On November 12, OFFGRID QUARTET takes the stage at In The Mood Jazz Club – a project conceived by pianist and composer Mihail Donchev. Joined by Rossen Zahariev – Roko on trumpet, Radoslav Slavchev – Riverman on bass, and Borislav Petrov on drums, he presents a programme of contemporary jazz fusion and groove.
The evening will feature original compositions by Mihail Donchev and Rossen Zahariev, alongside pieces by the legendary Roy Hargrove, Freddie Hubbard, and Herbie Hancock. The selection brings together different generations and approaches to jazz, united by a shared interest in melody, funk rhythms, and experimentation. The two composers’ original works add their own musical ideas to the repertoire, which the quartet will explore through the distinctive voice of each of its four artists – all familiar names to jazz enthusiasts.
Mihail Donchev is a pianist and composer whose creative interests span jazz, funk, and fusion. He founded Quantum Frequency, an ensemble performing original music that combines the expressive possibilities of piano and synthesizers. While studying in Groningen, the Netherlands, he performed with Alex Sipiagin, Adam Nussbaum, Gene Jackson, and Deborah Brown. In 2016, he made his debut as a soloist with the Bulgarian National Radio Big Band. With OFFGRID QUARTET, he continues his work as a composer and the driving force behind projects that bring together musicians with diverse backgrounds and artistic identities.
Rossen Zahariev – Roko is one of the most distinctive voices on Bulgaria’s jazz and improvised music scene. He studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory and the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. As a member of Bob Moses’s band, he took part in the recording of Nishoma, an album featuring Abbey Lincoln, Steve Kuhn, Chris Wood, and Jacques Schwarz-Bart. A recipient of the Crystal Lyre Award for jazz in 2018, he develops original and experimental projects, including Metaformoza, SoundSkaters, and TrioFrio, with a particular interest in improvisation and creating music in the moment.
OFFGRID QUARTET brings all of this together through dynamic ensemble interplay, where groove matters just as much as the solo moments. Join us on November 12 for an evening of original music, funk sensibility, and infectious energy.