Category: Sax Quartet

Upcoming Gigs Autumn / Winter 2017

9th September 6:30pm – Tom Ward / Corey Mwamba @ BRÅK, waterintobeer, Brockley

The first of a set of three gigs in Brockley’s favourite DIY homebrew beer shop waterintobeer! This time, a first meeting playing together for myself & Corey Mwamba.

14th September – Kepler Orbit @ Plink Plonk, Norwich

The final gig of the 2017 Kepler Orbit run of gigs, back at the amazing Plink Plonk.

16th September 12:45pm – Madwort Saxophone Quartet @ Lancaster Jazz Festival, The Hall, Lancaster

Very pleased to be returning to Lancaster Jazz Festival after such a great time with Cath Robert’s project at the 2016 festival. The sax quartet are playing in The Hall in Lancaster.

28th October 6:30pm – Tom Ward / Alex Bonney @ BRÅK, waterintobeer, Brockley

At the beer shop with cornetist Alex Bonney.

4th November – Ben Owen @ IKLECTIK, Waterloo

More details tbc.

6th-12th November – Guimaraes Jazz Festival

More details tbc.

16th November – Madwort Sax Quartet @ efpi festival, Wonder Inn, Manchester

The sax quartet will be playing in Manchester alongside lots of lovely label-mates including Adam Fairhall, Beats & Pieces Big Band, Tullis Rennie, and more…

17th November – Beats & Pieces Big Band @ Rich Mix, London Jazz Festival

Beats & Pieces hit London on the way through into Europe!

18th-24th November – Beats & Pieces Big Band @ EU tour

Taking in Pappelgarten, Unterfahrt, Poznan, Bozar, Bimhuis and maybe more…

25th November – Beats & Pieces Big Band @ Cambridge

One last gig in Cambridge before we get home!

16th December 6:30pm – Tom Ward / Alice Eldridge @ BRÅK, waterintobeer, Brockley

At the beer shop with cellist Alice Eldridge.

Madwort Saxophone Quartet – Live at Hundred Years Gallery

Now on general release! Get it at your local good record shop, or check out bandcamp and I’ll post it to you!

Madwort Saxophone Quartet – Live at Hundred Years Gallery Reviews

Here’s a selection of nice things that people have said about the album:

John Fordham, The Guardian: “cutting-edge contemporary music, but it’s unexpectedly engaging emotionally, and deeply rooted in imaginative composition.”

Stewart Smith, The WIRE: “a distinctive response to the knotty compositional language of Coleman and Berne, combining post-bop licks with tight contrapuntal arrangements.”

Cellars and Lofts: “it’s an orgy of dogged machinery that mimics and demands the human body.”

Sandy Brown Jazz: “a most interesting and satisfying album”

Dalston Sound: “There’s a fine balance to the raw, puckish vitality of each individual performance and the combined quartet’s precision of execution. The musicians evidently know each other well, and they anticipate, shadow and trace each other’s moves with beguiling immediacy.”

Marlbank: “stimulating small group work”

LondonJazzNews: “I strongly urge you to get out and see the band live”

Madwort Saxophone Quartet – 2017 Tour round-up

Madwort Saxophone Quartet – Live at Hundred Years Gallery

Super-excited to announce pre-orders are now open for the Madwort Saxophone Quartet’s debut album on Efpi records! Check it out on bandcamp:

Upcoming Gigs Spring 2017

12th January – JOT trio @ Noise Upstairs, Fuel Cafe Bar, Manchester

New improv trio with Otto Willburg & Johnny Hunter.

27th January – Kepler Orbit @ Club Integral, The Others, Stoke Newington

Another new improv trio, this time with Martin Pyne & Ed Riches.

9th February – Adam Fairhall/Tom Ward duo, Vortex, Dalston

Playing alongside Cath Roberts/Seth Bennett duo and Adam Fairhall solo, this will be a great night of improvisation back at the Vortex.

Madwort Saxophone Quartet Tour

To support the release of Live at Hundred Years Gallery on Efpi records, we’re doing some gigs around the UK, supported by Arts Council England!

  • 12th February – Jazz North East / Splinter, Bridge Hotel, Newcastle
  • 1st March – Plink Plonk, York Tavern, Norwich
  • 2nd March – Blessington Carriage, Derby
  • 5th March – IKLECTIK, London
  • 6th March – The Wonder Inn, Manchester

14th February – Kepler Orbit @ Sonic Imperfections, New Cross

South London’s premier night for new music! And close enough that I can walk to the gig! Woohoo!

Ma/ti/om Tour

  • 21 March @ Fizzle, Birmingham (Ti/om)
  • 25 March @ 5 Years of Raw Tonk, London
  • 26 March @ 5 Years of Raw Tonk, Manchester
  • 27 March @ Plink Plonk, Norwich
  • 29 March @ Safehouse, Brighton
  • 20 May @ Non Figurative Musikk, Tønsberg, Norway

Upcoming gigs Winter 2015 / spring 2016

A couple of gigs that got missed:

December 17th – LUME: The Hat Speaks @ Hundred Years Gallery, Hoxton

The return of the hat jam, where improvisers submit to the will of a die and a hat full of names!

Sunday January 10th, 4pm – LJO @ the Vortex, Dalston

An enjoyable sunday afternoon big band gig depping on bari sax & bass clarinet & getting properly stuck into the LJO’s charts.

And some that are still to come:

Sunday February 7th 2016, 9pm – Overground Collective @ Jazz at the Salisbury, Green Lanes

Paulo Duarte’s big band roars in the Salisbury Pub on Green Lanes, with special guests Dave O’Brien & Jason Simpson aka the Quadraceratops rhythm section!

Sunday March 6th 2016, 8pm – Tom Ward / Adam Fairhall / Olie Brice / Andrew Lisle @ LUME at the Vortex, Dalston

A brand new collaborative quartet featuring myself alongside master improvisers Adam Fairhall (piano), Olie Brice (double bass) and Andrew Lisle (drums).

Sunday March 13th, 4pm – LJO @ the Vortex, Dalston

Back at the Vortex again with the LJO!

March 23rd-30th 2016 – Beats & Pieces Big Band @ Germany

I’m depping again on baritone sax with Beats & Pieces for their trip to Germany, Austria and possibly some other surrounding countries. Hopefully I will be able to renew my passport before I have to catch the ferry…

April 16th – Madwort Sax Quartet live album recording @ Hundred Years Gallery, Hoxton

We’re recording the first MSQ album at this very hip basement venue in Hoxton, presented by LUME.

April 23rd – Yazz Ahmed’s Family Hafla @ Bournemouth Jazz Festival

I’ll be depping on bass clarinet playing some of Yazz’s lovely Arabic-influenced music. And maybe we’ll see the sea…! More details at Bournemouth Jazz Festival‘s website.

Madwort Saxophone Quartet @ MJF 2015 (updated)

Two bits of news about the upcoming Madwort Saxophone Quartet gig at Manchester Jazz Festival…

Firstly, it’s apparently sold out, so if you don’t already have a ticket, you’re too late!

Secondly, in very sad news, Chris Williams has fractured a bone in his hand in a freak accident, so the amazing Dee Byrne will be standing in for him on alto saxophone.

2015-portico-library

UPDATE:

We had a great time (medical emergencies aside), here are some photos from the day taken by David McLenachan:

MSQ-at-MJF-2015-1-web MSQ-at-MJF-2015-2-web

Also, some vines from MJF!!