Headfirst Editor's Pick
"Daringly experimental jazz improv from the new duo of Raph Clarkson and Chris Williams. Two players with a dizzying calibre ranging from free jazz theatre to children’s choirs - bop purists should stay well away from these two. Everyone else, come get loaded on alto sax and samples. "
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A gig on Thursday 6th October. The event starts at 20:00.
Ledley is the new duo of trombonist Raph Clarkson & alto saxophonist Chris Williams. Together they make exploratory & playful groove based music with a focus on improvisation charged by cinematic and spiritual musical reaches.
An exciting early stage for this musical duo, tonight they will be presenting a series of improvisations between trombone, alto saxophone & electronics.
Opening the evening will be the wonderfully explorative Harry Furniss & Big Fuss in a musical conversation between their instruments & a box of records.
Raph Clarkson
Raph is a trombonist, improviser, composer / arranger & workshop leader. His guiding principle is the power in music to form connections in community and collaboration. Raph has an inviting, open spirit and his playing and approach celebrates loved ones, mentors and musical inspirations.
Noted as one of the rising stars of the U.K. improv scene, celebrated by Verity Sharp of BBC Radio 3's Late Junction and applauded by Adrian Pallant of London Jazz News for his ability to create 'challenging but engaging music' of deep feeling with openness and experimentation.
Raph has a magnetic energy for collaboration, he recently performed with Charlotte Keeffe & Tony Orrell at The Cube, Bristol and is involved in a multitude of projects including the Ghanian / UK based group Isaac Birituro & the Rail Abandon with a celebrated album on the Wah Wah 45s label. He has performed on albums by Laura Jurd, WorldService Project and many others. He leads on his own notable projects The Dissolute Society, RESOLUTE & South African / UK collaboration Equal Spirits.
Chris Williams
Chris is perhaps best known as a co-composer and integral member of Mercury Prize finalists Led Bib and he continues to forge new ground through highly charged & exploratory projects - both in his own playing and academia. Chris has collaborated and toured with Sarathy Korwar, award-winning clarinettist Arun Ghosh, Tamar Osborn’s Collocutor, and Liran Donin’s 1000 Boats as well as being 4 albums in with his own group, the post- jazz whirlpool Let Spin.
Chris graduated from Middlesex University with a 1st class honours in Jazz Studies in 2004 and has since been an active mainstay in the thriving London music scene. He has reached widely across genre and developed a singular musical voice as both a composer & improvisor. He undertook an MA in Jazz at the the Royal Academy of Music and received the Meaker Fellowship in 2018 (the first Jazz graduate to receive such an award). Alongside various teaching roles & celebrated recordings, Chris has performed far and wide including the Royal Festival Hall, Ronnie Scotts & the North Sea Jazz Festival.
Iceman Furniss & Big Fuss
Cornet player / alt Bristol scene vet Harry ‘Iceman’ Furniss teams up with multi instrumentalist / new gen battler Harry Irvine aka Big Fuss. Both Harry's head up the celebrated and adventurous Improv’s Greatest Hits, an improvisation night, record label & fluid collective with an emphasis on bringing different musical scenes & genres together via improv as well as championing new local artists or groups.
https://instagram.com/iceman_furniss
https://bigfuss1.bandcamp.com
https://thebigfusscollection.bandcamp.com
https://instagram.com/improvsgreatesthits
Entry requirements:
An exciting early stage for this musical duo, tonight they will be presenting a series of improvisations between trombone, alto saxophone & electronics.
Opening the evening will be the wonderfully explorative Harry Furniss & Big Fuss in a musical conversation between their instruments & a box of records.
Raph Clarkson
Raph is a trombonist, improviser, composer / arranger & workshop leader. His guiding principle is the power in music to form connections in community and collaboration. Raph has an inviting, open spirit and his playing and approach celebrates loved ones, mentors and musical inspirations.
Noted as one of the rising stars of the U.K. improv scene, celebrated by Verity Sharp of BBC Radio 3's Late Junction and applauded by Adrian Pallant of London Jazz News for his ability to create 'challenging but engaging music' of deep feeling with openness and experimentation.
Raph has a magnetic energy for collaboration, he recently performed with Charlotte Keeffe & Tony Orrell at The Cube, Bristol and is involved in a multitude of projects including the Ghanian / UK based group Isaac Birituro & the Rail Abandon with a celebrated album on the Wah Wah 45s label. He has performed on albums by Laura Jurd, WorldService Project and many others. He leads on his own notable projects The Dissolute Society, RESOLUTE & South African / UK collaboration Equal Spirits.
Chris Williams
Chris is perhaps best known as a co-composer and integral member of Mercury Prize finalists Led Bib and he continues to forge new ground through highly charged & exploratory projects - both in his own playing and academia. Chris has collaborated and toured with Sarathy Korwar, award-winning clarinettist Arun Ghosh, Tamar Osborn’s Collocutor, and Liran Donin’s 1000 Boats as well as being 4 albums in with his own group, the post- jazz whirlpool Let Spin.
Chris graduated from Middlesex University with a 1st class honours in Jazz Studies in 2004 and has since been an active mainstay in the thriving London music scene. He has reached widely across genre and developed a singular musical voice as both a composer & improvisor. He undertook an MA in Jazz at the the Royal Academy of Music and received the Meaker Fellowship in 2018 (the first Jazz graduate to receive such an award). Alongside various teaching roles & celebrated recordings, Chris has performed far and wide including the Royal Festival Hall, Ronnie Scotts & the North Sea Jazz Festival.
Iceman Furniss & Big Fuss
Cornet player / alt Bristol scene vet Harry ‘Iceman’ Furniss teams up with multi instrumentalist / new gen battler Harry Irvine aka Big Fuss. Both Harry's head up the celebrated and adventurous Improv’s Greatest Hits, an improvisation night, record label & fluid collective with an emphasis on bringing different musical scenes & genres together via improv as well as championing new local artists or groups.
https://instagram.com/iceman_furniss
https://bigfuss1.bandcamp.com
https://thebigfusscollection.bandcamp.com
https://instagram.com/improvsgreatesthits
Entry requirements:
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