2nd October: Emma Jean Thackray Quintet

This week we look forward to welcoming Emma-Jean Thackray, an award winning composer, trumpeter and educator. She recently received the Musicians Benevolent Fund’s emerging excellence award, the Daryl Runswick Composition Prize and several scholarship awards. Ensembles have performed her work across the UK with several notable performances at the QEH South Bank Centre, the London Ear Festival, and recent commissions from art collectives Bastard Assignments and Filthy Lucre.

Having studied at several conservatoires around the UK specialising in jazz, receiving tuition from internationally acclaimed jazz musicians and composers at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, she still continues to play trumpet frequently, having led the brass sections of renowned ensembles across England and Wales, directed and performed in her own devised ensembles, and played in a variety of sessions.

This Thursday Emma-Jean will be bringing her quintet, which features members of London’s acclaimed Chaos Collective.

Emma-Jean Thackray – trumpet
Will Scott – alto sax/clarinet
James Kitchman – guitar
Louis Thomas – double bass
Liz Exell – drums/percussion

Doors 8pm, music starts at 8.30pm. £5 entry.

Long White Cloud,
151 Hackney Road,
E2 8JL.
Nearest station: Hoxton Overground (less than 5 mins’ walk)

25th September: Madwort Sax Quartet & Julie Kjær/Tori Handsley/Ruth Goller

This week we have a saxophone-heavy double bill (the best kind, no?). Julie Kjær returns to LUME with an exciting trio, and the Madwort Sax Quartet make their first appearance at Long White Cloud.

Madwort Sax Quartet

Tom Ward assembled the Madwort Sax Quartet in 2011 to play his own compositions and explore guided group improvisation. Tom’s influences include numerology and the movement of the planet earth through space, Steve Coleman, pioneering saxophone quartet Rova, Tim Berne, and transcriptions of bird song. Of technical interest was exploring contemporary techniques such as complex time signatures and metric modulations without the presence of a dedicated drummer or percussionist, and exploring harmony without a chordal instrument.

Said LondonJazz blog about the band’s first gig: “The group’s sychronisation, the engaging, rounded brass sound and the impressive ease with which the four musicians blended to dish out a significantly distinctive musical proposition made for a perfect opening sortie, and suggested that we may well be hearing much more from them.”

Tom Ward alto saxophone & composition
Chris Williams soprano & alto saxophones
Andy Woolf tenor saxophone
Cath Roberts baritone saxophone

(And in the rabbit head: Dave O’Brien, who produced the sax quartet’s 2012 recording)

Julie Kjær/Tori Handsley (plus special guest Ruth Goller!)

New duo collaboration comprising harpist Tori Handsley and saxophonist and flautist Julie Kjær exploring angular grooves and captivating improvisations. This evening they will be inviting the excellent Ruth Goller to join them on bass.

Tori Handsley started playing the piano at the age of 3 and the harp at the age of 6. Originally classically trained, she grew up listening to the music of Miles Davis, Bird, Dizzy, Keith Jarrett and many more, and was drawn to the freedom of jazz and improvisation. One of the highlights of her career was touring with her childhood hero Nigel Kennedy in 2010, after being invited to be a part of his band for his Duke Ellington tour. Tori has since performed with other notable artists including: Orphy Robinson, Cleveland Watkiss, Pat Thomas, Claude Deppa, Shabaka Hutchings, Doug Boyle, Adam Waldmann and more.

Julie Kjær’s edgy and thoughtful playing and ‘dark, otherworldly imagery’ (Jazzwise) has become incerasingly evident around Europe, inhabiting ground between composition and free improv. She has recorded and toured internationally with Django Bates and his band StoRMChaser, as well as with the Danish big-band “Blood Sweat Drum ’n’ Bass” where she has played with amongst others: Dave Douglas, Arve Henriksen and Palle Mikkelborg. She plays with the London Improvisers Orchestra and is a leader and sidewoman of several other English and Danish ensembles. Julie was recently chosen to be a Sound and Music “New Voice” artist and will be a part of the ‘Portfolio’ artist development program for improvisers.

Join us for a night of exciting new music! Doors 8pm, music at 8.30pm…

18th September: Jon Desbruslais Quintet

Another two set gig this week, with a fantastic band of Guildhall graduates making their mark on the London scene. The quintet formed in 2013, to play the compositions of bandleader and drummer Jon. His style of writing and form of improvising is influenced by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Brian Blade Fellowship, Wayne Shorter Quartet, Terence Blanchard and Chucho Valdes. The music focuses on lyrical melodies, warm and descriptive harmonies and strong rhythms.

Jon Desbruslais – drums
Tommy Andrews – alto sax
Henry Spencer – trumpet
Dougie Freeman – keys
Flo Moore – bass

Come down to Long White Cloud for a great night of original music!

11th September: Flea Circus

This week we’re hosting the first gig in a while from Flea Circus, the acclaimed quartet led by trumpet player Jack Davies.

Their dark, nocturnal sound draws on the canon of European jazz and contemporary music, and in 2012 they released their debut album on Davies’ own label V&V Music. In an impressive burst of productivity that year, he simultaneously released three albums by his own projects: the Flea Circus album, a big band record, and an album by his quartet Southbound. London Jazz News described the Flea Circus debut as ‘a thoroughly absorbing, thoughtful and lively set from a subtly interactive and accomplished band’. After a brief hiatus, the band are back and we look forward to having them at Long White Cloud.

