Category Archives: Yeah

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.

18th February @ London Review Bookshop: En Bas Quartet

Our second gig of February is a special one: we are taking LUME to the cosy basement of the London Review Bookshop in Bloomsbury. Part of the bookshop by day, and home to literary events and film screenings, the downstairs room will become our intimate setting for Seth Bennett’s new project En Bas Quartet.

En Bas Quartet is, as the name suggests, a low string quartet, featuring some of the most exciting string improvisers in the U.K. They will be playing Seth’s quartet for improvising low strings, based on the Northumberland folk song tune “Sair Fyeld Hinny”, and exploring various settings and provocations for group and solo improvisation. Inspired by the quartets of Shostakovich, Beethoven and Bartok, as well as more contemporary jazz ensembles like Arcado String Trio, the Masada string trio and contemporary British free improvisation, En Bas Quartet weave their disparate influences into a compelling whole.

Aby Vulliamy viola

Benedict Taylor viola

Alice Eldridge cello

Seth Bennett double bass

This gig is a ticketed event (unusual for us I know!) and the room at LRB has a limited capacity. The ticket includes a drink, and it’s doors at 7pm with the music starting at 7.30pm. Buy your advance tickets HERE.

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

16th January, 2pm @ Electric Knife: Hannah Marshall & Kordik Lucas

We’re back! Happy New Year everyone. To kick things off for 2016, we’re taking LUME to a new space: the excellent Electric Knife record shop in Kentish Town. Electric Knife specialises in avant garde, noise, and experimental music and its owner Thanasis stocks a fantastic range of CDs, vinyl, cassettes, books and more. The shop occasionally turns into an intimate venue for in-store gigs, and we’re really exciting to be hosting one this January. Be warned: this gig is in the afternoon! The music will start at 2pm, so make sure you leave yourself some time to browse the shelves before we welcome:

Hannah Marshall
Improvising cellist Hannah Marshall is a formidable force on the UK scene and beyond. She regularly collaborates with such (fellow) luminaries of improvised music as Veryan Weston, Alison Blunt, Terry Day, Alex Ward, Rachel Musson and Dominic Lash, and has also played with Evan Parker, Luc Ex and Fred Frith. Hannah has appeared at LUME before in various different groups, but for today’s gig we’re excited to say that she will be performing a solo set.

Kordik Lucas
Last year we were lucky enough to host a set by trombone and analogue synthesiser duo Kordik Lucas, and we couldn’t wait to ask them back. They have been playing together for several years, as well as running Earshots Recordings together, a label releasing improvised music and field recordings. ‘The juicy sounds of the Vostok synth wiggle with squelchy non- classical balls of trombone fluff,’ said the Next Festival in Bratislava, and we have to agree…

Ed Lucas trombone

Daniel Kordik Vostok synthesiser

Please join us for this special afternoon of improvised music in London’s finest tiny record shop! Suggested donation: one Bank of England note of your choice.

Electric Knife Records, 16b Fortress Road, Kentish Town, NW5 2EU.

See you in 2016!

Well, that’s it for 2015 and it’s been another fantastic year of LUME! Thanks to everyone who has supported us by coming out to the gigs, and to all the amazing artists that have graced our stage(s). We’re also massively grateful to Arts Council England for supporting both LUME On Tour and our 2015/16 season.

We wish you all a relaxing and merry festive season and a Happy New Year! We’ll be back in January. Here’s our current flyer as a reminder of what’s coming up in early 2016….

Artwork, as ever, by Peter Beatty.