In recent months we’ve found ourselves posting on this blog about new releases on the LUME offshoot label, Luminous. No longer! The label now has a shiny new website all of its own. On there you can read about all the releases on the label so far (including the new Deemer + 1 album coming next month), and information about the artists.
There is also a new mailing list for the label, so do sign up if you’d like to be kept updated on future releases and label-related activities….
LUME is on hiatus this Autumn while Cath and Dee are working hard on other projects. Two of these are particularly relevant this month, so here’s the lowdown…
Entropi Moment Frozen album launch
The eagerly-anticipated second album from Entropi, Moment Frozen, is released this month on Whirlwind Recordings. To celebrate the release, Dee is taking the band on a UK tour including a special album release show at Kings Place on Friday 29th September. It promises to be a lovely evening and a great chance to hear the band playing their new album on home turf. Tickets are moving fast, so we advise getting yours as soon as you can: they’re available from the Kings Place website.
LUME regulars will know that Entropi explores a narrative of life-pondering, space-gazing and risk-taking through Dee’s striking compositions. Juggling order and chaos, composed material and improvisation, the group takes listeners on a journey with compelling group interplay, strong themes, dark grooves and interweaving melodic textures. Joining Dee in the band are four fantastic musicians, all of whom are in demand on the UK scene and beyond. It makes for a heavyweight lineup:
Dee Byrne alto saxophone
Andre Canniere trumpet
Rebecca Nash keyboard
Matt Fisher drums
Olie Brice bass
This gig will be something of a LUME social, so we’d love it if you can join us. Make sure you’re part of it by buying your tickets now!
Favourite Animals large ensemble album crowdfunder
While Dee is releasing and touring a new album this month, Cath is in the midst of the production of her own. Favourite Animals, the ten piece group originally formed for Cath’s residency at Lancaster Jazz Festival last year, went into the studio this August with Alex Bonney. They spent three days working at City, Uinversity of London – thanks to trombonist Tullis Rennie who works as a lecturer there – and recorded new versions of all the music from the Lancaster commission.
Favourite Animals is an extended version of Cath’s regular band Sloth Racket. The ten piece version adds woodwind and brass, and just generally more improvisers:
Graham South – trumpet
Tullis Rennie – trombone
Julie Kjær – flute/bass clarinet
Tom Ward – flute/bass clarinet
Dee Byrne – alto saxophone
Sam Andreae – tenor saxophone
Cath Roberts – baritone saxophone
Anton Hunter – guitar
Seth Bennett – bass
Johnny Hunter – drums
With a set of great takes waiting patiently on a hard drive, the next stage is raising the money to get the album out there. Cath is running a crowdfunding campaign this month to cover the musicians and engineers’ fees, the mixing and mastering, and the production of physical CD albums. The plan is to release the album on Luminous this December, to coincide with Favourite Animals’ joint tour with Article XI. With your help, we can finish the Luminous year with our most ambitious release to date! Check out the campaign page for more info about the project, photos from the session, and lots of backer perks to get your hands on…
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading, and keep any eye on the LUME social media channels through the month for more about these projects and some extremely exciting giveaways…
We’re extremely happy to be able to type this: LUME Festival is going ahead! With the support of our awesome 131 Kickstarter backers, Arts Council England and the Austrian Cultural Forum, we’ll be hosting an all-dayer on Sunday 26th June at IKLECTIK.
A lot of tickets were sold through the Kickstarter campaign, but there are a limited number available from our Luminous Bandcamp site. Grab yours now and we’ll see you there for a great day of music!
The line-up, in reverse order of appearance, is:
Article XI (Manchester)
Freewheeling large ensemble led by guitarist Anton Hunter, with: Oliver Dover (alto sax), Tom Ward (tenor sax), Cath Roberts (baritone sax), Johnny Hunter (drums), Seth Bennett (bass), Graham South, Nick Walters (trumpet), Tullis Rennie, Richard Foote (trombone)
Blueblut (Austria)
Coming over from Austria! With Led Bib’s Mark Holub (drums), Pamela Stickney (theremin) and Chris Janka (guitar)
Kjær/Musson/Marshall (London)
Fantastic trio of Julie Kjær (alto sax), Rachel Musson (tenor sax) and Hannah Marshall (cello)
Little Church (Birmingham)
Quintet led by David Austin Grey (nord/synth/FX) playing compositions inspired by Miles Davis electric period featuring Rachael Cohen (alto sax), Chris Mapp (bass/electronics) and Tymek Joswiak (drums).
Hot Beef Three (Leeds)
Trio with some of Leeds’ finest improvisers: Oliver Dover (saxes), Andrew Lisle (drums), Craig Scott (guitar)
Ant Traditions (Manchester)
Top notch Manchester improv from Adam Fairhall (toy pianos) and Dave Birchall (electric guitar)
Word Of Moth (London)
Collaborative quartet from the founders of LUME: Dee Byrne (alto sax), Cath Roberts (baritone sax), Seth Bennett (bass), Tom Greenhalgh (drums)
We’ll also have artist Gina Southgate capturing the day on canvas!