Jack Davies trumpet

Rob Cope bass clarinet

Aidan Shepherd accordion

James Opstad bass

‘LUME Presents…’ at the Vortex, Sunday 7th September: Corey Mwamba & Deemer

It’s happening this Sunday! Just a little reminder about our next ‘LUME Presents…’ gig at the Vortex Jazz Club in Dalston. It’s going to be a great night of improvised music, with a solo set from Corey Mwamba and the return of Dee’s duo with sound artist Merijn Royaards, Deemer. Don’t miss it: tickets are still on sale from the Vortex website.

And a re-cap of the other gigs coming up in this series, with lovely artwork by Peter Beatty:

4th September: The Static Memories & duck-rabbit

We’re back! For our first gig at Long White Cloud after the summer break, we have a double bill of acoustic/electronic improvised music from London and Brighton. duck-rabbit brings together some musicians who have appeared at LUME with different projects, while The Static Memories is a duo of two top improvisers and our first band from the Brighton scene.

duck-rabbit

This new improvising trio explores two contrasting and overlapping personalities; one acoustic, one electronic. Using unique electronic instruments, they interact with their acoustic improvisations to form a rich and varied dialogue. Their interaction creates an absorbing interplay between past and present, a constant re-imagining of ideas within an expanded sonic terrain. Two releases, ‘Path To Field’ and ‘Scattered Voices: Part 1’ came out in early 2014.

Joe Wright – saxophone/electronics

Tom Taylor – piano/electronics

James Opstad – double bass/electronics

The Static Memories

Dan Powell and Gus Garside have been working together on improv project The Static Memories since 2007. Their new album ‘The bloudy vision of John Farley’ came out in June on The Slightly Off-Kilter Label.

Dan Powell (laptop/guitar/sampler/effects) began making sound for installation works in London in the mid 90’s and was involved in live arts group OMSK. Since moving to Brighton in 2000 he has concentrated on experimental and improvised music. He is a member of Brighton based collective The Spirit of Gravity and has performed across the UK. Dan is also a member of free improv duo Nil with Chris Parfitt.

Gus Garside (double bass/electronics) has worked in a variety of musical settings – jazz, contemporary music, pop, cabaret, dance, theatre and, most importantly, improvised music where he has performed with many leading players. Gus formed arc in 1988 and their third album “the pursuit of happiness” was released on Emanem Records in 2009. He formed In Sand in 2004 and their first album “Whatever” came out mid 2008. Gus is part of the Brighton Safehouse collective, and has collaborated with a wide range of improvising and contemporary music players and dancers and frequently works with laptop musicians and also performs solo.

+ Special guest dancer Mirei Yazawa

This will be a fascinating evening of new music – come and join us as we kick off the next season of Long White Cloud gigs. Don’t forget that this is a double LUME week too, as our second ‘LUME Presents…’ gig at the Vortex, with Corey Mwamba and Deemer, is this Sunday!

New artwork!

Quick post to show you our new artwork for the 2014/15 year of gigs at Long White Cloud! Our friend the awesome artist Peter Beatty has give us a rare insight into the angler fish working in its studio…here’s the first poster, for September/October:

Listings for Autumn/Winter 2014 at Long White Cloud announced!

2014 is really flying by: it’s already time to announce our listings for the Autumn/Winter season of gigs. We have a really exciting and varied programme coming up! Obviously we would say that, but take a look at our newly-updated listings page and see what you think. We’re looking forward to settling back into our weekly Thursday routine at Long White Cloud (pie anyone?) and to welcoming musician friends old and new!

‘LUME Presents…’ at the Vortex, Sunday 7th September: Corey Mwamba & Deemer

After a fantastic first night in a packed Vortex, our ‘LUME Presents…’ series continues on Sunday 7th September. This time, rather than filling the stage with as many musicians as possible, we’re inviting experimental electro/acoustic duo Deemer to fill it with their signature array of weird and wonderful equipment and get stuck into some sonic cookery. They will be sharing the bill with the captivating improviser and friend of LUME, vibraphone monster and multi-instrumentalist Corey Mwamba. We hope you can join us for another ‘LUME-inous’ night of new music at the Vortex.

Corey Mwamba

Corey Mwamba creates music using vibraphone, dulcimer, electronics and small instruments. His music contains elements of jazz, folk from different countries, and electronica. Born in Derby and a former chemist and librarian, Corey is virtually self-taught in music, having made the decision to take up vibraphone in his late teens after seeing a picture of Orphy Robinson in a book and taking five lessons with the orchestral percussionist Lewis Dyson. Corey is renowned as a highly creative improviser with a wide stylistic range: he has performed with Orphy Robinson, Pat Thomas, Tony Kofi, the Master Drummers of Africa and Evan Parker among countless others.

Deemer

The brain-child of Merijn Royaards and Dee Byrne, Deemer started life in 2006 as a weekly improvisation/electronics session in a warehouse in Hackney Wick. The project has since evolved into an installation/performance based electro-acoustic ‘two-manned’ orchestra, whose aural narratives are created within fluid frameworks that map a trajectory in time, but leave the sonic textures and compositions entirely free
and undetermined. Deemer employ, among other things, alto saxophone, drums, analogue electronics, tape, transducer microphones/speakers to instantly compose, activate space, and blur the boundaries between free jazz and sound installation.

Merijn Royaards – electronics/percussion
Dee Byrne – alto saxophone/electronics

Doors are at 8pm, with the music starting at 8.30pm. Tickets are £8 in advance from the Vortex website, or £10 on the night. See you there…

Not long until ‘LUME Presents…’ at the Vortex!

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…