Bands

Byron Wallen's INDIGO

www.byronwallen.com

Thank you again for the weekend. It was amazing to feel part of something so brilliant.
Hew- steward

Following their world tour of Byron's Morocco-inspired music 'Meeting Ground', Byron's band Indigo have recently been nominated for two prestigious BBC Jazz Awards: Best Band 2007 and Best Album 2007.

The group features:

Byron Wallen - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Shells.

Raised in a musical environment, Byron studied classical piano from an early age. He also studied trumpet with Jimmy Owens, Donald Byrd and Jon Faddis in New York. He studied and graduated with a degree in Psychology, Philosophy and Maths from Sussex University. Recently he has travelled to Indonesia and Africa studying traditional music, which he now integrates into his compositions. Byron has released two previous albums "Sound Advice" and "Earth Roots" which was nominated for the MOBO awards. He collaborated with Talvin Singh on the Mercury Award winning "OK". He also has worked with Red Snapper, Hugh Masekela, Manu Dibango, Ammonpondo, Chaka Khan, George Benson and Billy Higgins.

Larry Bartley - Double Bass

Larry studied music theory under Laurence Canty(author of How to Play Bass Guitar) at University of London, Goldsmiths College from 1988 to 1991. In 1992 he switched to
Double bass and began touring with Jean Toussaint and Courtney pine. In 1997 he was involved in the theatre productions Unforgettable - The Nat King Cole Story and Grapevine - A Celebration of Soul Music. Since then he has joined bands led by Ciyo Brown, Caroline Taylor and Cameron Pierre. Larry has recorded with Cameron Pierre, Alex Wilson and Mercury award nominee Denys Baptiste.

Tom Skinner - Drums

Tom Skinner started playing the drums at the age of nine and studied at W.A.C in north London with Ian Carr for three years, he also attended many Jazz summer schools in this period. He has performed with Stanley Turrentine, Martin Speake, Romanian saxophonist Nicolas Simion and Croatian trumpeter Dusko Goykovich.

Tony Kofi - Alto, Soprano, Baritone sax and Flute.

In 1988 Tony Kofi won a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music; following this Tony moved to London where he played with Gary Crosby's Nu-Troop. Tony then worked with Digable planets, US3, UB40, David Murray and Eddie Henderson. He is in much demand as a saxophonist and is also a powerful composer.

INDIGO REVIEWS…

It is just under a month since Byron Wallen’s third solo album 'MEETING GROUND' was released. Once again he has produced an album that has been met with great acclaim and has confirmed his place amongst the greats. Here’s what the Press had to say:

‘…A fascinating set of his own pieces reflecting the influence of various strands in the evolution of black music…the effect is mesmeric…’ JAZZ UK

‘…A timeless album… it’s as tasty as an organic loaf, fresh out of the oven...’ THE GUARDIAN

‘…On Indigo his quartet creates a joyous head of steam...Odd time signatures abound but Wallen remains funky and accessible…’ THE TIMES

‘…The trumpeter’s compositions reflect his love for both traditional ethnic musics and contemporary dance and funk as well as the jazz which lies at its heart’ JAZZWISE

'British trumpeter Byron Wallen sometimes suggests an absorbing fusion of the fragmentary lyricism of late period miles Davis and the spikey euphoria of Don Cherry....Wallen has developed both his playing and his compositional resources through a decade of trips to Africa and Indonesia to work with local players...It's thrilling stuff, with the interplay between sax and trumpet, and bass and drums, particularly outstanding.' SoundUK THE INDEPENDENT

'Byron walks creatively in Cherry's footsteps...Wallen now sounds like a world-class trumpeter, with confidence, technical assurance and wide horizons...It was fast-shifting worldbeat that felt like a thoughtfully directed movie rather than a shuffle of holiday snaps.'John Fordham, THE GUARDIAN

And BYRON in INTERVIEW with JAZZWISE:

"Music can transform the human psyche and spirit. the musical message and the intention behind my music are to uplift people's spirits...Your life is the most important art form- if you perfect that central activity this will obviously have positive effects on everything else." Byron Wallen

The Soothsayers

www.soothsayers.net

Come out, meet your friends, and dance the night away with one of UK's best and most lively Funky Jazz bands!

The streets of South London where roots and dancehall rub shoulders with Afro beat, hip hop and dub provides the recipe for Soothsayers' organic and unique sound.

