Category Archives: new compositions!

New for 2017: LUME Lab

LUME is back with something new for 2017: LUME Lab. Making a space for artists to create new work, four evenings of brand new composition and improvised music will be accompanied by the LUME Lab project blog, letting the audience in on the creative process. LUME Lab marks a change of direction for us: we’re moving away from being a platform for guest artists, rolling up our sleeves and getting involved in creating new music with the community of musicians who have gathered around LUME over the past three and a half years.

LUME Lab gigs will take place at IKLECTIK, the South London arts space that played host to our inaugural festival last summer and the LUMEkestra’s debut in November. The series opens in February with a new incarnation of our quartet Word Of Moth, then we settle down for the ride and get ready to enjoy new music from three of the most exciting artists on the UK scene right now. We invite you to join us.

Tickets are available for individual gigs, and for slightly less you can purchase a season ticket for all four, or a ticket to use at two dates of your choice. Buy tickets now from our Luminous Bandcamp page.

8th February: Word Of Moth
Word of Moth’s ‘spontaneous group explorations and tightly-scored, big-booted riffs’ were praised by Daniel Spicer in the Wire magazine after their appearance at LUME Festival. The collaborative quartet explores the intersection of freedom and structure, with LUME founders Dee Byrne (alto sax) and Cath Roberts (baritone sax) joined by Seth Bennett on bass and Johnny Hunter on drums. wordofmoth.co.uk

Photo: Tom Ward

16th March: Julie Kjær
Saxophonist Julie Kjær is firmly established on the European stage. Her acclaimed trio with Steve Noble and John Edwards released its debut recording ‘Doppeltganger’ on the Clean Feed label in 2016, and she tours with Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love’s Large Unit as well as being involved in many other projects in the UK and beyond. juliekjaer.com

Photo: Dawid Laskowski

19th April: Craig Scott
Craig Scott’s music is ‘part human, part machine and revelling the glory and error of both.’ His studio project Craig Scott’s Lobotomy transforms recordings of improvisations by Craig and others using homemade equipment, re-constructing them with digital audio software. He is a member of formidable Leeds quintet Shatner’s Bassoon. craigscottslobotomy.bandcamp.com

Photo: Josh Crocker

24th May: Anton Hunter
Improvisation is at the core of Anton Hunter’s work. His Article XI project incorporates the personalities of eleven improvising musicians into the compositional process, exploring the relationship between composer and large ensemble. He leads his own trio with Seth Bennett and Johnny Hunter, and co-founded the long-running Manchester free improvisation night The Noise Upstairs. antonhunter.com

Photo: Mark Whitaker

LUME Lab is supported by Arts Council England.

LUMEkestra successfully unleashed!

Quick post to share Dan Paton’s photo of the LUMEkestra in action last night at IKLECTIK. It was a fantastic night: the venue was packed out, good times were had and new music was made. There will be more…..see you next time!

3rd April @ The Vortex: Dave Kane Quartet & Corey Mwamba/Cath Roberts/Olie Brice

We have a great double bill for you this month: free improvisation and original music from two fantastic UK bands! As usual at The Vortex it’s doors at 7.30pm, with the music starting around 8pm. Advance tickets are £8 from the Vortex website, or it’s £10 on the door.

Dave Kane Quartet

The quartet will be playing music from their forthcoming album, to be released on Two Rivers Records later this year. Dave says:

‘This music is my own personal reflection and dedication to the jazz lineage, all of the music that I have listened to and the music that has influenced me the most. Each track on the record is a dedication to a composer/person that has influenced me greatly throughout my career. There are tracks dedicated to the following people: Charles Mingus, John Zorn, Hamid Drake, Eric Dolphy and Henry Threadgill. For me “The jazz lineage” means the records that are in my collection… my own personal lineage to the tradition, and my resulting music as a composer influenced and shaped by the music. Most people think of the jazz tradition as jazz standards, etc. This is not what I do, or what I am interested in. I have always listened to more adventurous composers & musicians who always pushed the music forward. This is what I have achieved with my new record. Although this music is still on the contemporary/avant garde side of jazz… I would say it is some of the most accessible music I have ever written.’

