The Julian Woods Trio focuses on exploring microtonal tunings, complex rhythmic interplay and abstract improvisations. The group first met in 2022, recording a single ‘Every swing has a silver roundabout’, composed by Julian. In 2024, the group played concerts in Berlin and Vienna, performing original music by all three members of the band, alongside free improvisations and microtonal interpretations of jazz standards, such as ‘Angel Eyes’.

The band consists of
Philipp Gerschlauer (Jack DeJohnette, David Fiuczynski) - alto saxophone
Diego Pinera (John Patitucci, Donny McCaslin, Ben Monder) - drums, percussion
Julian Woods (Maggie Nicols, Steve Beresford, Ant Law) - fretless bass guitar, double bass

Fundamental to the band’s sound is the ground-breaking research of Philipp Gerschlauer, who authored the leading book on microtonal saxophone fingerings, which he uses to play more than 100 notes per octave. He is considered one of the world’s leading innovators in microtonal saxophone. His ex-student Julian Woods has drawn from these studies, alongside his own diverse influences such as John Zorn, Ornette Coleman and Anton Webern, and has composed new music exploring the wide array of colourful new sounds that Philipp has discovered on the saxophone. The result is music that is intricate, and perhaps bewildering, but also playful, fun and energetic. (Pressetext)

Philipp Gerschlauer is a German saxophonist perhaps best known for his advanced microtonal sax playing. His release "Mirojazz - neue eXpressionistische Musik" with David Fiuczynski, Jack DeJohnette, Matt Garrison, and Giorgi Mikadze was internationally acclaimed and voted the 2nd best jazz album in 2017 by "The New York City Jazz Record". He has recently performed and taught at the Berklee College of Music, and he is a faculty member at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna and the University of Applied Science Osnabrück.

Diego Pinera is a German-Uruguayan drummer who combines the traditional Latin style with complex and sophisticated polyrhythms. He is perhaps best known for his association with the great US saxophonist Donny McCaslin, and for his band Odd Wisdom which combines his mastery of jazz and Latin-American music with Eastern European traditions. Recently, he recorded a new album in New York with two legends of the jazz world: bassist John Patitucci and pianist Dave Kikosi. He is a faculty member at the University of Applied Science Osnabrück.

Julian Woods is a guitarist, bassist, and composer who recently graduated with a distinction from the Guildhall School of Music in London, and was awarded a place on the Whirlpool fellowship programme at the Vortex Jazz Club, in which he hosts a monthly night of original music. His recent performances include the Vortex, Cafe OTO, Wigmore Hall and INNtöne Jazz Festival, and he is involved in a wide variety of projects, including with Maggie Nicols, Steve Beresford, Phil Minton, Alex Paxton and other acclaimed improvisers.