The powerful vocals from the elder statesman of Afrobeat, Adesose Wallace summons the sprit of Africa '70 to the stage. Add to this a slice of chunky horns and back up vocals from co-writers and producers Idris Rahman and Robin Hopcraft and a rhythm section that'll rock you till sunrise featuring musicians working on the cutting edge of the UK music scene as well as performing with many of the big names from Africa and the Caribbean.

Soothsayers have been building a reputation as an exciting and inspirational live act. This is how one promoter described a gig from the recent UK Tour (Spring 2005):

'WOW! By any criterion - sheer musicianship, danceability, value-for-money, charisma - this seven-man outfit were a revelation ... with their intoxicating blend of Afro beat-funk grooves and dub, Soothsayers, in the opinion of all at HQ and the delighted punters alike, tower head and shoulders above almost any equivalent band we've hosted in recent times.'

'Now and again an album comes apparently out of nowhere that hits you straight between the ears'. The Times

'Thrilling harmonies … seriously infectious dance floor oriented grooves … goose bump inducing vocals' The Guardian

'An impressive mosaic of Afrobeat, dub and funky fusion … dynamic volleys of call and response … cascading horn riffs and melodies' Echoes Magazine

UK Release Date for 'Tangled Roots': 15 March 2006

‘Now and again an album comes out of nowhere that hits you straight between the ears.’ The Times.

Tangled Roots shows how excitng things get when you hold up a mirror to London’s muscial melting pot’. Jazzwise Magazine

Soothsayers are a London-based collective that reach far beyond the restrictive clichés of ‘World Music.’ Blending the pulsating rhythms of Afrobeat with the sonic adventurousness of dub reggae and urban jazz, Soothsayers shook up the jaded music scene with their acclaimed debut album, Lost City. Now the band is back with Tangled Roots, an exceptional release that defies standard classifications: the West African root that drove Fela Kuti’s rebellion is filtered through the deeply seductive dub experimentation of Lee Perry, King Tubby and Augustus Pablo, while funk, hip hop and other contemporary elements yield a complex sound firmly lodged in London’s broader musical experience.

	Thanks for a magical weekend from all the band!
	Paul Weinreb, TARANTULA

The result is an extraordinary album by a highly talented and multifaceted band. Tangled Roots may prove to be the album of 2006.

Praise for Tangled Roots:

‘A heady sonic brew, crafted in the best jazz tradition by drawing respectfully from disparate elements…the album is full of irresistibly funky grooves, intricate percussion, virtuoso vocals, elaborate guitar lines and swinging horns, with meaningful lyrics and uncommon vocal arrangements raising the overall musical standard one level higher.’ Mojo (four stars)

‘An impressive mosaic of Afrobeat, dub and funky fusion…dynamic volleys of call and response…cascading horn riffs and melodies.’ Echoes

‘Tangled Roots shows how exciting and diverse things get when you hold a mirror up to London’s musical melting pot.’ Jazzwise (four stars)

‘The eclectic blend works perfectly with the sound being organic and unique. It reflects the diverse cultural influences in modern urban Britain and you can imagine the music fitting in on dance floors in South London, Kingston, Lagos or Accra. Infectious, funky and great fun!’ BBC Radio 3

‘African rhythms filtered through the prism of dub…accomplished musicianship…highly compelling.’ XLR8R

‘The whole disc constitutes a major step forward for one of the hardest working and most creative groups on the scene.’ Straight No Chaser

‘A brilliant, affirmative, all-nations masterpiece.’ All About Jazz

Cleveland Watkiss

www.clevelandwatkiss.com

2007 will see the start of 'Solo Voice' Touring From Three Times Wire/Guardian Jazz Awards Winner CLEVELAND WATKISS.

CLEVELAND's 6pm Concert at Theatr Gwaun Saturday 25th August is not to be missed!

Cleveland Watkiss can switch effortlessly from lead to bass lines, falsetto scats, human beat box and has a breathtaking vocal range that makes seamless links between musical cultures, Cleveland blends improvisation/Counter point harmony, electronics, breakbeat loops and basslines (all live and from his mouth) to stunning effect.

Voted Wire/Guardian  Jazz  Awards best vocalist for three consecutive years Cleveland continues to perform in many of the major concert halls, festivals and clubs around the world.

