Lingua Franca

This new band of international, virtuosic Berlin-based musicians brought to life the detailed and breathless compositions by the New Yorker turned Berliner. The musicians of this project are not only well-established bandleaders in their own right, but are the type of adventurous musicians to join Ken Thomson as they fall headfirst together into the journeys of the compositions. The expressive vocalist Mirna Bogdanović who joins Thomson in the frontline of the band has won the Deutscher Jazzpreis twice — for Debut Album of the Year in 2021 and Album of the Year in 2023. Keisuke Matsuno and Simon Jermyn are two of the most in-demand musicians in the city, both performing with musicians such as Jim Black, Charlotte Greve, John Zorn and many more — and whose feel, time, and expression are matched only by their compatibility as rhythm section teammates. Drummer Ivars Arutyunyan has a dual career in his native Latvia, performing with a vibrant scene and winning the “Composer of the Year” prize from National Cinema Award “Lielais Kristaps,” alongside his work in Berlin; he, too, has played across the world and performed with Seamus Blake, Wanja Slavin, and others. Lingua Franca website