Dave Kane double bass

James Allsopp saxophones, clarinet

Alex Bonney cornet/trumpet

Joost Hendrickx drums

Corey Mwamba/Cath Roberts/Olie Brice

An improvising trio of vibraphone, baritone sax and bass, this group first played together in 2014 and brings together three musicians active on the UK jazz and improvised music scene. Olie Brice leads his own quartet as well as playing in numerous other collaborations including a trio with Toby Delius and Mark Sanders; BABs with Alex Bonney and James Allsopp; Nick Malcolm Quartet; Loz Speyer’s Inner Space Music; and Alex Ward Quintet/Sextet. Cath Roberts leads two groups playing her compositions, Sloth Racket and Quadraceratops, as well as writing and improvising new music with guitarist Anton Hunter as Ripsaw Catfish. She is a member of the Madwort Sax Quartet, Anton Hunter’s Article XI, the eight-piece improvising saxophone group Saxoctopus and the collaborative quartet Word Of Moth. Corey Mwamba leads his own trio, Yana, and is involved in a variety of other groups including Sonsale; duos with Rachel Musson, Orphy Robinson and Robert Mitchell; Martin Archer’s large ensemble Engine Room Favourites; and Nat Birchall’s quintet. He is recognised as a highly creative improviser and composer working across a wide range of jazz and contemporary music, as well as a programmer of forward-looking music in his home city of Derby.

Corey Mwamba vibraphone

Cath Roberts baritone saxophone

Olie Brice bass

6th March @ The Vortex: Tom Ward/Adam Fairhall/Olie Brice/Andrew Lisle & Øyeblikk

For our next gig at the Vortex we are excited to present two new collaborations! Come and hear some fresh new original and improvised music…

Tom Ward/Adam Fairhall/Olie Brice/Andrew Lisle

The debut performance of a new group featuring four highly creative improvisers who have appeared at LUME in other projects, but have never played all together. Tom Ward and Adam Fairhall had their names drawn out of the hat at our randomised free improvisation night last Summer, and following this initial encounter (a toy piano and bass clarinet duo) they decided to get a band together. The quartet will play new music by the bandmembers, starting from a few common reference points. The band will employ a flexible approach to harmony and form, including investigating negative harmony and stretching out with extended improvisations. Influences include the Greg Osby ‘Banned In New York’ album with Jason Moran, the ‘Monk’s Casino’ album with Alexander von Schlippenbach and Rudi Mahall, and Fieldwork with Steve Lehman, Vijay Iyer and Tyshawn Sorey.

Tom Ward alto sax, bass clarinet, flute
Adam Fairhall piano
Olie Brice double bass
Andrew Lisle drums

Øyeblikk

Dee Byrne and Ed Riches met in 2008 and have collaborated in various projects such as improvising sextet Zonica (Gareth Lockrane, Xantone Blacq, Elliot Galvin, Tom McCredie, Pat Davey) and more recently as an improvising duo using electronics. Tonight they will be joined by drummer/percussionist Matt Fisher who plays in Dee’s band Entropi. Øyeblikk (‘moment’ in Norwegian) describes the ethos of the project: a spontaneous narrative of soundscapes, riffs and themes taking the listener on a cosmic, sonic adventure. The title Øyeblikk is a nod to the fact that both Ed and Dee have a connection with Scandinavia, Dee lived in Stockholm for seven years and Ed spent a part of his childhood in Norway.

Dee Byrne alto saxophone/electronics
Ed Riches guitar/electronics
Matt Fisher drums/percussion

As usual, doors are at 7.30pm and the music will start at around 8pm. Tickets are on sale now from the Vortex website.

7th February @ The Vortex: Njanas and Far Reaching Dreams

We’re excited to be back at the Vortex in 2016 with two fresh new ensembles playing their original compositions. This promises to be a great evening of music!

NJANAS

An exciting new collaboration bringing together four creative voices from across the UK scene. In their own words: ‘This is a brand new project of female musician/composers Laura Cole, Filomena Campus, Tori Handsley and Ruth Goller who are all band leaders in their own right. The ensemble, which celebrates women’s art and music, started more than a year ago. We often feel under-represented as women in the worlds of jazz and art, and in this project all compositions are inspired by a female artist (such as Frida Kahlo, Niki de Saint Phalle, Gertrude Stein, Franca Rame and many more) or written by a female composer. The name Njanas is an encounter between the gigantic sculptures called ‘Nanas’, created by painter and sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle, and ‘Janas’, ancient legendary female figures and fairies/witches that relate to the myth of the Sardinian Goddess-Mother.’

Filomena Campus – vocals

Laura Cole – piano

Tori Handsley – harp

Ruth Goller – bass

Percy Pursglove’s Far Reaching Dreams Trio

Following the critically acclaimed success of his ‘Far Reaching Dreams of Mortal Souls’ commission for large scale choir and jazz ensemble, multi-instrumentalist Pursglove debuts his fascinating new trio, featuring Percy on trumpet, Paul Clarvis (drums) and Ivo Neame (piano, accordion), with original music inspired by speeches and works of iconic historical figures.