Doors 1pm, music 1.30pm-10.30pm, with late bar afterwards.
IKLECTIK, Old Paradise Yard, 20 Carlisle Lane, SE1 7LG.
The festival is generously supported by Arts Council England, the Austrian Cultural Forum and 131 Kickstarter backers.
Hooray! We’ve finished our Spring season at Long White Cloud and it’s looking great. Lots of exciting bands and new collaborations for your ears. Here we go…
February
5th Andrew Woolf Quintet & Sans Domicile Fixe
12th Word Of Moth
19th Rubik Trio & Solodog
26th Alec Harper/Tom Wheatley/Andrew Lisle & Ti/om
March
5th Backyard Chassis & Seth Bennett/Cath Roberts
12th Alex Bonney Quartet
19th Huw V Williams Meets A Quartet
26th Andreae/Knight/Ward & Pete Ibbetson/Rory Simmons
April
2nd Last Summer’s Tealights & Penelope Dreaming
9th KTHXBYE with Colin Webster & New World Order
16th Sloth Racket & Alex Ward
23rd Mark Sanders/Sarah Gail Brand
30th Gus Garside/Annie Kerr & Byrne/Nash/Pursglove
See you there…
As we tie up the last loose ends of our Spring programme at Long White Cloud, one thing we *can* tell you is that ‘LUME Presents…’ is back for a second season at the Vortex Jazz Club! Gigs kick off on Sunday 8th February, and we hope you agree the lineup looks pretty tasty…
Tickets will be on sale from the Vortex website very soon.
Our ‘LUME Presents…’ series at the Vortex kicks off on August 3rd with a double bill of Overground Collective and Madwort’s Menagerie. It’s all very exciting and advance tickets are available now from the Vortex website! Here’s some background on the two bands…
Overground Collective
Paulo Dias Duarte is an award-winning Portuguese composer, based in London since
2003. Paulo’s compositions mix styles and frame musical clichés in very unusual way,
guiding audiences through rarely-visited musical fields. The Overground Collective is
an unorthodox big band composed of some of the wildest improvisers on the London
jazz scene. The combination of Paulo’s music and these improvisers makes each
concert a unique experience….as you can see from this video!
Guitar/composition – Paulo Dias Duarte
Alto saxophone/soprano/flute – Chris Williams
Alto saxophone/flute/piccolo – Julie Kjaer
Tenor saxophone – Rachel Musson
Tenor saxophone – Dan Mays
Bass clarinet – Tom Ward
Baritone saxophone – Joseph Stout
Trumpet – Noel Langley
Trumpet – Yazmeen Ahmed
Trumpet – Andre Canniere
Trumpet – Henry Spencer
Trombone – Paul Taylor
Trombone – Ed Reiband
Trombone – Raph Clarkson
Bass Trombone – Olivir Haylett
Tuba – Ben Kelly
Bass – Ben Bastin
Keyboards – Danny Keane
Drums – Jon Scott
Madwort’s Menagerie
After a momentary glimpse in a misfiring big band rehearsal, Tom Ward has been
bugged by an overheard snippet of a weird quartet comprising bass clarinet, flute,
trumpet and trombone. Transmogrifying some of his compositions for sax quartet,
hybridising this with his free improv duo Ti/om and finally balancing woodwind, brass
and strings with the addition of a cello, Tom is proud to present Madwort’s
Menagerie. Featuring some incredible improvising musicians with a full spectrum of
credits ranging from the London Improvisers Orchestra through Brass Mask, the
Overground Collective, Quadraceratops and The Imaginary Delta to Sinfonia Cymru
and the London Tango Orchestra.
Tom Ward – bass clarinet, flute, composition
Julie Kjaer – flute, alto flute
Alex Bonney – trumpet
Magnus Dearness – trombone
Adam Spiers – cello
Tim Fairhall – double bass
We hope you’ll agree it’s going to be a fantastic night of new music. Join us as we venture into a new chapter of LUME with these amazing musicians!
Artwork by the ever-awesome Peter Beatty…
After a few single-band gigs, this week we have a double-header of top improvising musicians. Baritone/tenor monster Colin Webster will share the bill with Shatner’s Bassoon drummer Andrew Lisle. Both will play solo sets, then they’ll play together as a duo.
Colin Webster
Colin Webster is a saxophonist/improvisor from London who has performed with some of the key figures in free jazz and improvised music, including Archie Shepp, Joe Bowie, Steve Noble and Alex Ward. Colin has recorded four albums and toured extensively with poet Anthony Joseph, and also recorded four albums of improvised music with drummer Mark Holub. Colin is also involved in other projects and collaborations with like-minded souls from all over the world.
Colin’s solo work focuses on the extremities of the saxophone sound, often exploring strict sonic palettes. His debut solo album ‘Antennae’ was released on cassette by Gaffer Records in October 2013. The album is a series of close-miked improvisations with an emphasis on minimal saxophone sounds such as breath, resonance, mechanical sounds (key/pad noise), and so on. Colin is currently working on a second solo album exploring the other end of the sonic spectrum, focusing on loudness and abrasiveness.
