This Thursday 24th October we are at Hundred Crows Rising and boy have we got a treat for you… a double bill with Williams/Woolf duo and Loz Sphere Quartet!

WILLIAMS/WOOLF DUO

Long-term collaborators Ryan Williams (guitar) and Andrew Woolf (tenor sax) play their original compositions and arrangements written especially for this duo format. They craft a full, varied and atmospheric musical world whose textures range from multi-layered, sensuous soundscapes to delicate, contrapuntal melodies, displaying the influence of Bill Frisell, Paul Motian, Bill McHenry and Iain Ballamy’s Food.

“quiet, gritty explorations… sparse, peppery interplay… heartfelt momentum” LondonJazzNews review

LOZ SPHERE QUARTET

Loz Speyer – trumpet, flugelhorn
Chris Allard – guitar
Danny Manners – double bass
Andy Ball – drums

We’ll be playing some new compositions and some old ones (reviews below from my debut Quartet CD Two Kinds of Blue 1999). The music is strongly atmospheric, with a common feature of rhythmical changes, like twists and turns in mid-flow opening up a new approach, a leap into the unknown – each piece does its own thing, and evolves its own unique form. Influences? Many, including Monk (T Sphere), Kenny Wheeler, Steve Lacy, Gnaawa, Son, Zen, life and yes Miles…

“Fluid and inventive contemporary jazz and worldbeat trumpeter presents his new album “Two Kinds of Blue” – an excellent, gutsy, hard edged quartet session…” – John Lewis, Time Out

Entry £5. Music seems to start at 9pm.

This week at LUME we are excited to present two high-calibre bands featuring some of the UK’s top musicians/improvisers. Please come and support this event at Hundred Crows Rising, 58 Penton Street, N1 9PZ.

TOMMY ANDREWS QUINTET

The Tommy Andrews Quintet was formed in 2011, bringing together some of London’s leading young musicians to play my original compositions. On drums is Dave Hamblett (Ivo Neame/Abram Wilson) whose own project ‘The Dave Hamblett Group’ released its Debut album in 2013 to great acclaim. On bass is Dave Manington (Loop Collective/E17 Jazz/Tori Freestone) who released his second album Hullabaloo with his project ‘Riff Raff’ in January. Pianist Rick Simpson released his debut album ‘Semi Wogan’ in 2011 to critical acclaim and Nick Costley-White (Dixie Ticklers/LJO) completes the line-up on guitar.

The quintet has a wide-ranging library of original music to call on. The earlier works draw on influences from New York Contemporary Jazz and groove, whilst the later works have a darker edge from their roots in contemporary classical music, progressive rock and British Jazz. One of the defining factors of the music is its through-composed qualities, which tend to shun the ‘head-solos-head’ structure. The improvisation sections thus act as a developmental part of the composition, motifs are widely used to provide cohesion and themes often return in fresh new guises. This allows the music to keep a constant feel of momentum, rather than having to return back to ‘spent’ material. Texture also plays a major role in the group, with explorations into minimalism and ambience, often dropping to duets and solo passages mid-composition in order to create breathing room.

The band has been performing regularly around London since forming, in venues such as The Green Note, The Oxford, The Amersham Arms, Oliver’s Jazz Bar and Charlie Wright’s. This has allowed the band to refine and explore the music whilst building a strong musical rapport in preparation to record the Tommy Andrews Quintet’s debut album in 2013.

MOSS PROJECT

This week we’re back at Hundred Crows Rising for a double bill with two great bands…

NICK COSTLEY-WHITE TRIO

The Nick Costley White Trio is a new group which Nick uses to explore his own contemporary jazz compositions and arrangements.

The trio features Nick on guitar, who’s recent performing credits include the London Jazz Orchestra, Martin Speake trio & Gareth Lockrane quartet. Nick is joined by Mobo award winning drummer Jon Scott (Kairos Quartet, Dice Dactory, Monocled Man). The trio is completed by one of the most in demand bass players of his generation, Tom McCredie (Reuben Fowler Big Band, Keith Tippett).

COMPASS

Compass is an acoustic project fusing influences from global music with modern jazz. Using infectious grooves, colourful melodies and group improvisation, the band takes influences from flamenco, choro, cuban and folk music and many other styles to perform original compositions with a unique sound. Between them, the band members have won various awards and played extensively around London, the rest of the UK and abroad, and through this collaborative project are exploring a new and intimate musical setting.

