A British jazz quintet led by cellist and composer Ben Davis, Basquiat Strings combines elements of the classical string quartet (twin violins, cello and viola) with a jazz rhythm section (bass and drums) in arrangements that allow plenty of open space for improvisation. Most of the group’s material is written by Davis, but they’ve also tackled re-interpretations of pieces like Wayne Shorter’s "Infant Eyes” and Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman," mixing in European folk elements with classical and jazz references to create hybrid arrangements that expand on the originals even as they adhere to them. A debut album, Basquiat Strings with Seb Rochford, was released in 2007. ~ Steve Leggett