'CLEVELAND WATKISS' PRESS QUOTES:

'Best male jazz singer in Britain' Evening standard

'Watkiss has been acknowledged as one of the worlds most outstanding male jazz singers' The Guardian

"Cleveland Watkiss spun some ecstatic variations on a Chopin prelude that had us all spellbound" Telegraph

'An original work from a unique British talent' Blues & Soul

'Every song counts..a joyous outrageous exercise in complex simplicity' The Guardian

Along with Courtney Pine, singer Cleveland Watkiss formed the jazz warriors and went on to top innumerable jazz singer of the year polls 'Classy stuff' The Big Issue

"Cleveland is one of the most amazing people I have worked with. He is an innovator who is finally bringing all his repetoires singer/SongWriter, player, DJ, MC, into the frame. He'll stimulate and intrigue and ultimately entertain!" Talvin Singh.

JULIA BIEL biography

www.juliabiel.com

The debut album Not Alone found the ‘gorgeous-voiced Biel singing affecting, original songs’ (THE EVENING STANDARD), predominantly the fruits of her collaboration with guitarist Jonny Phillips. With a sound simultaneously delicate and epic by virtue of the arrangements woven out of her favoured acoustic instrumentation, the songs, described as ‘perfectly framed vignettes’ (THE INDEPENDENT) are beautifully supported by the star-studded band formed for the ‘Not Alone’ project and its unusual rootsy combination of reeds and strings. After a recent writing spree working on material and a new groove-based acoustic sound for her second album release, JULIA BIEL continues to tour across the UK with forthcoming dates including The Pigalle Club in Piccadilly, The Y Theatre in Leicester and The Fleece in Bristol.

With her profile coming to the attention of the advertising agencies of Soho, JULIA BIEL was recruited to be 1 of 6 artists chosen globally to feature in a global print campaign for the new Nokia MP3 player/mobile.   The campaign, entitled 'I am My Music' ran in June/July 2006, and was designed to reflect Julia's life as an artist including photos of her with her band and growing up.

Although JULIA BIEL’s artistry is now beginning to get wider recognition, the young singer, songwriter and producer initially announced her arrival on the scene by winning the Perrier Vocalist of the Year Award back in 2000. Around that time she also began her involvement with the revered F-IRE Collective and began working with fellow F-IRE members, the now Mercury-nominated cult drummer figure, Sebastian Rochford, and her collaborator on ‘Not Alone’, Jonny Phillips. She appeared as featured lead vocalist on the debut album from POLAR BEAR, ‘Dimlit’, released in 2004 and her working relationship with Rochford, the driving force behind the Mercury-nominated act and the drummer in her band, continues to be reciprocal as she has recently recorded lead vocals for a track for the forthcoming third POLAR BEAR album.

‘her mesmerizing voice and magnetic stage presence should encourage many to follow where she leads… about to hit the big time’ says THE GUARDIAN.

“Just occasionally, one has the chance to catch an artist on the verge of a breakthrough – a truly individual artist with a full bag of distinctive, convincing songs… in line for a meteoric rise.’ THE INDEPENDENT

Other Links

www.myspace.com/juliabiel

Keith Little Band

www.keithlittle.com

The Keith Little Band, based in Cardiff, Wales, specialises in Jazz and Swing and plays arrangements after the style of Benny Goodman, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Sonny Rollins and others.  This lively six-piece also plays Jump and Jive numbers that include hot versions of Louis Prima and Louis Jordan songs.

Formed in 1998, this group of experienced professionals combines to create a superb sound that reaches beyond the traditional with a repertoire of lively, exhilarating jazz that is simply sheer enjoyment. Led by Keith on piano, the Band features Laurence Davies on trumpet, Martin Butterworth on clarinet/tenor saxophone, Pete Locke on trombone/vocals, Donnie Joe Sweeney on string bass and Mike Pincombe on drums.

In 2005, the Band played in Stuttgart as part of the Cardiff/Stuttgart 50 year twinning celebrations and also appeared at the Bingen Jazz Festival near Frankfurt. Last year, they performed at the British Embassy in Rome for the Queen’s 80th birthday. 

The Band has also been booked several times by the Welsh Assembly to play at the European Parliament Building in Brussels and has represented Wales at the Nantes International Music Festival in France. They have also performed several concerts at the Royal Festival Hall in London and were invited to play at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee in California in 2002. 

They have appeared every year at Brecon International Jazz Festival in Wales, at Jazz Clubs across the UK, as well as for many other jazz festivals and concert.

Discography:

‘red hot and blue’ released 2000
‘hotter than that’ released 2002
‘Swing Fever’ worldwide release on the Javelin label 2006