Gorka Benítez sax, flute & composition, Pablo Martin Caminero double bass, Borja Barrueta drums, Alejandro Mingot guitar.

Baleen Lobak brings together four musicians who celebrate their Basque origins through jazz, performing compositions by Gorka Benitez inspired by his deepest roots. With him, Benitez has three Basque performers who, like him, have been trained outside Euskal Herria and are leading musicians on the Spanish and international jazz scenes. Tenacious, brave, and always keen to try something new, Benitez has reached maturity as a creative musician and performer through honesty. This one-of-a-kind polyglot saxophone player regularly appears in top jazz clubs and recording studios, and his sound shows a distinct personal stamp. With more than 80 recorded albums, 11 as a group leader, he has received many awards. For his part, Alejandro Mingot is a versatile musician, used to both experimentation and freestyle, as well as blues, rock and jazz bands. A student in Barcelona of Dani Pérez, Jordi Bonell and Vicenç Solsona, he is a teacher at Musikene (Donostia). Pablo Martín Caminero comes to us from Madrid. The diversity of the musical styles he works with has led him to play alongside Abe Rábade, Jorge Pardo, Gerardo Núñez, Chano Domínguez and a long list of flamenco, jazz, classical and Baroque artists. The group’s regular drummer is another big name, Borja Barrueta, replaced for this concert by Caspar St. Charles.