Blog, Projects & Gigs
October-November 2016
I finished off August playing a lovely gig with the Canadian musician Chris Meloche. The band also included Martin Archer, Nick Robinson, Herve Perez, and Chris Bywater.
The big event in October is the festival of contemporary music that I'm involved with in 'Out Front'. It starts on Oct 22nd and runs to the 26th.
There'll be a host of exciting bands in Derby. I'll be playing with WHM on the 26th at the Voicebox (6pm) WHM will have Lorin Halsall and Alan Jenkins as guests within the festival (which is called 'The Week') Get all the details on www.outfront-em.co.uk Click on 'The Week'.
Straight after I'm playing The 3 Cranes in Sheffield on the 27th, as part of Centrifuge, from 7-30pm.
Also part of Centrifuge I'm playing Fizzle, The Lamp, Barford Street, Birmingham on November 15th, from 7pm.
Nov 16th I'm playing The Lescar in Sheffield with Marin Archer, Geoff Bright, Corey Mwamba and Kris T Reeder.
Meanwhile I'll be rehearsing with the percussion quartet 'Skin & Bone' and also with Geoff Bright and Gillian Whiteley in readiness for a Live Art performance at Nottingham Contemporary Gallery in December.
June-July 2016
'Out Front' continues to grow and develop, with some great gigs already and a very exciting programme ahead.
Next up is En Bas quartet, an innovative, beautiful string four-piece under the leadership of bass player Seth Bennett. This is on Tuesday, 21st June at 6-30 pm at 'Baby People', 3, Forman Street, Derby, DE1 1JQ. www.outfront-em.co.uk
I have some very exciting gigs and projects coming up in June and July, a busy couple of months.
Tuesday, June 7th
A day recording an album with 'Some Some Unicorn', run by Shaun Blezard, taking place at Birmingham City University.
Friday, June 10th.
Maida Vale BBC studios, London. A day recording with Juxtavoices in collaboration with 'Matmos' duo. We will be making a track that will go out on Radio 3, 'Late Junction' at 11pm, date for broadcasting to be confirmed. This will be Juxtavoices second outing on Radio 3.
Tuesday, June 14th.
A continuation of the ongoing project, 'Developing an aesthetic', working with Phil Morton and some of the leading improvisers of the Midlands and North. Manchester Metropolitan University, Cheshire Campus at Crewe.
Thursday, June 16th
Centrifuge. An evening with improvisers from the North.
The 3 Cranes, 74, Queen Street, Sheffield, S1 2DW 7-30pm
Thursday, June 23rd
Gig with Dr. Schwitters' at Cafe Ort, 500 - 504, Mosely Road, Birmingham, B12 9AH. 7-30pm.
Saturday June, 25th
Juxtavoices at The Golden Lion, Todmorden. Fielden Square, OL14 6LZ.
This is the first Juxtavoices concert since our 6 month sabbatical, but after new rehearsals.
Monday, July 4th
Centrifuge in Birmingham. An evening with improvisers from the Midlands. The Lamp, Barford Street. B5 6AH. 7-45pm.
Saturday, 16th
'Murmurists' at Minesweeper, Greenwich, London. Details to be supplied later.
Tuesday, 19th July.
Trio with myself and Bruce Coates ( saxes ) with Han Earl Park ( guitar ).
Fizzle, The Lamp, Barford Street, Birmingham 7-30pm.
Saturday July 23rd.
The Three Cranes, Sheffield.
Duo with Martin Archer, saxes and electronics.
Time to be announced.
Also there will be a gig at Artsmith with Mark Sanders, drums and percussion, myself likewise, Bruce Coates, saxes and Mark Miller trombone. The date is now confirmed for this. It's 7-30 pm on Wednesday, July 6th at Artsmith, Derby on 109, Monk Street. It'll be £5 on the door. Looking forward to seeing you there.
I'm also rehearsing with a newly formed percussion quartet. Details to follow soon.
The gig with Dr Schwitters on 23rd June in Birmingham has had to be postponed until further notice.
April-May 2016
Wednesday April 20th I'll be playing at Cafe Oto in London. I'm with the wonderful 'Murmurists' again, under the amazing directorship of Anthony Donovan. It will be another multi-media set with some super musicians, dancers, spoken word and projection, all put together by Anthony. From 7 pm.
The 2nd 'Out Front' gig will be at The Voicebox, Derby at 6-30pm on Wednesday the 27th April, with the amazing Trevor Watts amd Veryan Weston duo.
On 28th April, WHM will be having an open rehearsal at Artsmith, Derby from 7pm. The band are joined by guests Alan Jenkins on bass clarinet and Lorin Halsall on bass and electronics. This is in preparation for our 'Out Front' gig in October.
