Brigitte Beraha (Voice)
Joe Auckland (Trumpet)
Ivo Neame (Piano)

This imaginative group play original music, mainly by Brigitte, but also by Ivo and Joe. They are very influenced by Brigitte's multi-lingual background and by John Surman, Kenny Wheeler and Azymuth, Chick Corea, Milton Nascimento and Hermeto Pascoal.
As well as singing songs with lyrics, Brigitte also uses her voice as an instrument, blending with the trumpet to create a unique sound.

www.brigitteberaha.com

Gavin Broom: Trumpet/flugel
Tom Challenger: Tenor sax
Sam Bullard: Bass clarinet/alto sax/flute
George Fogel: Piano
Tom Farmer: Bass
Andy Chapman: Drums

Gavin draws inspiration from a vast pool of musical influences spanning the genres. Having just completed a suite “a tale of two cities” based on the Charles Dickens novel, he combines contrapuntal lines, dark grooves, note rows and free contemporary improvising. He is also heavily influenced by the music of Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland, and Woody Shaw.

Carlos Lopez-Real (sax)
Simon Colam (piano)
Justin Quinn (guitar)
Oli Hayhurt (bass)
Ben Reynolds (drums)
Ben Davis (cello)
Fini Bearman (voice)

Mandorla showcases Lopez-Real’s skills as an outstanding composer, saxophonist and improviser, featuring him on alto and soprano saxes alongside a group of his long-term musical collaborators. He tailors his writing to his band, making the most of each player’s unique sound. The eponymously titled album Mandorla is his debut as a leader, having been a quiet force at the cutting edge of the UK jazz scene for some years. In it he displays an adventurous eclecticism and produces an album of massive dynamic and emotional range, drawing on a diverse pool of influences including Steve Reich, Bjork, Bheki Mseleku and John McLaughlin. Settings of two poems by Carol Ann Duffy further add to the broad scope of the album.

‘Carlos plays with a sound that comes from his soul’ Dave Liebman
‘I loved it…I was very impressed’ Norma Winstone

www.carloslopez-real.co.uk

Fini Bearman (vocals)
Carlos Lopez-Real (saxes)
Dave Manington (bass)
Josh Morrison (drums)

Together with Dave Manington (bass) and Josh Morrison (drums), we play music that takes you on a journey through ambient soundscapes, irresistable grooves, great melodies and beautiful lyrics. Voice and sax blend together wonderfully and the whole band interact in a very fluid and exciting way, you never quite know what'll happen next!
Fini recently returned from a year in Berlin where she was studying with Kurt Rosenwinkel. We're now exploring some fresh material together.

www.carloslopez-real.co.uk
www.finibearman.co.uk

Jez Franks - Guitar
Tori Freestone - Saxes
Jasper Høiby - Bass
James Maddren - Drums


Born out of the collaboration between Jez Franks and Tori Freestone, who have been playing and writing together since 1993, this guitar and sax-led quartet play original material that draws from a wide and eclectic range of influences from folk to free and contemporary jazz.

"...another vital example of UK musicians embracing and incorporating both free jazz and rock elements into an edgy, risk taking approach to their music” Jazzwise

www.compassionatedictatorship.co.uk

This dynamic ensemble of young musicians plays original music written by Dave over the course of the past five years. The starting point for the music is collective improvisation but compositionally it draws on as wide a range of styles as possible. Folk, electronic music and “classical” influences as well as contemporary modern jazz harmony can be heard. Most of the material is through-composed with the themes re-emerging in different forms, different keys, or time signatures. The original Quartet has been augmented to a quintet following a successful collaboration with leading jazz vocalist Beraha at the Loop festival Feb ’09. She was so good that Dave asked her to become a permanent member of the band and several new compositions feature her fantastic lyrics. A new album and tour is planned for 2012.

Praise for Headrush (Loop 1006):

"Creative contemporary jazz composition with its freedom of improvised expression is in safe hands in my opinion having just heard this album. These four musicians are equally matched and share a lucidity and flow within their music that subtly but powerfully demonstrates their individual and collective excellence!" Iain Ballamy

http://www.myspace.com/davemanington

Formed in Autumn 2009 to play new music specifically written for the band by pianist Liam Noble, as well as compositions by local musicians, the band performed at the London Jazz Festival in November 2009.