Andrew Lisle
Andrew Lisle is a drummer in the early stage of making his mark on the London improv scene. After graduating from Leeds College of Music in 2011 he moved to Lisbon, Portugal where he performed and recorded with local and international improvisers. Since moving to London in September 2013 he has started a number of projects including; duos with Alex Ward and Daniel Thompson, collaborations and live performances with Tom Wheatley, Seymour Wright, Thomas Lumley, Ricardo Tejero and Roberto Sassi. His style blends fast, dry, dynamic playing with dark, cinematic sounds.
Should be a lovely night! Doors 8pm, music 8.30pm. Long White Cloud, 151 Hackney Road, E2 8JL. £5 entry.
This week we’re hosting guitarist Vitor Pereira as part of his Jazz Services UK tour. Vitor and his band have already played in Sheffield and Poole earlier this month, and will be heading off to Cardiff, Brighton and Bristol next.
Vitor Pereira Quintet
Vitor Pereira – Guitar/compositions
Chris Williams – Alto sax
George Crowley – Tenor sax
Andrea Di Biase – Bass
Dave Hamblett – Drums
Vitor Pereira’s quintet was formed in 2009. Initially a quartet, they have been focusing mainly on original music and experimenting with a broad range of aesthetics (as well as band members). The time has clearly been well spent, culminating in the fully grown and conceptually mature band it is today, with tunes full of weaving, intricate melodies and off-kilter yet catchy rhythms.
The group’s Portugal-born leader studied classical guitar before moving into jazz, and despite its obvious jazz roots Pereira’s music draws on a background of musical influences. Energetic riffs, together with hints of classical and world music, create a unique and dynamic sound capable of captivating even the most reluctant listener. The release of 2012’s debut album ‘Doors’ (F-IRE Presents) attracted great reviews. With a successful performance history and the talent of prominent and award winning musicians, this quintet is gaining momentum as an extremely promising prospect on the contemporary UK jazz scene.
“Pereira merges technique and creativity to hit the target” – All About Jazz
“An impressive first album from a guitarist already making strides on the London scene” – Bebop Spoken Here
“An intriguing group with a strong line-up and well-delivered compositions” – Jazz Breakfast
Doors 8pm, music starts 8.30pm, £5 entry. Long White Cloud, 151 Hackney Road, E2 8JL.
This week we’re hosting the first performance of a brand new trio project from F-IRE Collective member Dave O’Brien. Dave’s other group Porpoise Corpus is one of Cath’s favourite bands, and you should definitely check out their eponymous first album. It’s quite hard to describe Dave’s music for the Porpoise, but Mike Flynn (Time Out London) said of one gig that it ‘lurch[ed] between Jarrettish piano interludes and funky schlock-horror jazz-rock’! So there you have it. Come along and hear his new venture…
Dave O’Brien Electric Trio
Dave O’Brien – keyboards
Kevin Glasgow – bass
Nick Smalley – drums
Winner of the Peter Whittingham Award in 2006, Dave is a musician who has always had an itching desire to explore the unfamiliar and likes to invite audiences and band-mates to join the quest. In demand as a double bassist, bass guitarist and pianist, he works with many other groups in London playing jazz, rock, funk, m-base, samba, son-montuno, and various fusions involving other influences such as south-Indian music, flamenco and cabaret. He has been on musical field trips to Cuba, the Gambia and New York, where he attended a course at the School for Improvised Music.
Doors 8pm, music starts 8.30pm, £5 entry. Long White Cloud, 151 Hackney Road, E2 8JL.
Happy New Year! After a two month Winter break, we’re looking forward to starting things up again. The first gig of the new season features not one but two vibraphones, played by our friends the exciting improvisers Corey Mwamba and Martin Pyne. They will be joined in the second set by LUME’s own Cath Roberts on baritone sax. This should be an enjoyable evening, and our first at Long White Cloud. We’re hoping to make this space our new home, so do come along, check it out and help us settle in.
MWAMBA / PYNE DUO
Corey Mwamba – vibes, small instruments
Martin Pyne – vibes/electronics/percussion/toy piano
Vibes players Corey Mwamba and Martin Pyne initially stumbled upon each other’s work in cyberspace. Once they met in the flesh they began discussing the unlikely project of an improvising vibraphone duo. This remained an idea for a long time, until choreographer Sheron Wray called Martin and asked him to provide music for a project for improvising dancers. This provided the perfect opportunity to road test the duo format, and musicians and dancers were all smiling happily after the first rehearsal so it was all systems go!
Expect to hear a surprising range of textures and colours. Corey is one of the most fluent and inventive improvisers you will ever hear, dragging an extraordinary array of sounds from his instrument. In his work with his own band Busnoys, Martin has made a point of extending the sonic scope of the vibes with a range of subtle electronic processing, as well as triggering a variety of specially made sampled loops and drones. And expect a few other instrumental flavours thrown into the pot as the music simmers as well.
The gigs will start a bit earlier this season, i.e the music will *actually* begin at 8.30pm. Doors at 8pm, £5 entry. Long White Cloud, 151 Hackney Road, E2 8JL. Nearest station: Hoxton. See you there!
