CROSSWORDS is the quintet of alto saxophonist Ben van Gelder and tenor saxophonist Jasper Blom. Van Gelder’s vertical, lyrical compositions and Blom’s horizontal, exploratory music alternate in a sound that gains space and sharp contours from the transparent lineup without a instrument of harmony. Van Gelder, familiar in the New York scene, is internationally recognised for his lyrical and personal approach to the alto saxophone. Blom won the Boy Edgar Prize in 2019, and his recent recording with the Metropole Orkest was named Pick of the Week by Downbeat.

The quintet is completed by three musicians with a distinct individual profile. Trumpeter Hermon Mehari blends American jazz and Eritrean influences on his album Asmara. Bassist Phil Donkin, active in London, New York and Berlin, won the Deutsche Jazz Preis 2026 with Bring a Friend. Drummer Wouter Kühne is one of the most sought-after young drummers in Dutch jazz.

Ben van Gelder alto sax, Jasper Blom tenor sax, Hermon Mehari trumpet, Phil Donkin double bass, Wouter Kühne drums