On Wednesday May 4th at Artsmith, Derby, I will be playing a duo set with the master percussionist Mark Sanders. Mark has played with many of the great jazz and improvisation artists nationally and internationally. We will be joined by Birmingham's Bruce Coates on saxes for a solo set and finally a trio set with myself and Mark. From 7-30pm. £5 Monk Street, Derby.
May 28th sees the mighty Juxtavoices back rehearsing for their gig in Todmorden, Yorkshire. More details to follow.
March 2016
I have been invited to play as a guest with South Leicester Improvisers Ensemble ( S.L.I.E.) This will be at 8pm on Thursday, March the 3rd. It's at Quad Studios, 78, Friday Street, Leicester, LE1 3BW and it's at 8pm.
The album 'Six-In-One' is being released now, in March, on the label Slam. It's from the recording of the gig at the end of the exhibition at Artsmith of Andrew Coates and myself, August of last year. The exhibition was 'Subjects and Structures'. The album features, Paul Dunmall on tenor sax, Bruce Coates on soprano and alto saxes, Corey Mwamba on vibraphone, Seth Bennett on double bass, Mark Sanders on drums / percussion and myself on percussion / electronics. Contact me if you would like an album ( £5 ).
On the 17th March is the first gig of the very exciting Arts Council funded project 'Out Front'. This is going to bring some cutting-edge music to Derby. The first gig is at The Blessington Carriage at 7-30. It's with the Newcastle band 'Taupe' and also a solo set from Belper's Dave Sturt.
February 2016
WHM
WHM are playing Artsmith! They formed in January 2013 and have played gigs in Derby before, also Sheffield and London.
Walt Shaw, Herve Perez and Matt Harling share a similar philosophy about their approach to improvisation. Walt is a local guy of course no stranger to people around Artsmith and Matt and Herve are from Sheffield.
Matt builds instruments and in addition to 'normal' saxophones, he plays a saxophone / trombone hybrid with a remarkable bell, a 'saxobone'. He also makes remarkable sound sculptures.
Herve plays 'normal' saxophones, but certainly employs an extended range of extraordinary sounds. He has played all over the UK and France. He uses electronics as well as his great sax playing. He has played all over the UK, not only in 'normal' venues, but in churches, caves, tunnels, woodland, you name it.
Walt uses a range of percussion with WHM, usually with home-built instrumentation and often with contact mikes and low-tech electronics too. He has done gigs all over the UK and in France, Germany, Bosnia and Hungary. He's played at Artsmith lots of times in various bands.
WHM are a high-energy trio with a wide range of dynamics and styles, rapidly shifting from powerful free jazz to minimal improvisation. Their focus on minute sounds and close communication allows them to flow naturally and improvise rich textures, subtle microtonal passages, feasts of extended techniques and melodic lines with a telepathic quality.
Their music is continually surprising as they stay clear of cliches, and keep exploring new sounds, new techniques: discovering ways and objects that will alter the structure of their instruments and their playing.
The engagement and energy the group puts into their performances make the live experience really unique, that no description or recording can capture.
On this gig WHM are joined by guest musician Lorin Halsall, from Nottingham on double bass and electronics. Walt and Lorin play together in different groups frequently. Lorin was of course a founder member of the legendary 'Dust Collectors', a band that Walt played percussion with too. Lorin is familiar to Derby audiences as a brilliant and inventive player.
So try get along and enjoy an evening of unusual, quality music. There will be a bar too of course!
I will be playing the Fox and Newt in Leeds on Wednesday, February 17th at 8pm, as part of the Centrifuge pool of musicians.
I'm playing down in London with 'Murmurists'.
Murmurists' next live appearance is at this wonderful event, in Hackney, London on Friday 5th February 2016, 7-30 pm, premiering 40 minute piece for voices, improvising musicians, dancers and film, 'Beneath is Translation'. It's at MK2, Powerscroft Road, E5OPT, in Hackney.
Proud to announce an incredible 16 strong line-up, comprising:
Martin Archer - bass clarinet/recorder/voice
Rebecca Bogue: dance/voice
Mark Browne - soprano sax/percussion/voice
Lawrence Casserley - gongs/electronics/voice
Michael Clough - foley/voice
Annie Dee - foley/voice
Anthony Donovan - bass/film/voice
Tim Drage - hybrid guitar/electronics/voice
Graham Dunning - percussion/electronics/voice
Geoff Leigh - flute/soprano sax/voice
Jane Munro - dance/voice
Anthony Osborne - alto sax/voice
Rosie Osborne - foley/voice
Grahame Painting - cello/voice
Noura Sanatian - violin/voice
Walt Shaw - drums/percussion/voice
A very exciting project.