Thursday 26 May 2016, 6pm, OTO Project Space
An early evening celebrating improvised music. Saxophonist Julie Kjær has gathered a strong team of some of the most inventive and fearless improvisers from the London and UK improv scene. This concert will be a conversation between horns and electronics.
Laura Jurd / trumpet
Leafcutter John / electronics
Julie Kjær / alto sax, flute & bass clarinet
Julie Kjær's edgy and thoughtful playing and ‘dark, otherworldly imagery’ (Jazzwise) has become increasingly evident around Europe, inhabiting ground between composition and free improv. Experimenting with extended techniques, sound and rhythm she pushes her instruments to their limits. She tours internationally with Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love and his Large Unit and she has toured internationally and recorded with Django Bates and StoRMChaser. Currently her main focus is on her trio, Julie Kjær 3, with bass player John Edwards and drummer Steve Noble. They’ve just released their debut album on 14th March '16 on Clean Feed. Julie also plays with London Improvisers Orchestra and is a leader and side woman of several other English and Danish ensembles. In 2014 she was chosen to be a Sound and Music “New Voice” Artist and was chosen as a featured composer by the British Music Collection.
Bradford-born, Wakefield-raised, Leafcutter John has performed and collaborated widely, including as part of mercury-nominated band Polar Bear, and solo at places like Jarvis Cocker’s meltdown and Planet Mu raves. John first found recognition twenty three years ago through Mike Paradinas’s Planet Mu record label – a gold standard for the experimental fringes of electronic music. His discography ranges from the experimentalism of The Housebound Spirit, to the folk-infused Forest and the Sea – the latter containing “Seba '' which James Acaster named in his top nine essential tracks.
John moved up to Sheffield a few years ago and quickly fell in love with climbing. In this rare London performance John will explore using actual gritstone in his performance.
Laura Jurd is a London-based, award-winning trumpet player and composer, currently a BBC New Generation Artist for 2015-2017. An active improviser playing regularly in the UK and more recently in Europe, Laura specialises in writing for hand-picked musicians in her own projects and ensembles. Her band Dinosaur has performed throughout the UK and Europe including performances at Berlin Jazz Festival, Jazz Sur Son 31 in Toulouse, 12 Points in Dublin and Jazzahead! European jazz expo in Bremen. In 2015 Laura receieved the Parliamentary Jazz Award for 'Instrumentalist of the Year' and in the past has been shortlisted for a BASCA British Composer Award, received the Dankworth Prize for Jazz Composition and Worshipful Company of Musician's Young Jazz Musician of the Year award.
www.laurajurd.com