Brigitte Beraha – Voice
Carlos Lopez-Real – Alto Sax / Clarinet
Tori Freestone – Tenor Sax / Flute
Rachel Musson – Tenor Sax / Flute
Josh kemp – Tenor Sax
Adam Bishop – Baritone Sax / Bass Clarinet
Joe Auckland – Trumpet
Robbie Robson – Trumpet
Gavin Broom – Trumpet
John Turville – Piano
Jez Franks – Guitar
Dave Manington – Bass
Nick Smalley – Drums

Fumi Okiji - Vocals
Adam Bishop - Saxes
Ben Davis - Cello
Stefano Kaloranis - Guitar
George Hart - Drums


Born and raised within the sound of the Bow bells. Fumi has studied with Jim Dvoark, Carol Grimes, Louise Gibbs and Sue McCreeth. She has performed across the country at jazz clubs and festivals including the Derby Jazz Club, the 606, the Brighton Fringe and Semley Festival as well as recording at sessions for the Lift music and F-ire labels.

http://www.myspace.com/fumiokiji

Joe Auckland – Trumpet
James Alsopp – Tenor sax/Bass Clarinet
Rob Updegraff– Guitar
Dave Manington – Bass
Ben Reynolds - Drums

Joe has a varied and interesting musical career and has become in demand on the london jazz and pop scenes. He can be heard regularly at the Vortex, the 606 club, the Jazz Cafe and Ronnie Scott's. He has played with many of london's top names including Bobby wellins, Mark Lockheart, Gwilym Simcock, John Paricelli and the James Taylor Quartet. As well as this he is active on the session scene with recording credits including Madness, The GO team the Enemy and Girls Aloud!
His new project the AUCKESTRA combines his varied musical tastes and as well as Jazz has folk like and sometimes classical elements making for a melodic and accessible sound.

http://www.myspace.com/joeaucklandmusic

John Turville (Piano)
Chris Hill (bass)
Ben Reynolds (drums)

This wonderful trio plays original material in a contemporary style, moving between poignant ballads and intense odd-time grooves, integrated by a strong collective identity. Recent winners of the promoter's choice award, they have been featured at the Scarborough, London and Manchester jazz festivals and as sidemen have worked with a number of major UK jazz ensembles including Tim Garland's Lighthouse Trio, Gilad Atzmon's Orient House Ensemble, Jamie Cullum, Clare Teal and Dog Soup.
http://www.myspace.com/johnturville

Josh Kemp – tenor sax
John Turville – piano
Chris Hill – double bass
Dave Smith - drums

The quartet has played together for the last three years, gaining a rapport which allows the music to flow with spontaneity, from fever-pitch intensity to soft and sensitive interaction. They have a sound that is lyrical and melodic, whether playing standards or more contemporary material. Alan Barnes said of the ‘Animus’ recording ‘Josh Kemp has a lovely round sound … really a player to watch … he will grow into a musician of great individuality’.

www.joshkemp.com

Nadia Sheriff (piano)
Richie Howard (clarinet)
Julie Walkington (bass)
Nick Smalley (drums)

Naadia Sheriff graduated from the Post Graduate Jazz course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2002 and since then has been busy working as a performer, teacher and musical director. This project was conceived in 2006 with all the musicians involved playing other types of music as well as jazz. You'll hear snippets of folk, classical, rock and even trad jazz. All the tunes are composed by leader Naadia.

“Naadia Sheriff's swinging accompaniment completes a ravishing evening”
(The Guardian, 4 stars)

Nick Tomalin (piano)
Dominic Howles (bass)
Buster Birch (drums)


The trio is mainly a vehicle for Nick’s original compositions, although they also play some unusual covers taken from rock and pop repertoire. The music draws on many influences including Keith Jarrett, Andrew Hill and John Taylor. Expect melodic themes fused with contemporary grooves and free jazz.

http://www.nicktomalin.co.uk

Alex Bonney - trumpet
Rachel Musson - tenor
Olie Brice- double bass
Josh Morrison - drums

The Olie Brice Quartet is a new project playing original compositions and
tunes by Paul Motian, Carla Bley, Ornette Coleman and Lee Konitz.

Olie Brice is a jazz and free improv bassist. He is a member of two
improvising tenor-bass-drums trios, TOM-MIX (with Mark Hanslip and Tony
Marsh) and Catatumbo (with Ingrid Laubrock and Javier Carmona). He has
also worked with Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall, Neil Metcalfe and Mark
Sanders, among others.

Rachel Musson - tenor saxophone
Alcyona Mick - piano
Will Collier - double bass
Josh Morrison - drums
Javier Carmona - drums

'Skein' is the brainchild of saxophonist Rachel Musson, the first release under her own name. With a background playing in groups led by drummer Sebastian Rochford (she was a member of the first incarnation of Polar Bear) and avant-saxophonist/composer Caroline Kraabel (the 20-strong, Buffalo Boot-wearing Mass Producers), as well as having recorded alongside the likes of Steve Buckley and NYC-based Federico Ughi (Ughi: The Space Within), Rachel leads a stellar group including acclaimed pianist Alcyona and improv drummer Javier Carmona through 10 original compositions and a one-track homage to her Welsh roots.



