Improvisation, pleasure and adventure, that's what Michel Portal is all about. This classically trained multi-instrumentalist has been exploring jazz for many years. He likes to experiment and uses excellent technique in playing a variety of wind instruments. At the North Sea Jazz Festival, Portal will be performing his new project, Baïlador, also the name of his latest album. The title is Spanish for 'dancer', which is very apt: the enthusiasm is infectious. The music of Baïlador is surprising, adventurous and at the same time, accessible. Portal has gathered together a strong group of musicians for this project: Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet, pianist Bojan Z, bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Nasheet Waits let us hear various cultural influences, ranging from African to Cuban and Brazilian. Portal may be 75 years old, but he is still hungry for everything that is new and different.
