I felt moved to share some of the cool experiences I’ve had in the first half of 2018. Looking back, I got to play with a wide variety of ensembles, which has taken me to some interesting places (both geographically and creatively). In March I was super lucky to go on a mini tour of Mexico …
I’m really excited to be involved in some great music-making in November/December! Here is the lowdown on what’s coming up:
On Monday 13th November it’s the EFG London Jazz Festival special edition of a new weekly jam session I’m hosting called ‘CHIFA Mondays Get Down’ at pioneering Peruvian restaurant Ceviche Old St. This regular Monday night session is inspired by the fusion cuisine and impromptu musical get downs at Lima’s Chinatown and Chifa restaurants. On Monday 13th the house band will be Dave O’Brien on keyboard, Will Harris on double bass (depping for Huw V Williams) and Simon Roth on drums. Entry is free, but you can book a table.
I’ll be bringing my quintet ENTROPI to Pizza Express, Dean Street on Wednesday 15th November for a free lunchtime concert as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival. I’ll be joined by Andre Canniere (trumpet), Rebecca Nash (keyboard), Olie Brice (double bass) and Matt Fisher (drums). We released our second album Moment Frozen on Whirlwind Recordings in September and have been touring the new album throughout the Autumn. This performance is free entry, but diners can book a table. Join us for… ‘An intense muscular jazz voyage.’ ★★★★ The Guardian
I’m excited to involved in the first ever JAZZLONDONLIVE pop-up monthly residency kicking off at 7pm on Wednesday 15th November at The Library, St Martin’s Lane. Fresh from our lunchtime gig at Pizza Express, myself and Rebecca Nash will be playing an hour set with a mixture of ENTROPI compositions from New Era and Moment Frozen plus new arrangements of our favourite tunes. Get your tickets!
On Thursday 16th November I’m really looking forward to playing with Madwort Sax Quartet at Efpi festival in Manchester. Tom Ward’s compositions are inspired by ‘numerology and the movement of the planet earth through space, Steve Coleman, pioneering saxophone quartet ROVA, Tim Berne, and transcriptions of bird song.’ Tickets for Efpi Festival can be bought direct from their website.
LUME is back for an EFG London Jazz Festival special performance on Sunday 19th November with a UK/Swiss sextet: LUME Meets Jazzwerkstatt Bern. Cath Roberts (baritone sax), Seth Bennett (double bass), Johnny Hunter (drums) and me (alto sax) will be joined by Swiss musicians Oli Kuster (keys) and Simon Petermann (trombone/electronics) to play a support set for Scandic power/improv trio The Thing at Rich Mix. Get your tickets from the Rich Mix website. Thanks to Serious and The Swiss Cultural Fund for making this gig possible! Read more about the background to this Swiss collaboration on the LUME website.
Our performance at Jazzwerkstatt Festival in February
On Wednesday 22nd November I’m really pleased to return to the Cambridge Jazz Festival with ENTROPI for the second year running in a double bill with Phil Meadows Project in the incredible setting of the Zoology Museum. We’ll be playing beneath the Museum’s 70ft long finback whale skeleton (see below) – a suitably epic setting for the band! Tickets are available from the Cambridge Jazz Festival website.
The last date of ENTROPI‘s tour is at The York Tavern in Norwich on Friday 24th November. We’ll be playing a double bill with trumpeter Chris Dowding’s band Brass Monkeys. Music starts at 8pm and it’s £7 on the door.
Friday 1st December: LUME is at Hundred Years Gallery for a double bill with Sloth Racket and a winter edition of The Hat Speaks, our dice-and-hat improv session. We’ve got a great pool of players coming to join in, so it promises to be a blast! Find out more on the LUME website. Doors 7.30pm, music starts at 8pm. Entry: one Bank of England note.
Tuesday 5th – Sunday 10th December I’m embarking on a double-bill large ensemble tour with Cath Roberts’ Favourite Animals and Anton Hunter’s Article XI. Favourite Animals recorded its debut album in August and after a successful crowd funder, the album is now mixed, mastered and pressed, ready for release on Luminous Label (LUME’s own label). Find out more about the tour on the project website.
Thanks for reading this and I hope to see you out there!!
