Author: tom

Upcoming gigs – early 2014

Wednesday Jan 8th – Madwort’s Mechanical Mindset @ the Vortex, 8:30pm

We’re very lucky to have the next outing of the Mechanical Mindset at the Vortex alongside Chris Dowding’s Atrocity.

Sunday Feb 2nd – Quadraceratops @ The Salisbury (Green Lanes), 8:30pm

Warm-up gig for the February Quadraceratops recording session, hosted by Jazz at the Salisbury. Should be a good one!

London Jazz Festival 2013 round-up

On the playing side, Cath Roberts‘ Quadraceratops had a brilliant gig at Lume back at its old home Hundred Crows Rising opposite Dee Byrne‘s Entropi. There was a really good audience and the band continues to go from strength to strength. Despite being a South London resident these days, I also depped on bass clarinet & bari sax with the e17 large ensemble, which was a good chance to dust off the bass clarinet and get stuck in…

On the listening side, Wadada Leo Smith at Cafe Oto was immense. Incredibly powerful, expansive, engaging music, although the night that we were there the string quartet didn’t play a very large role. The visuals at that gig were also brilliant, it really felt like another member of the ensemble adding an extra dimension to the experience. Troykestra seemed like a great idea in principle, but was hampered by pretty poor sound in the Purcell Room.

Upcoming gigs (Autumn 2013)

Here’s what I’m up to in the near future:

Sept 4th – Madwort Sax Quartet @ Vortex Downstairs (early set 7-8pm)

A short after-work gig at the Vortex, curated by Chris Dowding.

Sept 12th – Jeff Chambers Variable n-tet @ Lume (Venue: 100 Crows Rising, Angel)

The n-tet has been rehearsing for a while, this is the gig!

Sept 17th – Quadraceratops @ Vortex (supporting ReDiviDeR)

Including a one-off collaboration between the two bands…

Sept 26th – Madwort Sax Quartet @ Lume (Venue: TBC!)

October 6th – Quadraceratops @ Union Chapel (afternoon: 3pm)

Madwort Sax Quartet – Live at Ryans

msqspillkitposterThe recording of the Sax Quartet gig from Ryan’s bar sounded so nice (aside from a slightly shaky first 30secs…), that I’ve put the entire gig online. Lovely playing by everyone! Listen here:

Gigs spring/summer 2013!

I have a couple of nice gigs in the coming months:

5th June 2013 – Madwort Sax Quartet @ Ryan’s Bar

We’re playing at Ryan’s Bar in Stoke Newington, supporting SPILL KIT.

24th June 2013 – Quadraceratops @ Jazz In The Round

Cath Robert’s Quadraceratops will be a set as part of Jez Nelson’s Jazz In The Round series, at The Cockpit, Gateforth Street, Marylebone, London NW8 8EH.

30th July 2013 – Ti/om @ Collisions

A new improvising duo project with myself and Tim Fairhall (double bass) will be doing a double-bill with the Colin Webster/Mark Holub duo at a new night run by Cath Roberts & Dan Paton.