Internationally recognised as one of the most influential drummers of his generation, Rossy has appeared on more than 200 recordings with artists including Brad Mehldau, Wayne Shorter, Charlie Haden, Joshua Redman and Kurt Rosenwinkel. In recent years, he has developed an increasingly distinctive voice on vibraphone and marimba, releasing his debut vibraphone trio album Puerta on ECM in 2021. 11 Years continues that development in a new quartet setting, with Rossy’s compositions providing a framework for the musicians to shape the music collectively.

Although Rossy’s pieces can sound melodic and immediately beautiful, they are marked by rich harmonic complexity and tonal openness. The quartet moves between lyrical passages and more abstract, free-jazz-inspired sound worlds, with Rossy sharing melodic lines with Casado’s trumpet while also taking on harmonic and rhythmic roles. Texture, silence and shifts in form become part of the dialogue, creating what Rossy describes as a form of “coordinated freedom” – a structured environment in which each musician can explore the boundaries of sound.

Casado, recently described by The New York Times as “a revelation,” brings fluid improvisation and an ability to move between acoustic music and electronic experimentation. Landfermann, a German Jazz Prize winner, has worked across traditional jazz, avant-garde and free improvisation, while Nilsson has established herself as an award-winning drummer with a precise and expressive approach to space and dynamics. Rossy has previously worked with all three musicians individually, but 11 Years marks their first project together as a quartet.

Recorded at Clap Your Hands in Basel in March 2026, the album features nine pieces, including compositions by Rossy, Mercedes Rossy, Michael Beck and interpretations of Thad Jones’ Bitty Ditty and Billy Strayhorn’s Drawing Room Blues. Across the repertoire, the quartet explores the space between composition and improvisation while remaining anchored in clarity, beauty and shared musical intention.