Tom Green – Trombone
Alex Munk – Guitar
Tom McCredie – Double Bass
Scott Chapman – Cajon/percussion

Check out some tracks from Compass on their Soundcloud:

See you there!

This week LUME is back at Hundred Crows Rising, and we’re happy to present the Len Aruliah Sextet.

Saxophonist Len Aruliah is active both in London and Vancouver, Canada, and released his first album ‘Full Circle’ in 2007 with a quartet playing his compositions. He formed his new sextet in 2011 to perform his current repertoire, and this is the ensemble that he brings to LUME. We look forward to a great night of original music from some top London musicians!

Len Aruliah – alto/soprano saxophones
Ollie Weston – tenor saxophone
Magnus Dearness – trombone
Ryan Williams – guitar
Julie Walkington – bass
Roy Dodds – drums

Have a listen to Len on Soundcloud:

See you back at the Crows….

After a great gig last night with The Jeff Chambers Variable n-tet, playing to an enthusiastic crowd, we look forward to our next gig on Thursday 19th September at The Harrison, 28 Harrison Street (off Gray’s Inn Road), Kings Cross, WC1H 8JF

ZONICA

Zonica is an improvising ensemble interested in cosmic, sonic exploration. Prepare yourself for a spontaneous electro/acoustic cocktail of epic proportions!

Gareth Lockrane – flutes/effects
Dee Byrne – alto sax/effects
Ed Riches – guitar/effects
Xan Blacq – keys/vocals/effects
Tom McCredie – electric bass/effects
Pat Davey – drums

Doors 8pm. Entry £5.

Large ensemble special! This week we’re excited to welcome Jeff Chambers and his sixteen-piece behemoth The Jeff Chambers Variable n-tet to LUME. On the move as ever, we’re pitching up at our original home Hundred Crows Rising for this gig, so cast your minds back to a month or so ago and those halloumi burgers, coffee sacks and (subject to availability) rugs of yore. We’d love to see you there: five mins’ walk from Angel tube and a short climb up some stairs.

THE JEFF CHAMBERS VARIABLE N-TET

“The Jeff Chambers Variable n-tet is a 16 piece band whose sound is skewed toward the brass end of the spectrum. All the music is composed by Jeff Chambers and draws on the depth and richness of the brass chorale, the harmonic language of modern jazz and the quirkiness and humour of popular music. Its influences range from Kenny Wheeler, Mike Gibbs and Loose Tubes to early Mothers of Invention and Hatfield and The North, the best band to have come from the intensively creative ‘Canterbury Scene’ of the 60s and 70s. In other words, this music is sonorous and humorous, with full and rich modern jazz harmonies underpinning memorable melodies and exciting jazz solos.”

Trumpets
George Hogg, John Eacott, James Copus, Henry Spencer

Trombones
Magnus Dearness, Ed Rieband, Dave Hordern

Tuba/bass trombone
Jeff Miller

Woodwinds
Andrew Woolf, Julie Kjær, Tom Ward, Cath Roberts

Piano
Tom Hewson

Bass
Amy Baldwin

Drums
Olly Blackman

Composition, occasional guitar, vocals
Jeff Chambers

Hundred Crows Rising, 58 Penton Street, London, N1 9PZ. Doors 8pm, £5 entry.

STROBES

‘Conjuring big beats and a vast array of sonic possibilities, Strobes unites the creative minds of two prodigious talents of the London music scene – flickering effortlessly between electro-improv, Afrocentric grooves and distinctively original hooks.’

Dan Nicholls – keyboards/electronics
Dave Smith – drums/electronics

SPRAWLER

Led Bib’s asylum seekers Toby McLaren, Chris Williams and Liran Donin are recruiting guest drummer David De Rose in a quest to explore urban beats, glitching harmonies and heavy grooves whilst drawing influences from a huge range of styles. Expect crazy electronics, shivering sax solos and solid grooves from this unpredictable quartet.

Liran Donin – bass
Toby McLaren – keyboards
Chris Williams – alto sax
David De Rose – drums

See you there! Doors 8pm, £5 entry.

The Harrison, 28 Harrison Street (off Gray’s Inn Road), Kings Cross, WC1H 8JF

LUME opens it’s doors to THE HANBURY ARMS in Islington this Thursday 29th . A lovely upstairs room that will be our home every other week. It keeps things interesting – we like to think.

