WHAT'S ON
Tom Ollendorff Trio
Friday 2nd June Doors 7pm, Performance 8.30pm
Tom Ollendorff - guitar
Marc Michel - drums
Will Sach - Bass.
A highly recommendable disc for those who care about the fate of jazz guitar (Musica Jazz)
Four Stars (BBC Music/Jazz Journal)
Traditional, yet very classy (The Guardian)
Tom Ollendorff is considered one of the most exciting young guitarists on the UK and International Jazz scenes. Known for his distinctive sound which blends virtuosic guitar playing with sophisticated harmonic and melodic ideas, his music elegantly mixes gracefully grooving songlike themes, baroque-like unaccompanied etudes and headlong fast-bop swing.
Following on from his critically acclaimed debut Album A Song For You, his latest album ‘Passing Ships’ which is being released on Fresh Sound Records in May 2023 sees an exciting collaboration with New York Saxophonist Ben Wendel and his longstanding trio with drummer Marc Michel and bassist Conor Chaplin
Open House is the new album from rising star guitarist Tom Ollendorff. Known for his distinctive sound which blends virtuosic guitar playing with sophisticated harmonic and melodic ideas, Ollendorff’s music elegantly mixes gracefully grooving themes, baroque-like unaccompanied etudes and headlong fast-bop swing. Retaining his longstanding musical partnership of Marc Michel on drums and Conor Chaplain on bass, Ollendorff now adds New York City saxophonist Ben Wendel in to the mix. The combination of a razor-sharp band that have worked with each other for many years, alongside an exciting new player with a naturalsynergy to the aforementioned group, makes Open House an exhilarating listen for jazz afficionado’s and discerning music fans alike.
Tom Ollendorff’s first album ‘A Song For You’ received a plethora of accolades, with TheGuardian newspaper describing it as ‘traditional but very classy’ and both BBC Music Magazineand Jazz Journal awarding it 4 star reviews. While this inspiring debut undoubtedly placed theup and coming guitarist firmly on the map, Open House clearly demonstrates an evolvementand progression within Tom Ollendorff’s art. The new album retains both the ethereal spirit and distinctive style that can be found in his previous work, but also adds an edge of confidenceand maturity to the aural experience – new elements destined to excite listeners, that willultimately push Ollendorff’s career to the next level.
Speaking about his new work, Tom Ollendorff says: “The music on this album was written (inpart) on the road whilst touring. Different places have always had a profound impact on my writingprocess and the opportunity to tour extensively, allowing me to visit new towns, cities and countriesas well as reaffirming connections with locations that I had previously got to know and love were thecatalyst for this album's creation.’
Radhika De Saram Quartet
Saturday 3rd June Doors 7pm, Performance 8.30pm
Radhika de Saram - bass
Zhenya Strigalev - sax
Elliot Galvin - piano
Jamie Murray - drums
"A maverick at the heart of modern jazz.
★★★★ The Telegraph
The group will perform Radhika’s original compositions from her upcoming debut album, influenced by jazz, world music and Sri Lankan folk song and rhythm.
Radhika de Saram: Radhika actively freelances as a violinist in London, touring and recording with orchestras such as London Contemporary Orchestra and Chineke! Orchestra, and performs frequently in prestigious venues such as the Barbican, the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Festival Hall amongst others and tours regularly In Europe. Radhika also composes and plays bass guitar, and has performed her own original music with her band in various venues around Europe, Russia and Sri Lanka. She has recently recorded material for her debut album which will be out very soon.
Elliot Galvin is one of the rising stars of UK jazz. A superbly gifted composer and pianist, whose maverick imagination and magpie like ability to blend a disparate world of influences into his own unique musical vision has seen him compared to Django Bates although in truth he sounds like no one except himself. Elliot is a prolific composer and has been commissioned by a number of Ensembles, Dance Companies, Theatre Groups and Festivals including the London Sinfonietta, Ligeti String Quartet, St. John Smith’s Square, The London Jazz festival, The RESOLUTION! Dance Festival at The Place and the Theatre Company Cut Tongues. He performs regularly as a soloist, recently releasing the entirely improvised album 'Live in Paris at Fondation Louis Vuitton' and is a key member of the Mercury nominated Band Dinosaur.
Zhenya Strigalev Zhenya has worked with some of today’s most forward thinking musicians (including Eric Harland, Ambrose Akinmusire, Tim Lefebvre, Chris "Daddy" Dave, Alex Sipiagin, William Parker, Aaron Parks, Joseph "Foley" McCreary from Miles Davis fame, Larry Grenadier) and has appeared at many prestigious jazz festivals and concert venues, performing extensively in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Czech Republic, Austria, Britain, Switzerland, Chile, Argentina, Peru...He has recorded 4 albums with his groups Smiling Organizm and Never Group and his music is regularly played on BBC radio as well as national radio stations in Austria, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Australia, France. You can also see his concerts around the world on the French music TV station, Mezzo Live HD. He enjoys the challenge of shining a light on the undiscovered, and describes the desired on-the-edge thrill that unfolds: “The whole point of what I do is that I need to surprise myself".
Jamie Murray A forward thinking and conceptual player, with a solid groove style yet an open minded approach to free experimentation, his performances are always fresh and exhilarating! With a strong sense of writing, his compositions are personal and original, with an electronic - Jazz - Fusion style attached to them. He has played with most of his contemporaries and peers in the London Jazz Scene as well as crossing into the electronic pop world. He has played and recorded with jazz giants including the Sun Ra Arkestra Members Knoel Scott and Cecil Brooks as well as many other musicians in today's Jazz scene. Currently, Jamie is involved in a number of projects, often touring Europe and the USA as a side man and also as a band leader. His current projects “JZ Replacement” and "Beat Replacement" has enabled Jamie to perform across the world in the Jazz/crossover scene. Having performed with his own bands on a regular basis at Ronnie Scott’s and some major festivals including, The Love Supreme, Glastonbury & Afro punk in New York, Jamie Murray is a name to keep an eye on. Recently Jazzwise magazine featured him in the “Shape of Jazz to come 2019” and “A drummer to watch out for” in Rhythm drummer magazine.
"Phenomenal UK drummer puts the fun back into fusion" – Jazzwise
"The most disrespectful drummer in London" - Chris Phillips JazzFm
"A young killer" - Kurt Elling