Jasper Høiby Double Bass

Alex Hitchcock Saxophone

Ketija Ringa Karahona Flute

Saied Silbak Oud

Luca Caruso Drums

Xavi Torres Piano

Over the last two decades Jasper Hoiby has shaped the direction of European Jazz. As the founding bassist of the influential trio Phronesis, Høiby brought to life a band that redefined what piano trios could sound like in the 21st century. His music is agile, urgent, and rhythmically alive. With over a decade of boundary-pushing releases and intense touring, the hi-energy trio became one of the most influential ensembles to emerge from European Jazz.

We Must Fight is his latest album which reimagines his music from some of the most celebrated Phronesis albums including Green Delay, Alive, Walking Dark, and We Are All. Revisiting this music with his collaborative and exploratory ensemble, Fellow Creatures, allowed an opportunity to present the music in a new light, as Jasper explains. “These compositions are part of my DNA, but they had more to say.” 

In the process of reimagining this music, Høiby put his trust in lauded saxophonist, composer and arranger, Alex Hitchcock, whose arrangements breathe new life into the material. Alex Hitchcock’s involvement is a big part of We Must Fight, and has a profound impact on the band’s sound. Around Høiby and Hitchcock, stands a richly textured group featuring oud player Saied Silbak, flautist Ketija Ringa Karahona, pianist Xavi Torres, and drummer Luca Caruso bringing voices from Denmark, UK, Palestine, Latvia and Spain, many with deep roots in Amsterdam’s fertile scene, a city Høiby has long drawn inspiration from.

We Must Fight is about more than music. As Jasper Høiby shares: “The title refers to the importance of speaking up, to fight for what matters, and to use our freedom to support those without. I have to fight. Against injustice and for those who have nothing. I have to stand up against people who wage war and speak my mind like never before. I can no longer just be silent. It’s not going to work. It’s not enough”.

We Must Fight speaks to the importance of the collective voice, and to using art as a call to action. It is a reminder of artistic integrity. It’s a record of how Høiby sees, hears, and thinks in the present. For Jasper Høiby, “We Must Fight”  is a vital chapter in an already vibrant discography. There’s a hunger for creation in the way he revisits his past work and reshapes it. “We Must Fight” asks the pressing question: how can our music find its revolutionary purpose?

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