| Alto saxophonist Martin Speake continues his collaboration on this anniversary tour with US pianist Ethan Iverson since first meeting him 30 years ago in Banff, Canada. They toured and recorded as a duo featured on My Ideal playing standard ballads just before Ethan toured the world with The Bad Plus. 17 years later after Ethan left The Bad Plus they performed and recorded again in 2018 as a quartet with Fred Thomas and James Maddren. For this 2020 tour they are joined by US drummer Jeff Williams and well known Scottish bassman Calum Gourley. Martin Speake is one of the UK’s most prominent alto sax players. An award winning musician Martin has been at the forefront of the UK jazz scene since the mid 80s. His projects are many and diverse and include personal interpretations of the music of Charlie Parker, free improvising, playing standards with his quartet and Indian music with Dharambir Singh and Sarvar Sabri. He has recorded 23 CDs under his own name, including the internationally acclaimed ECM release Change Of Heart with Paul Motian, Bobo Stenson and Mick Hutton and includes work with the likes of Loose Tubes, Bhavani Shankar, Stan Tracey, Bob Wilber, Don Weller, Jim Mullen, Ronan Guilfoyle, Jim Rattigan, Phelan Burgoyne, Alex Maguire, Sam Rivers, and Airto Moreira on a massive cv. US‐born pianist and composer Ethan Iverson is probably best known as a founding member of the iconic New York based band The Bad Plus, a game‐changing collective who the New York Times described as “…better than anyone at melding the sensibilities of post‐60’s jazz and indie rock.” During his 17‐year tenure TBP performed in venues as diverse as the Village Vanguard and Carnegie Hall and collaborated with the likes of Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell and the Mark Morris Dance Group. A powerful yet thoughtful and lyrical player, Ethan has also appeared with International jazz artists of the calibre of Billy Hart, Ron Carter Tom Harrell, Victor Lewis, Chris Potter and Ravi Coltrane. As a composer, in 2017 he scored “Pepperland” for the Mark Morris Dance Group and in spring 2018 premiered Concerto to Scale with the American Composers Orchestra. London‐based double bassist and composer Calum Gourlay is known for his deep warm tone, controlled execution as both a supporter and improviser, and rock solid time and pulse. Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986, he began his musical journey playing the cello in primary school and by the age of fourteen started the double bass, having developed a serious interest in jazz and improvised music. Gourlay’s talents were noticed by many of Scotland’s premier artists, and as a result he became the first bassist selected for the then ‘brand new’ Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra as well as other ensembles. Since then he has become a mainstay on the London scene while performing with the Kit Downes Trio, The Tommy Smith Group, Will Vinson, The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra featuring Joe Lovano, John Scofield, and Kurt Elling, Martin Speake, Martin Kershaw and Sheila Jordan. He also writes for his own big band, which has a monthly residency at the Vortex in London. Born in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Jeff Williams began his professional jazz drumming career in New York in 1971. By 1972 he was playing with Stan Getz, followed by Dave Liebman and Lookout Farm through 1976. His other associations include Joe Lovano, Lee Konitz, Paul Bley, Bill McHenry, Ethan Iverson, Tony Malaby, Leo Genovese and a host of others. Since making a second home in London some years ago Jeff has performed with Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone, Martin Speake, Nikki Illes, Olie Brice and more, in addition to leading his own bands, whose members have included Phil Robson, Kit Downes, Finn Peters, Josh Arcoleo, Sam Lasserson, John O’Gallagher, Duane Eubanks and John Hébert. “The rapport between Speake and Iverson itself is a thing of exquisite beauty.” Downbeat Magazine “Speake is one of the most interesting and rewarding alto saxophonists now playing jazz on any continent”…Jazz Times “Ethan Iverson is….endlessly resourceful….there’s never a moment when he isn’t either launching a new idea or expanding on one”… The Guardian |
