Monday 26 May 2025, 7.30pm
"The most important jazz flautist of her generation. Mitchell proves herself an innovative composer, magnanimous band leader and compelling soloist." – Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz
Nicole Mitchell is a brilliant flautist, bandleader and educator. Her music celebrates African American culture by integrating jazz and improvised music with other genres, notably gospel, African percussion and blues, and draws on ideas of Afro-futurism. In her most active ensembles, Black Earth Ensemble and Black Earth SWAY she creates music of a unique and distinctive character
Nicole has also played key roles in music education; she is currently Professor of Music at Virginia University having previously taught at the universities of California Irvine and Pittsburgh. She was the first woman president of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in Chicago.
Nicole really enjoys playing in small groups with friends, and in the last few years she has developed a very strong relationship with Mark Sanders, a leading improvising drummer and percussionist, working as a duo at European festivals and clubs. She describes the experience of playing with Mark as 'exquisite'. They will be joined on this tour by bass player Neil Charles whose Dark Days project celebrating the work of James Baldwin shows his affinity with Nicole's approach to music.
Mark has worked with a host of renowned musicians including Derek Bailey, Henry Grimes, Mathew Shipp, Evan Parker, Roswell Rudd, in duo and quartets with Wadada Leo Smith and trios with Charles Gayle with Sirone and William Parker.
In situations using composition Mark works in a number of projects including Christian Marclay’s Everyday for film and live music and John Butcher’s Tarab Cuts - both projects have performed major festivals throughout Europe and Brazil. He has performed works by guitarist John Coxon in Glasgow and Sydney playing with the Scottish and Sydney Symphony Orchestras. With New York’s ICE Ensemble he has performed John Zorn’s The Tempest in London and at Huddersfield New Music Festival.
Mark also works in the groups of Paul Dunmall including Deep Whole Trio with Paul Rogers, and the ensembles of Sarah Gail Brand, including a long-standing duo. He has a lengthy discography including a solo album, has performed internationally and played at major festivals including, Nickelsdorf, Ulrichsburg, Womad and notably at Glastonbury with legendary saxophonist John Tchicai.
"ubiquitous, diverse and constantly creative, drummer Mark Sanders always outdoes himself, whether playing with restraint or erupting like a dynamo." Bruce L Gallenter, Downtown Music Gallery. NY
Neil Charles is one of the most in-demand musicians on the scene, with a huge array of credits to his name, including Jack DeJohnette, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Mingus Big Band, Jose James, Jerry Dammers, Courtney Pine, and Terence Blanchard. His own projects have included Zed U, with Shabaka Hutchings and Tom Skinner, and the more recent ensemble Dark Days, dealing with the work of James Baldwin. Most recently, he has been heard across the international scene with Gabriels. As well as being known as a bass player with a huge sound and immaculate sense of time, he is equally renowned as a producer, going by the alias Ben Marc.
"Bassist Neil Charles went flying, from the first moment filling the space with the sound of his mighty wings Henning Bolte," – Europe Jazz Media Chart
