Short biographies of the members:
photo: Ziga Koritnik
Kaja Draksler was born in Kranj, Slovenia, 06.02.1987Kaja is a pianist and composer. Currently she is studying classical composition at The Conservatory of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She obtained her Bachelor Degree with honors at Prince Claus Conservatory in Groningen, The Netherlands in June 2009. In 2008 she was spending a semester at Purchase Collage in New York, studying jazz piano. In 2005 she finished High School for Music in Ljubljana (jazz department) and Diocesan Classical Gymnasium Ljubljana.
In 2012 she premiered her solo repertoire on Jazz Festival Ljubljana, to be released with Clean Feed in 2013. In 2011 her Acropolis Quintet was chosen as one of the three best European jazz groups for 12 Points! Plus Program. In 2010 she was studying privately with Vijay Iyer and Jason Moran. In April 2009 she won the prestigious Deloitte Jazz Award. Same year she was working as a composer with Vince Mendoza and Metropole Orchestra. She is a leader of Katarchestra, 8-piece ensemble, with which they released a debut in 2007 with Celinka Records. As a leader of Acropolis Quartet she released two records, Akropola in 2008 with Goga Records and Turku in 2009 with DruGod Records. Since 2007 she’s been working as pianist and composer with European Movement Jazz Orchestra, releasing record in 2010 with Clean Feed. In 2007 she composed a Concerto for accordion and orchestra entitled Orpheus and Eurydice, recorded and performed by Janez Dovc and Slovenian Philharmony Orchestra. Same year she released her first record with Katarchestra, presenting herself as composer and conductor. In The Netherlands she has been supported by prestigious Hyugens Scholarship. With her groups she has been performing all over Europe on major festivals and concert halls.
photo: Petra Cvelbar
Mattia Magatelli, bassist and composer was born in Bormio in 1979. He started studying the bass as autodidact. In 2000 he moved to Milan where he attended the courses at the Civic Jazz school studying with Enrico Intra and Franco Cerri. There he cooperated with the “Guitar Ensemble” directed by Franco Cerri (releasing CD “Yesterday and Today”) In 2004, Mattia recorded with Ivan Segreto “Porta Vagnu” published by Sony Music. In 2005 he joined Guido Manusardi’s Trio. In the same year he joined the Luca Cacucciolo’s trio recording CD “Kind of Illusion” (Splash records) in 2006, receiving positive reviews from the magazines “Music Jazz” and “Jazz It”.
In 2007 he joined the Franco Cerri quartet and Gianni Cazzola’s quintet, performing in different local festivals throughout Italy . In 2007 he won the Siena jazz scholarship for international seminars Jasi, attended in June 2008 in Riga (Latvia). In 2008 he won another prize with Gianluca DiIenno and Matthew Rebulla for the competition “Bergamo Jazz Treviglio”. Ha played in several prestigious clubs like the Blue Note, the Auditorium in Rome etc.
Apart from the mentioned above he collaborated with Billy Cobham, Alex Sipiagin, Mark Gross, Owen Hart Jr., Carlo Atti, Pietro Tonolo, Sante Palumbo, Tony Arco, Giovanni Giorgi, Luigi Bonafede, Fabrizio Bosso, Roberto Cecchetto, Fabio Morgera, Johnny Falzone, Stefano D’Anna, Gaetano Partipilo, Giovanni Amato, Roberto Tarenzi, Ivan Segreto, Antonio Zambrini, Claudio Filippini, Francesco Bearzatti, Riccardo Luppi, Paolo Birro, Ettore Fioravanti and many more.
photo: Petra Cvelbar
LUCA MARINI (1982) is a German/Italian drummer who studied music at conservatories in Paris, Montreal, Amsterdam and New York, and continued to develop his own method and techniques while living in Berlin. Due to this diversity in his personal history, his approach to music is distinguished by this fluency and ability, to move freely between and synthesize various styles. Utilizing the standard drum kit as a foundation, Luca incorporates traditional drum techniques, various preparations and electronics to achieve a wide spectrum of textures, timbres and sounds.
He has performed and toured extensively throughout Europe and North America playing experimental music, jazz, rock, electro and pop music with bands and artists such as Nicolas Masson, Matan Gov-Ari, Jure Pukl, Ab Baars, Tomomi Adachi, Andy Moor, John Dikeman, Natalio Sued, Tom Blancarte,, Wilbert de Joode, Kenny Warren, Roberto Pianca, Bram Stadhouders, Vilijam Nybacka, Dominykas Visnyauskas, etc…
Current projects: KAMAMA with Chinese-American cellist and vocalist Audrey Chen, the duo HERBERT ECKARDT with Danish saxophonist Louise D.E. Jensen, the duo BLIN with Dutch guitarist Jasper Stadhouders, BADBOOSHBAND with Kaja Draklser and Mattia Magatelli, The LITTLE with Pär Lammers, Santiago Botero and Noe Escola, CHEZ LES PRIMITIFS with Dario Fariello and Raoul van der Weide, with Swiss-American artist TATUM G. RUSH and german band JACK BEAUREGARD.
Most recently, Luca has received the O-1 Artist Visa from the United States government in order to pursue further performance activities in the USA. He currently resides in Berlin, Germany.
BadBooshBand 