructions, just the flow of individual musical talent, the energy of the band members resulting in the creation of a cryptic jazz. Vatchapuj left the crowd satiated with unbelievable entertainment.”
Vatchapuj Collective plays experimental jazz and free rock. Its members are Vincent Martial (flute), Pharadon Phonamnuai (tenor sax), Eric Pailhé (tenor sax), Bain Chompoowong (guitar), Travis DiRuzza (upright bass), and Uriel Barthélémi (drums). The tracks on the left are featured in an altered form on our 2021 album The Wicked Wonder.
Vatchapuj press kit and technical rider.
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