Both the compositions and Rachel’s playing have a strong melodic sense reminiscent of the Loose Tubes-era musicians, enlivened by two drummers (Madrid-born free improv percussionist Javier Carmona and the jazzier Josh Morrison) and underpinned by Will Collier’s solid bass. Add to this the distinctive pianisms of Alcyona Mick, who effortlessly fuses elements of Monk, Bartok and gamelan music into her own unique style, and Rachel’s own improvisations revealing a new raw, vocalized edge borne of her increasing improv leanings, and you will hear a band where the unexpected can and does happen, where structure and freedom, control and abandon, do joyfully coexist.


Flight Line, their debut cd is out on F-IRE Records.


http://www.myspace.com/rachelmusson

Solstice is a diverse and exciting group of musicians drawn together by their shared love of contemporary compositional techniques. The group has come together primarily to give it's members the opportunity to write for a slightly larger ensemble, and explore the creative possibilities therein. Writing influences include Hermeto Pascoal, Pierre de Bethman, Brian Blade, Dave Binney, Edward Simon and Django Bates.

Between them, band members have played with Rick Astley, Gerard Presencer,Andy Shepperd, Kenny Wheeler, Mark Lockheart, , Gwyneth Herbert and Gwilym Simcock amongst others. The gig will feature brand new compositions by John, Jez, Dave, Brigitte and Tori, written specially for the ensemble.

John Turville - piano
Dave Manington - bass
Brigitte Beraha - vocals
Jez Franks - guitar
Tori Freestone - Saxes/flutes
Tim Giles - Drums

Tom Hewson - Piano
Lewis Wright - Vibraphone
Calum Gourlay - Bass

Formed in 2010 by pianist Tom Hewson, Treehouse is the unique sound of Piano, Vibraphone and Bass in the hands of three of the most exciting young players on the UK jazz scene. Playing original material, they exploit the unique dynamic headroom of the setup to deliver music that is truly of the moment.

'Emerging piano virtuoso Hewson...displays great maturity here in this drum-less trio, with stunning Empirical vibes master Lewis Wright and bassist Calum Gourlay...impressive, free flowing solos - think a twentysomething take on the MJQ.'

TimeOut

www.tomhewson.com

Tori Freestone - Saxophones
Dave Mannington - Double bass
Tim Giles - Drums


Playing a mix of original compositions and standard repertoire, this new band is exploring the open quality that the trio format provides whilst taking inspiration from some of the non chord sax led trios of the moment


“excellent saxophonist Tori Freestone makes for a very impressive listen….. robust tenor work - Tom Barlow, Jazzwise

“a pleasingly circumspect but powerful and cogent saxophonist” - Chris Parker, Vortex Jazz Review

“Tori Freestone has a warm and open tone, her playing is melodic and innovative. Exploring the full range of the saxophone, Freestone effortlessly switches between fiery and haunting melodies” - allaboutjazz.com

http://www.myspace.com/torifreestone

Riaan Vosloo - double bass
Mark Hanslip - tenor saxophone
Rob Updegraff - guitar
Tim Giles - drums

Originally a trio, but now a quartet with the addition of guitar, the Twelves Trio's pithily titled debut ‘Here Comes The Woodman With His Splintered Soul’ is a heady mix of Coltrane-esque ballads, dark twenty-first century waltzes, subtle hooks and tumbling Mingus-esque grooves – already drawing comparisons with bands like Polar Bear. Based around killer minimal tunes, tracks explode giving the musicians maximum room for improvising and highlighting three artists at the height of their careers.

Will Collier (bass)
Ben Reynolds (drums)
Bob Dowell (trombone)
Ben Somers (tenor sax)
Mike Lesirge (alto sax)
Joe Auckland (trumpet)
Ed Sheldrake (piano)


The septet have been busy playing in and around London for the last four years and have recently finished an album which will be released in the near future.
Will has additionally worked with Clark Tracy & Bheki Mseleku and has toured England, Scotland, Brazil and Italy with various pop bands.

“A gifted young British double bassist, Collier leads a dynamite septet stylistically recalling the likes of Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland, Tin Hat Trio, Bad Plus and Medeski Martin and Wood. Very Impressive." Tom Barlow, Jazzwise

http://www.myspace.com/thewillcollierseptet

Aside from groups lead by the 'core members', we also have also featured many other bands, including;

Blink
Dan Waldman Band
Dog Soup
The Golden Age of Steam
Josephine Davies Quartet
Pete Billington's Nonentity
Sam Bullard Quartet
Third I