Kurt Rosenwinkel Bandit 65 at Band on the Wall

Bandit 65 is an entrancing project led by masterful jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. A collaboration with improviser/guitarist Tim Motzer and drummer Gintas Janusonis, Kurt describes the trio as “a free improvisational experimental soundscape multidimensional textural psychedelic groove monster… with soul!”. Intrigued? Us too.

Below, explore Bandit 65’s shape-shifting music in more depth, as we take our best guess at what to expect from their forthcoming live show at Band on the Wall.

Bandit 65 exhibits some of Kurt Rosenwinkel’s most joyously unencumbered work. Setting no restrictions in terms of genre, the trio weave together a vast range of musical textures and emotions, all of which are imbued with a gorgeous, stargazing quality. These varied musical terrains are navigated intuitively by three incredibly talented musicians, with Tim Motzer’s distinct textural voice and Gintas Janusonis’ rhythmic nuance shining brightly. It’s Kurt, though, who stands at the very fore. His virtuosity, creativity and insane precision in this project remind us why he’s regarded as one of the best jazz guitarists out there.

Released in 2014, Bandit 65’s self-titled album explored the intersection of guitars, rhythms, electronics, soundscapes, experimentalism, psych-rock, free improvisation, and telepathic interplay. The product of a day-long jam session, it’s all about the communication between players. Whether they’re digging into the dub-accented psychedelia of ‘The Cycle’ or revelling in the space-rock grandeur of ‘Racing the Precipice’, an ever-present, exhilarating connection exists at the heart of the music as the trio build multidimensional landscapes of sound.

It’s this connection that makes Bandit 65’s upcoming gig at Band on the Wall so exciting. If reviews are anything to go by, we’re in for a mesmerising, fully improvised set that only loosely refers to the album. Considering that the magic of those recordings lies in the spontaneity of the moment – the feeling that anything could happen at any time – it seems like a great decision for the trio to take this spontaneity to the stage, rather then simply playing through the tracks. How, we wonder, will Manchester imprint itself upon the show? How will the venue shape the sounds that Kurt and Gintas employ? How will the crowd and their reaction to the set feed back into the music? We can’t wait to find out.