24th July: Sarah Gail Brand and Mark Sanders

This will be our last regular gig for a few weeks, as we’re taking a break for August: we’ll be back at Long White Cloud every Thursday starting on September 4th. To tide you over though, we’re launching our new ‘LUME Presents…’ series at the Vortex on August 3rd with Overground Collective (fantastic big band led by Paulo Duarte!) and Madwort’s Menagerie (brand new project from Tom Ward!). Head over to the Vortex website for advance tickets: we’d love to see you there as we kick off this new venture.

Anyway, back to the gig in hand! We’re excited to welcome two top names on the improv circuit this week, for our last gig of the Summer season. Here go the biogs…

Mark Sanders
Mark has played with many renowned musicians from around the world including Evan Parker, Peter Brotzmann, Derek Bailey, Myra Melford, Paul Rogers, Henry Grimes, Roswell Rudd, Okkyung Lee, Barry Guy, Tim Berne, Otomo Yoshihide, Luc Ex, Ken Vandermark, Sidsel Endresen and Jean Francois Pauvrois, in duo and quartets with Wadada Leo Smith and trios with Charles Gayle with Sirone and William Parker.
New collaborative projects include `Riverloam Trio` with Mikolaj Trzaska & Olie Brice, `Asunder` with Hasse Poulsen & Paul Dunmall, duos with John Butcher and DJ Sniff, `Statics` with Georg Graewe & John Butcher and trio with Rachel Musson & Liam Noble

Sarah Gail Brand
Described as “the most exciting trombone player for years” (The Wire), Sarah Gail has recorded and performed on the international jazz and improvising scene since the early 1990s with Mark Sanders, John Edwards, Billy Jenkins, Elton Dean, Evan Parker, Phil Minton, Lol Coxhill, Martin Hathaway, Alexander Hawkins, Maggie Nicols, Wadada Leo Smith, Jason Yarde and countless others. Gail has composed music for short films, including an original score for Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Easy Street’, performed live to film at the Barbican Cinema, London and has music projects in development for theatre. Recent work includes: work with comedian Stewart Lee and appearing in ‘Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle’ (BBC TV): duo with US improvising vocalist Morgan Guberman; long standing duo with drummer Mark Sanders; Gail Brand Sextet performing her pieces with edgy improvisation at the heart of the music. Sarah Gail is an occasional interviewer on BBC Radio 3’s Jazz on 3 programme.

We’re really in for a treat! Doors 8pm, music starts at 8.30pm. £5 entry….

17th July: Busnoys

This week we are very happy to be hosting Martin Pyne’s trio Busnoys, as they launch their new album Weaving The Spell.

Ostensibly a chamber jazz trio, the group’s musical palette is in fact much more wide ranging, drawing on Americana, electronica, and the avant-garde to create a distinctive, colourful and highly engaging ensemble sound. Beautiful melodies, extraordinary, magical sounds, and dynamic improvisational interplay are all vital ingredients in this unique band’s musical recipe.

Martin Pyne is a passionate improviser who makes subtle use of electronics to take his instrument into unexpected sonic territories, as well as occasionally throwing small percussion sounds and toy piano into the mix. He is joined by two musicians who have emerged from the wonderfully vibrant Bristol music scene, bassist Jeff Spencer, main man of The Resonation Big Band and now his London based ensemble Crocodile, and drummer Trevor Davies, who has accompanied many of the foremost soloists in the country. The trio’s repertoire is based around Pyne’s striking compositions, which create strongly focused atmospheres for the players to explore through improvisation.

Martin Pyne vibes/electronics
Jeff Spencer bass guitar
Trevor Davies drum kit

Doors 8pm, music starts at 8.30pm. £5 entry. Join us once again for a lovely night of new music at Long White Cloud.

10th July: Huw V Williams’ HON

This week we welcome Huw V Williams and his group HON.

Huw brings together some of the most impressive improvisers and composers of the young London jazz scene to play his quirky original music, with influences ranging from grunge rock to early 21st century minimalist jazz music. The band brings together Chaos Collective’s Laura Jurd and Elliot Galvin (making a rare appearance on accordion) and SE Collective co-founder Alam Nathoo on tenor saxophone.

Alam Nathoo saxophone

Laura Jurd trumpet

Elliot Galvin accordion / toy piano

Huw V Williams double bass

Rod Oughton drums

Doors 8pm, music at 8.30pm and £5 entry…see you at Long White Cloud!

