Wednesday 22 February 2017, 7.30pm
A one-off evening centered around the piano, with solo piano sets from Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip), Charles Hayward (This Heat) and Pat Thomas (Black Top) followed by a special trio set.
Pat Thomas studied classical piano from aged 8 and started playing Jazz from the age of 16. He has since gone on to develop an utterly unique style - embracing improvisation, jazz and new music. He has played with Derek Bailey in Company Week (1990/91) and in the trio AND (with Noble) – with Tony Oxley’s Quartet and Celebration Orchestra and in Duo with Lol Coxhill.
"Sartorially shabby as Thomas may be, and on first impression even rather stolid, he has a somewhat imperious charisma that’s immediately amplified when he starts to play. Unlike other pianists whose virtuosity seems to be racing ahead of their thought processes Thomas always seems supremely in command of his gift, and his playing, no matter how free and ready to tangle with abstraction, always carries a charge of authoritative exactitude." - The Jazzmann
Charles Hayward is an English drummer/singer/composer and was a founding member of the experimental rock groups This Heat and Camberwell Now. He also played with early European improv group Mal Dean's Amazing Band and gigged and recorded with Phil Manzanera in Quiet Sun as well as a short stint with Gong. Since the late 80's he has concentrated on solo projects and collaborations including Massacre (with Bill Laswell and Fred Frith), Monkey Puzzle Trio, Albert Newton (with Pat Thomas and John Edwards) and This Is Not This Heat which toured the UK, Europe, USA and Japan between 2016-2019 performing expanded versions of This Heat’s oeuvre to unfaltering critical acclaim. Hayward’s latest group, Abstract Concrete, formed from London players from a diversity of European underground scenes, released it’s self-titled debut album in November 2023.
Alexis Taylor is a singer, musician, producer and writer, best known for his work with Hot Chip. He has released 5 solo albums, most recently 'Silence' on Orbistor, and one in collaboration with artists such as David Pajo (Slint, Aerial M), Jennifer Herrema (Royal Trux, Black Bananas) and Brian DeGraw (Gang Gang Dance), which could be played simultaneously with his own ‘Piano’ album. Alexis has also worked at the intersection of improvised music and song, with About Group (Charles Hayward, John Coxon, Pat Thomas, and latterly Susumu Mukai and Rupert Clervaux).