‘Somehow Percy Pursglove created a completely whole musical world all of his own. That is a rare achievement’ Jazzwise

Percy Pursglove – trumpet

Paul Clarvis – drums

Ivo Neame – piano/accordion

As usual, doors are at 7.30pm and the music will start at around 8pm. Vortex Jazz Club, 11 Gillett Street, N16 8JH.

See you there!

All the best,

Cath and Dee

4th October: Andre Canniere at ‘LUME Presents…’

For our October gig at the Vortex, we are pleased to welcome the fantastic trumpet player and LUME On Tour survivor Andre Canniere!

Andre Canniere is an acclaimed trumpet player, composer and educator. Originally from rural Pennsylvania (USA), he spent the first five years of his career in New York City where he worked with artists such as Maria Schneider, Bjorkestra, Kate McGarry, Ingrid Jensen, Donny McCaslin and Darcy James Argue. He has toured widely throughout the United States and Europe with performances at Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Birdland, the London Jazz Festival, The Hague Jazz Festival and the Rochester International Jazz Festival.

Since his arrival in the UK, Canniere’s profile has been steadily rising, both as a solo artist and a collaborator. Coalescence (defined as “the union of diverse things into one body or form”) is his second release for Whirlwind Recordings and follows the critically acclaimed debut Forward Space, which Jazzwise Magazine hailed as “one of the best recordings in a long time” and included in their ‘Albums of the Year’ list.

Tonight Canniere presents his exciting new band, performing new music inspired by the poetry of Charles Bukowski and Rainer Maria Rilke.

Andre Canniere trumpet
Brigitte Beraha voice
Tori Freestone tenor saxophone
John Turville piano
Dave Manington bass
Tim Giles drums

As usual it’s doors 7.30pm for an 8pm start. Tickets are £10. See you there!

‘LUME Presents…’ resumes at the Vortex: Sunday 6th September

To ease us into the Autumn, our ‘LUME Presents…’ monthly residency at the Vortex will start up again on Sunday 6th September. We’ll have some news about our plans for the regular LUME series in a few weeks time, but we hope this fantastic double bill will keep you going! Two great bands for your listening pleasure: Mark Pringle brings his large ensemble ‘A Moveable Feast’ and Rebecca Nash leads a small group. Doors are at 7.30pm, with the music starting at 8pm.

A Moveable Feast

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” – Ernest Hemingway

‘A Moveable Feast’ is a group led by award-winning jazz pianist Mark Pringle. Heavily inspired by time spent studying in Paris in 2013, the music draws on multiple cultural influences, containing themes of nature, wildlife, literature, the chaos of cities, the lives of people who inhabit them, woodland creatures and strange beasts…

This autumn sees the group undertaking a national tour to promote the release of their album, ‘A Moveable Feast’, on Stoney Lane Records. Featuring a line up of strings, horns and rhythm section, the group explore Mark’s music with great freedom of approach, resulting in music that is eclectic, adventurous and highly unique.

Mark Pringle is a Peter Whittingham Award winner for the year 2015, following in the footsteps of previous recipients Gwilym Simcock, Trish Clowes and Elliot Galvin.

“Mark Pringle is an exceptionally gifted pianist and composer, and a remarkable improviser. His latest recording, ‘A Moveable Feast’, is a brilliant ensemble piece and a striking example of his writing and playing” – John Taylor, April 2015

“Stupendously talented” – The Independent

“A talented newcomer” – The Guardian

Mark Pringle Piano

Percy Pursglove Trumpet
Chris Young Alto Saxophone
Dan Searjeant Tenor/Alto Saxophone/Flute
Alicia Gardener-Trejo Bass Clarinet/Baritone Saxophone/Alto Flute

Christine Cornwell Violin
Sarah Farmer Violin
Megan Jowett Viola
Lucy French Cello

Ben Lee Electric Guitar
James Banner Double Bass
Euan Palmer Drums

Rebecca Nash

This latest project is Rebecca’s first as a bandleader. All the music performed is original material from Rebecca’s forthcoming album, due to be recorded later this year, and has a wide range of influences. Her music, written with the intention of creating a new cohesive sound, blends together all the things she loves about music. Most important is a sense of purpose, identity and beauty. It is inspired by many musical influences which primarily include jazz musicians such as Pat Metheny and Wayne Shorter but also other styles too such as Electronica, and Folk music. Rebecca’s style, rooted in the contemporary jazz genre, blends acoustic and electronic elements with strong melodies, underpinned by dense harmonies and unusual grooves with the aim of creating one overall soundscape.

