Category: Sax Quartet

Upcoming gigs Spring/Summer 2015

May 26th to June 16th – LUME (Quadraceratops/Entropi) on UK tour!

This is the big one – LUME on Tour! A string of nine dates featuring the double-bill of bands from Cath Roberts & Dee Byrne around the UK, partially funded by Arts Council UK.

  • 26th May – Jazz At The Spotted Dog, Birmingham
  • 27th May – Jazz At The Lescar, Sheffield
  • 29th May – Fusebox, Leeds
  • 31st May – Splinter Jazz, Newcastle
  • 1st June – Freedom Principle, Manchester
  • 5th June – The Bebop Club, Bristol
  • 7th June – ‘LUME Presents…’, The Vortex, London
  • 15th June – Friends Meeting House, Derby
  • 16th June – Dempsey’s, Cardiff

Thursday July 9th, 7pm – LUME 2nd birthday party – Hat Jam!

I’ll be one of 15 amazing improvisers putting their names into the hat for a night of unexpected & impromptu ensembles at Hundred Years Gallery in Hoxton to celebrate LUME’s second birthday!

Tuesday July 14th, 9pm – Overground Collective @ Vortex Jazz, Dalston

The big band returns to the world-famous Vortex, featuring tunes by Paulo Duarte & other band members (possibly including one of mine…!)

Wednesday August 5th, 2.30pm – Madwort Sax Quartet @ Portico Library, Manchester Jazz Festival

We’ve very pleased to announce that the sax quartet will be playing a lunchtime gig in the beautiful surroundings of the Portico Library during the Manchester Jazz Festival.

Upcoming gigs Winter/Spring 2015

A few nice concerts in the coming months:

Sunday Jan 25th – Madwort Sax Quartet @ Jazz at the Salisbury, Green Lanes

This band’s first gig was at Jazz at the Salisbury way back in Sept 2012, I think the acoustic really suits this line-up so it should be a great gig.

Thursday Feb 26th – Ti/om @ LUME, Long White Cloud, Hoxton

A return to LUME for Ti/om featuring Tim Fairhall on double bass and myself on bass clarinet, this time possibly with a special guest.

Friday March 13th – Madwort’s Menagerie @ St Paul’s Sessions, Rossmore Road, London, NW1 6NJ

Part of a series of gigs Chris Dowding is putting on at St Paul’s church near Marylebone, I’m really excited to progress the menagerie band & compositions here and not at all phased that it’s on Friday the 13th… Oooo-eerrrr….

Wednesday March 25th – Anton Hunter’s Article XI @ Family Album, Derby

I’ll be substituting for the amazing Simon Prince in Anton Hunter’s large ensemble project Article XI.

Thursday March 26th – Andreae/Knight/Ward @ LUME, Long White Cloud, Hoxton

A brand-new trio project for 2015, featuring Sam Andreae on tenor saxophone, Richard Knight on no-input mixer & myself on alto saxophone, this unique line-up provides a fascinating palette for improvisation.

Thursday April 9th – Fairhall/Rolfsson/Ward @ Foley Street

Another new trio featuring Matilda Rolfsson playing a unique bass drum & percussion setup, alongside Tim Fairhall on double bass & myself on bass clarinet/flute. This group builds on and extends the sonic palette that Tim & I have been working on as Ti/om.

Upcoming gigs Autumn 2014

Thursday Sept 25th – Madwort Saxophone Quartet @ Lume, Long White Cloud, Hoxton

A rare London date for the sax quartet!

Sunday October 5th – Quadraceratops @ The Vortex, Dalston

The London launch party for the Quadraceratops album!

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.

Madwort Sax Quartet Mini-tour!

The Madwort Sax Quartet have our first two gigs outside London coming up!

First up is One Note Sunday, a monthly night run by Corey Mwamba. We’re playing on Dec 2nd from 7pm. See also the facebook group.

Then on Tuesday night (Dec 4th) we’re playing at Efpi Record’s Freedom Principle opposite the Anton Hunter Trio. This gig will finish with a one-off collaboration between the two groups playing some tunes from Cath Robert’s Quadraceratops!

 

Sax Quartet gig at The Salisbury

We had a great time playing at the Salisbury pub, and Geoff Winston has written a very kind review of the band on the LondonJazz blog:

“Ward was not to be typecast – there were strong echoes of Moondog’s spiky, unyielding structures and the mathematical syncopations of Reich and Glass, as well as the joyous intensity of the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, but maybe at the core was a link back to Les Six and Francaix’s fleet and agile saxophone pieces. The group’s sychronisation, the engaging, rounded brass sound and the impressive ease with which the four musicians blended to dish out a significantly distinctive musical proposition made for a perfect opening sortie, and suggested that we may well be hearing much more from them.”