Andy EMLER piano / Laurent BLONDIAU trumpet, bugle / Laurent DEHORS saxophone, bass clarinet / Thomas de POURQUERY saxophones, vocals / Philippe SELLAM saxophone / Bastien STIL tuba / Claude TCHAMITCHIAN double bass / Eric ECHAMPARD drums / François VERLY percussion

Pianist Andy Emler’s MegaOctet, not strictly a big band, owes its designation to the fact that it includes nine players, instead of the usual eight. More electric at its inception twenty years ago, Emler’s orchestra currently favors acoustic strains, a progressive transition that recently led to a slew of prizes, including a Django d’Or and a Victoire du Jazz.