As part of a special programme prepared for the Jazztopad Festival María Grand, the Swiss saxophonist, composer and band leader will present a musical meditation aimed at involving people from the audience in the performance.

Grand recently returned to Switzerland after spending more than a decade in New York, where she became an important part of the jazz and improvisation scene and where she played and recorded with artists such as Jen Shyu, Steve Coleman, Vijay Iyer, Craig Taborn, Greg Fox, and Mary Halvorson. Maria often collaborates with others – for example, on the recording of Code Girl by Mary Halvorson, where she added her vocal harmonies and played the alto saxophone – but for the last six years or so, she has also continued to develop her own projects. Among other things, two excellent solo albums, to which she invited various musicians to record.

The festival’s programme featuring Maria Grand will include drummer Hamid Drake, probably the busiest artist at this year’s Jazztopad, and double bass player Rashaan Carter, who regularly collaborates with the artist on her projects. Here is how Maria Grand announced her performance: “We will offer the audience something that makes them reflect on the subject of meditation. We have one particular song where the melody returns, and it works like a Buddhist bell with each return. Some Buddhist temples have a bell that is used in certain situations. I know Thích Nhất Hạnh did that. When the bell rings, everyone stops. You can stop and focus on the breath, on what we feel inside. And this is the function of some of the songs we will play during the concert. These are simple melodies that anyone can remember. They invite you to focus on what is inside of you. I am interested in bridging the gap between the musicians and the audience when it comes to experiencing the concert. I am interested in music that is something common to everyone, not only produced by a few people, but listened to by many. Participation is an important part. I want it to be a concert in which you can participate. This can be done in many ways. For example, some people ask the audience to sing something, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be done to get the audience to participate in the event. There are other methods, including the one related to meditation. In my work I study relationships and everything that is invisible: emotions, connection with the divine, spirituality and the way the body expresses them, e.g. in breathing. So we will focus on that the most during the concert. "