Rebecca Nash Piano/compositions

Percy Pursglove Trumpet

Matt Fisher Drums

Chris Mapp Bass

Tickets are available now from the Vortex website (text coming soon I’m sure – currently a holding picture of Cath and Dee!). Join us for an evening of great original music: doors 7.30pm for an 8pm start at the Vortex Jazz Club, 11 Gillett Square, London N16 8AZ.

23rd July: Inner Space Music

For our last gig of the season we welcome trumpeter and composer Loz Speyer and his group Inner Space Music. Join us for a night of new composition and improvisation before the Lumefish goes on holiday for a well-earned break! Music starts at 8.30pm. Entry: One Bank of England note of your choice.

Inner Space Music

In the footsteps of the likes of Ellington, Mingus and Ornette Coleman, Inner Space Music takes improvisation into new territory, and frames it within a set of strongly melodic tunes with references going back into jazz history. Compositions such as Rocket Science and From A to B to Infinity play around with a combination of fast, slow and free time, as a flexible framework for improvising, exploring the fine line between structure and freedom that is a central theme in the jazz tradition.

Loz Speyer trumpet, flugelhorn

Chris Biscoe alto sax, alto clarinet

Rachel Musson tenor/soprano sax

Olie Brice double bass

Gary Willcox drums

‘There was something utterly warm and personal about this gig, and very moving. Though the leader’s trumpet was often to the fore, his role seemed as much to create situations that forced the band to think on their feet or to stitch together fragments of a tune with frantic signalling as the moment dictated…’ – Mike Collins, Jazzyblogman

16th July: Nick Costley-White & Bleep Test

We’ve got a tasty double bill for you this Thursday with solo guitar explorations from Nick Costly-White and an exciting new electronic jazz ensemble mixing beats and tunes. Should be a great evening of cutting edge new sounds. As usual it’s doors 8pm, music 8.30pm. Entry is one Bank of England note of your choice. (£5, £10, £20…. £50???!)

Bleep Test

Led by saxophonist Fraser Smith, Bleep Test combines house, breaks, drum & bass and jazz. Analog Synths, electric drums and screaming saxophones tie this band to the growing scene of exciting, genre defying music groups emerging from London’s creative underground. Fiery grooves and memorable melodies push these musicians out of the traditional jazz improvisation realm and into another soundscape that hits hard.

Fraser Smith tenor sax/effects

Joe Webb synths

Lloyd Haines drums

Matthew Read bass

Nick Costley-White

Nick is fast becoming one of the most in demand young guitarists in the London jazz scene. With a developed sound and individual voice on his instrument, Nick has had the opportunity to perform professionally with some of the country’s finest musicians including Stan Sulzmann, Jeff Williams, Gareth Lockrane, Tom Challenger, Martin Speake, Ivo Neame, Tommy Andrews, Jon Scott, Dave Hamblet and Josh Arcoleo.

Nick studied Jazz and Classical guitar at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Phil Robson, Colin Oxley and John Parricelli, graduating with first class honours and awarded the 2011 Yamaha Jazz Scholarship for Outstanding Musicians.

“Fluent and sensitive” John Fordham, The Guardian

14th May: Corey Mwamba’s ‘New Dark Art’

This week we welcome improvising vibraphone player, multi-instrumentalist and composer Corey Mwamba back to Long White Cloud for a special concert: the London premiere of his composition ‘New Dark Art’.

In 2014 Corey completed an MRes at the University of Keele, producing ‘New Dark Art’ as a part of this research project. His focus was on the improvisational, conducting and notational practices found in medieval music, and how these might inform the music of contemporary improvising musicians and composers. The idea wasn’t to create a musical fusion of jazz and medieval music, but rather to look how medieval approaches could be employed to create new music. You can read more about the project on Corey’s MRes website.

At this week’s gig, music from ‘New Dark Art’ will be performed by an improvising Eb sax quartet and by Corey on solo vibraphone. The sax quartet met once last year to try out the music with Corey in a rehearsal, and performed it for the first time in Derby on 7th May this year. Join us for a fascinating evening of new music!

Featuring:

Chris Williams alto saxophone

Tom Ward alto saxophone

Colin Webster baritone saxophone

Cath Roberts baritone saxophone

and the composer Corey Mwamba on vibraphone