Sketchbook Quartet AT

Leonhard Skorupa leaves a distinct mark on every band he joins. The Vienna-based saxophonist and clarinetist is known for his love of surprise and wry humour—anything but a wet blanket. With his Sketchbook Quartet, Skorupa presents a lively, contemporary sound that is firmly rooted in the jazz tradition while freely drawing on influences ranging from straight-ahead jazz to surf rock.

The music of this refreshingly unconventional quartet—featuring Skorupa on reeds and composition, Daniel Moser on bass clarinet and FX, Andi Tausch on guitar, and Hubert Bründlmayer on drums—could almost pass for chamber jazz, if it weren't for the strong syncopated rhythms and the undertone of uninhibited rock-and-roll. The Sketchbook Quartet has played a notable role in the growing self-confidence, international visibility, and mobility of the Austrian jazz scene in recent years. Their sound is fresh and vibrant—an expression of modern, joyful, and slightly prickly eclecticism.