‘LUME Presents…’ at the Vortex

We’re very excited to announce a new venture for late Summer and Autumn 2014: ‘LUME Presents…’ at the Vortex in Dalston! We will be hosting monthly double bills of our favourite musicians every first Sunday of the month starting on August 3rd. Join us for an extra dose of great original and improvised music…and a great excuse for some brand new artwork from the amazing Peter Beatty! Tickets are on sale from the Vortex website.

3rd July: Vicky Tilson Quartet (LUME 1st anniversary gig!)

A year ago this week, we put on the first LUME gig upstairs at Hundred Crows Rising near Angel. Since that first double bill of Redshift and Identity Parade we’ve hosted so many bands that we’ve lost count, and there are plenty more coming up!

We’re celebrating a year of presenting great ensembles playing new music by….presenting a great ensemble playing new music. Come down and join us this Thursday, 3rd July at Long White Cloud as we toast a year of LUME with:

Vicky Tilson Quartet

The VTQ is influenced by a range of musicians but in terms of the compositions, bassist Vicky Tilson has this to say: “My writing is constantly influenced by that of Charles Mingus, particularly his Changes I and II albums, which showcase his more esoteric side. The groove-based, odd meter tunes of Dave Holland and Steve Coleman have also inspired me and HEADLOVIN’ was the first piece I ever wrote in this style. More recently, Phronesis have inspired me to continue the groove-based odd meter side of things, whilst the influence of British pianist/composer Michael Garrick has led me melodically. Some of my harmonic ideas have even been awakened by listening to indie band Blur!”

TIME OUT say: “Bass-led modern jazz from this Guildhall trained bassist/composer, who combines deep Mingus-style grooves and pastoral melodies with gritty textures on top provided by guitarist Stuart Fiddler and alto sax ace Dee Byrne.” – 25th April 2012.

To hear what the band sounds like head over to their Soundcloud page.

Dee Byrne alto sax

Stuart Fiddler guitar

Vicky Tilson bass/compositions

Reinis Axelsson drums

Doors 8pm, music at 8.30pm, £5 entry. See you at Long White Cloud!

26th June: Shatner’s Bassoon

An exciting finale for the month of June with the notorious Leeds-based sextet Shatner’s Bassoon, bringing their distinctive brand of ‘controlled pandemonium’ to LUME as part of their UK tour. We’re in for a treat! Here’s the biog….

Shatner’s Bassoon are a group of six Leeds based composers/improvisers. Since forming in 2010 they have embarked on two tours of the UK, completed a PRS funded residency program, had a live show featured on BBC Jazz on 3, released their debut album ‘Aquatic Ape Privilege’ on their own label – ‘Wasp Millionaire’ and have been selected by Jazz North as ‘Jazz Ambassadors of the North’ on their ‘Northern Line’ program.

Influenced by contemporary artists such as Tim Berne, Mr. Bungle, John Zorn, Frank Zappa, Tyshawn Sorey and a range of rock and electronica; and with a combined experience that includes eastern European folk, Hindustani music, Brazilian music, straight ahead and free jazz, reggae, metal, contemporary classical and musique concrete; Shatner’s Bassoon have developed a unique collective sound based on developing complex compositional structures through improvisation – allowing the music to be naturally infused by their experiences. The results can range from dense free noise through intense riffs and ambient textures. They play with musical clichés and conventions to produce music that negotiates a path from the beautiful to the sinister, humorous and surreal.

Michael Bardon – bass/electronics

Ollie Dover – sax/clarinet

Joost Hendrickx – drums/electronics

Andrew Lisle – drums

Johnny Richards – keys/electronics

Craig Scott – guitar/electronics

This will be a packed night with a BIG lineup, so make sure you get to Long White Cloud early to avoid having to climb over the band! Doors 8pm, music starting at 8.30pm, £5 entry…join us!

19th June: Stories

For this week’s gig we’re looking forward to presenting Stories. Most of the band members have played at LUME before in different projects, so it will be great to hear them in this configuration. The ensemble plays the compositions of drummer Simon Roth, who writes:

Stories is an outlet for new music, uniting five of London’s most exciting improvising musicians. Their combined force creates an emotionally charged music, full of nifty melodies, fruity harmony and propulsive grooves.

Have a listen to a live recording on their Bandcamp page.

“An overflow of creative juices, with each musician allowed the freedom to express their personality through a selection of finely tuned angular grooves and intricate melodic writing” – Jazz UK

Joe Murgatroyd clarinets

Laura Jurd trumpet

Joe Wright tenor sax

James Opstad bass

Simon Roth drums

Doors 8pm, with the music starting at 8.30pm at Long White Cloud. £5 entry as usual. It promises to be a great gig!