This week an amazing double bill with The Button Band and Pocket-Size.

The Button Band

The band showcases original music by Andy Button, written specifically for this line up. Lyrical jazz with folk and country influences drawing inspiration from Bill Frisell, Loose Tubes, Brad Shepic, PigFoot.

Andy Button – Guitar, compositions
Andy Woolf – Tenor Sax
Dave Manington – Bass
Pat Levett – Drums

“reminiscent of Bill Frisell’s cross-genre explorations” – London Jazz

“upbeat township swing straight out of the Loose Tubes mould, good-humoured and infectious.” – Geoff Winston

“I’ve sort of learnt to play Jazz a bit and i quite enjoy it and it sounds abit like Bill Frisell sometimes, a bit, and various other jazz guitarists vaguely but don’t come if you’re sure you don’t like that sort of thing , but i quite like it, its not really very shreddy and i try and play sort of simple melodic things so you might like it. Definitely don’t come if you don’t like Jazz though. But i don’t mean sort of ‘mental’ Jazz, its not ‘Mental Jazz’. Its quite ‘normal’ in a way if you know what i mean. But if you don’t like Jazz it might sound mental to you. But by Jazz standards i don’t think its particularly mental. Alot of normal sounding harmony. Well, that makes it sound dull, but its not dull. Well i think it not dull. But then i would. My girlfriend likes it. Anyway i think you get the picture. Ish. I could send you a video if you’re interested.” – Andy Button

Pocket-Size
Sam Rapley – Sax
Joe Wright – Sax
Tom McCredie – Double Bass
Corrie Dick – Drums

‘Pocket-Size is a compact, portable quartet of up and coming young musicians, consisting of 2 saxes, bass and drums. Having all met through studying jazz in London, their music mixes elements of jazz and improvisation with other genres such as samba, folk and pop to create exciting new sounds that are accessible to everyone.’

The Hanbury, 33 Linton Street, Arlington Square,Islington, N1 7DU 0207 288 2222

This week at LUME we have an excellent double bill:

– HENRY SPENCER AND JUNCTURE –

Led by trumpeter/composer Henry Spencer, the band performs original compositions that take on influences from a range of genres such as jazz, rock and minimalism. The compositions are written by Henry Spencer.

‘The most exciting band…engaging…these were serious artists who were refreshing and absorbed in their music-making. Definitely one of the highlights of the weekend.’ (missgivans.co.uk at Marlborough Jazz Festival)

‘Henry Spencer’s music had a unique focus and quality rarely experienced from others of his generation.’
‘Originals with real meaning’
(Paul Pace, Ronnie Scott’s, The Spice of Life)

Winner of Best Newcomer Award at Marlborough Jazz Festival

www.facebook.com/henryspencermusic
www.henryspencermusic.com

– CARNIVAL RAIN –

A warm summer evening, the air heavy as the sun sets and the sky begins to close…

Carnival rain is a collaboration between SE Collective members Alam Nathoo (Sax) & Matt Ridley (Bass), along with trumpeter/composer Joe Morris and F-ire Collective stalwart and Oriole bandleader/guitarist Jonny Phillips. Drawing on Tango, Flamenco and Jazz as influences, the band combine the subtlety of a chamber ensemble with the vibrance of latin street performers.

Doors 8pm, music 8.30pm, £5 entry upstairs an Hundred Crows Rising, 58 Penton St, N1 9PZ…5 mins’ from Angel tube!

After an absolute corker of a double bill last week to a packed house,  LUME opens its doors once again this Thursday to Cath Roberts’ amazing septet: Quadraceratops!!

Cath formed Quadraceratops while studying for a Masters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2011. In June 2013 the septet played at Jazz In The Round @ The Cockpit. They supported Get The Blessing at Camden’s Jazz Cafe as part of the 2012 London Jazz Festival, and have appeared at numerous London jazz nights including Jazz at the Salisbury, Jazz at the Waterline and SE Collective at the Amersham Arms. The band briefly left the capital in June 2012 to visit Efpi Records in Manchester and perform at Freedom Principle. The current set of music is inspired by insects, fairground rides, underground tunnelling machines and fictional serial killers.

 

Cath Roberts (alto sax)

Henry Spencer (trumpet)

Tom Ward (tenor sax)

Magnus Dearness (trombone)

Kit Massey (keyboards)

Olly Blackman (drums)