Norwegian Saxophone phenomenon Marius Neset brings his explosive quartet to Manchester! Featuring music from his latest album, Cabaret, and more...

Cabaret: a song and dance or two, some jokes, hummable tunes, and perhaps some sparkles - right? OK, but know that this cabaret is informed by a breathtakingly wide-ranging musical imagination. Now you have a better idea what to expect from the latest inspired work from Norwegian saxophonist and composer Marius Neset.

The players on the album "Cabaret" are the same as on Neset's striking 2022 effort, "Happy": Elliot Galvin (keyboards), Magnus Hjorth (piano), Conor Chaplin (electric bass) and Anton Eger (drums & percussion). "Happy" was the first time they played together as a quintet, lending it a freshness in discovery. Now, though, they are a seasoned working band: "we've played a lot of concerts, and the interplay is different", recapitulates Marius Neset. After recent releases featuring Neset's widescreen large ensemble writing for the London Sinfonietta including an appearance in the programme of BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall, a solo saxophone record, and a through-written duo suite with classical piano star Leif Ove Andsnes, a new project with the quintet was "a bit like coming home again", says Marius Neset. But not do the same thing again. "The whole thing is about developing the music".

Marius Neset // Saxophones & Compositions

Elliot Galvin // Piano & Keyboards

Conor Chaplin // Bass

Anton Eger // Drums