12th June: Corey Mwamba/Olie Brice/Cath Roberts

The first meeting of a new group, as two of LUME’s favourite musicians join forces with our own Cath Roberts. Corey and Cath have played together before as part of a trio with Martin Pyne at the first Long White Cloud gig in February, while Olie and Corey have also worked together a few times in various ensembles. Who knows what will happen when they combine as a trio?

Corey Mwamba – vibraphone, small instruments

Olie Brice – bass

Cath Roberts – baritone sax

Doors 8pm, music starting at 8.30pm, £5 entry. Come along for an evening of improvised music from a never-heard-before band…

5th June: Metamorphic & Nut Club

This week we have a double bill of fantastic bands, featuring musicians from the Leeds and London scenes. Pianist Laura Cole brings her sextet Metamorphic, and bassist Seth Bennett will play a set with his new trio Nut Club. We caught Metamorphic’s set at the Vortex in April (with Seth guesting on second bass!), so we know we’re in for a great night of music!

Metamorphic

Metamorphic are a contemporary jazz/folk sextet based in London. They have released two album on the ‘F-ire presents’ label to critical acclaim: The Rock Between (2011) and Coalescence (2013). The instrumentalists in the group all met while studying on the Jazz Degree at Middlesex University in London in 2001, and vocalist Kerry Andrew became involved with the group through the promoter Moose Factory. Kerry also sings with the highly respected vocal trio Juice, whose album ‘Songspin’ recently won Best Contemporary Classical album of the year at the Independent Music Awards. Alto sax player Chris Williams is part of 2009 Mercury Prize nominated group Led Bib, and tenor/soprano sax player John Martin is a successful bandleader in his own right. Drummer Tom Greenhalgh also plays in the acclaimed group World Sanguine Report, led by Andrew Plummer, and double bass player Paul Sandy has worked with various groups such as The Rude Mechanicals.

Laura Cole – bandleader, piano/composer/arranger
Chris Williams – alto sax
John Martin – tenor/soprano sax
Kerry Andrew – vocals/loops
Tom Greenhalgh – drums
Paul Sandy – bass

Nut Club

Nut Club are an exciting new Leeds-based trio. Seth Bennett writes:

‘We set up Nut Club at the beginning of 2013, because we wanted to have a band that could workshop ideas for new tunes together, and could take their time over developing new material and a group aesthetic. We fit loosely into the mould of a jazz band, but play mostly original material with an emphasis on groove – groove in the New Orleans sense, not repetitive figures, but three people juggling music and rhythm between them. We explore the idea of jazz as a dance music – even in its most avant-garde manifestations; We still hear dance rhythms in free jazz and free improvisation.’

Ollie Dover – reeds
John Arnesen – drums
Seth Bennett – bass

As usual it’s doors 8pm, with the music starting at 8.30pm, and it’s £5 on the door. Some of you might remember the Stolen Project gig in April: when we have a sextet playing it can be tricky to get into Long White Cloud if you arrive after the gig has started! Plus, we’ve heard on the grapevine that a certain pianist/bandleader will be celebrating a special birthday on the night too. We advise showing up nice and early…

29th May: Lauren Kinsella Quintet

Award-winning vocalist Lauren Kinsella and her band bring us an evening of new music and improvisation.

Lauren Kinsella Quintet

Lauren Kinsella is a contemporary vocalist and composer based in London. Hailed as ‘a completely down to earth and exquisitely vivacious young Irish singer’ (Katie Bull The New York City Jazz Record), she has performed in venues across Ireland, the UK, Switzerland, Hungary, France, Germany, Portugal, Norway and India. She is the 2013 Kenny Wheeler Prize winner and performs in many groups including Thought-Fox, Blue-Eyed Hawk, The Bears and Alex Huber / Lauren Kinsella Duo . Her music regularly appears on BBC Radio 3, Jazz FM, RTE Lyric FM and BBC Radio Scotland and she has released albums on WideEar Records and Diatribe to critical acclaim.

Lauren Kinsella – vocals

Laura Jurd – trumpet

Dan Nicholls – keyboard

Conor Chaplin – bass

Simon Roth – drums

As usual it’s doors at 8pm, with the music starting at 8.30pm, and £5 entry. Long White Cloud, 151 Hackney Road, E2 8JL…just around the corner from Hoxton overground station.