Jooklo Duo

Blowing minds all over the world since 2004 with hundreds of charming performances and some cult records, Jooklo Duo (Virginia Genta on reeds, flutes, piano, percussion and David Vanzan on drums) keeps spreading their powerful and uniquely vibrant sound, deeply rooted in free jazz avant-garde but heavily influenced by traditional folk music, and at the same time open to extreme sound
experiments.

Over the years the perpetual research for new and challenging combinations has led Genta and Vanzan to form a large variety of ensembles and to collaborate with artists as Bill Nace, Chris Corsano, Thurston Moore, Dror Feiler, Hartmut Geerken, Makoto Kawabata, Sabu Toyozumi, Tamio Shiraishi, and many others.

The duo has also been working with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company alongside John Paul Jones and Takehisa Kosugi, performing for “Nearly Ninety” in Madrid (April 2009, Teatro del Canal), and in London (October 2010 at the Barbican Centre). In 2023 Jooklo Duo performed at the legendary Moers Festival and after that Virginia Genta had been nominated for the 2024 Improviser in Residence program of Moers Festival, a prestigious one-year.long residency meant to bring new energies and plenty of international artists into the town and the festival.

Quotes:

It’s pretty undisputed at this point that the Jooklos (Virginia Genta and David Vanzan) bare the
torch for unabashed third eye opening, cosmic energy sourced, 21st century fire music. Their
various incarnations and groupings explore free jazz, psychedelia, and punk with such ferocity,
passion, and power that listening to the music can border on transcendence.
(Nick Metzger, Free Jazz Blog)

“It is like the roaring energy of punk meeting the possibilities of improve or like watching someone
microwave jazz until it explodes all over the window in a yellow paste.”
(Was Ist Das)

“Through my headphones I follow the rise and fall of thunderous notes issuing from Virginia's
saxophone. The percussion is shifting between one tempo and another as it sprints ahead of her fury
then quickly slips behind to coast in its wake. The constant exploration is revitalizing and inspiring.
While I’m swept up in its force I forget about the crush of humanity and all of its hopeless folly.”
(Joe Lally for Scene Point Blank)
“Boss Italian woodwinds/drum duo who skronk the big bulb of freedom as hard as anyone.”
(Byron Coley, The Wire)

“Nonstop, relentless, frantic, frenetic, explosive super rhythmic, wildly tangled and super
psychedelic next level free jazz freakout.“
(Aquarius Records)

“The holy ghosts of ESP-Disk and BYG/Actuel live in Jooklo’s sound, style, and unrepentant
forward thrust, a stop-and-you-may-die kind of spiritual commitment to this music and lifestyle.”
(Scott Mc Dowell, WFMU)

“These players haven’t forgotten the freedom that their improvisation is founded on and
successfully avoid traps of convention and routine that can even exist for a “genre” designed to be
rid of inherent traditions.”
(Jared Micah, The Esoterrorist)

“Genta is a monster saxophone player. Their material is not all that easy to procure, as their albums are pressed
in small numbers. Nonetheless, they are a great favorite of mine right now.”
(Henry Rollins for the LA Weekly)