Gonam City

GONAM CITY is the perfect fusion of two strong musical personalities: trumpet player Quentin Ghomari and piano player Marc Benham. Classical Jazz and free improvisation dominate this untypical duo, that plays both own compositions as well as standards. Gonam City was formed through the encounter of two strong musical characters: Trumpeter Quentin Ghomari – founder of the band Papanosh (Enja Records/ Yellowbirds), and the pianist Marc Benham, known so far for his solo projects influenced by the likes of James P. Johnson and Sun Ra. The two friends met while working together in different orchestras and quickly discovered their shared taste for classic jazz and free improvisation, resulting in a volcanic, atypical duo. The band was a finalist at the french Jazz Migration competition, supported by Philippe Ochem (Jazzdor Straßburg – Berlin). In light of the enthusiasm they received, it seemed important to record an album and find a physical channel for their musical aspirations. Their connection to Stephen Paulello, one of the last french piano makers still active is of utmost importance. Paulello has created an exceptional prototype: the „Opus 102“, a grand piano with 102 keys (instead of the usual 88), which requires a completely new musical discovery of the instrument and allows the album GONAM CITY to resound in unheard colour. The album progresses like a musical road trip through an endless world, moving between skilled new interpretations of standards (Charles Mingus, Bud Powell, Sidney Bechet, Thelonious Monk, Warne Marsh, Ann Ronell…) and compositions of their own.