Saxophonist Joe Lovano has already attended the North Sea Jazz Festival in many guises. This year the New Yorker will come to Rotterdam with a very special project: his new group, US Five, released their sensational album Folk Art last year. Not only is it the first CD filled entirely with his original compositions, the way in which the four other musicians attack the pieces is also remarkable. On the latest work by US Five, that received the title Bird Songs, the group interprets Charlie Parker's pieces. US Five currently consists of pianist James Weidman, bassist Peter Slavov and the two drummers/percussionists Otis Brown and Francisco Mela. According to Lovano, this lineup allows him to add more variation to his playing and expressiveness to his compositions.
