In jazz, the spontaneity of improvisation creates suspense and excitement. In the best situations, instant osmosis and mutual trust can inexplicably kick in. That was what happened in 2013 with the meeting of Andreas Schaerer, the Berne-based vocal acrobat and multi-genre composer, with Zurich drummer Lucas Niggli. “We went on stage,” Schaerer remembers, “without any rehearsal beforehand, or even a discussion about what we would play - and yet it felt as if we had known each other for ages.” They went on to perform regularly as a voice-and-drums duo. They decided to use guests to develop their duo into two different trios. The first trio with the Italian accordionist Luciano Biondini concentrated on the lyrical, the poetic and what simply felt good. The second with the Berlin-based Finnish guitarist Kalle Kalima, in which they amplified sounds and electronics. Because each of the group members popularity, the band was highly regarded from the very start and invited to perform at several festivals. In the course of these performances, a group materialized, and what evolved was a quartet in which all the co-conspirators would have an equal role. They started with old pieces which each took from their own repertoire, and then gradually expanded the scope with new numbers written primarily for the quartet.