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Ubuntu Management Group

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Ubuntu Management Group

  • About
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Alina Bzhezhinska

Originally from Ukraine/Poland, ALINA BZHEZHINSKA has become one of the most innovative international harpists, based in London. 

She has created imaginative concert programmes and recorded with leading classical and jazz musicians: such as Django Bates, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and the Glasgow String Quartet. Alina’s London appearances include Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, live on BBC Radio 3, the London Jazz Festival and the London Film Festival. Her duo with award-winning jazz vocalist Niki King recently performed as a support act for Gregory Porter. Alina’s critically acclaimed Quartet with Tony Kofi (Saxophones), Larry Bartley (Bass) and Joel Prime (Drums/Percussion) has appeared at Jazz Legend Festival in Birmingham and leads the celebration of Alice Coltrane 80th Birthday at many venues around the country, including top London jazz clubs, such as The Crypt and The Vortex. Alina Bzhezhinska Quartet appeared at the London Jazz Festival 2017 in a triple bill performance along with Coltrane’ s specialist Denys Baptist and the legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders.
 

TONY KOFI Having 'cut his teeth' in the “Jazz Warriors” of the early 90’s, award-winning saxophonist Tony Kofi (www.tonykofimusic.com) has gone on to establish himself as a musician, teacher and composer of some authority. Tony’s playing has also been a feature of many bands and artists including “US-3” World Saxophone Quartet, Courtney Pine, Donald Byrd, Eddie Henderson, The David Murray Big Band and Sam Rivers, Andrew hill, Ornette Coleman, Nu-Troop and Jazz Jamaica. His fluent and fiery hard-bop soprano/ alto/ tenor playing is constantly in demand.

LARRY BARTLEY is a bassist / composer who has been a staple of the London & international jazz scene for the past 20 years as a side man and as a leader. His 2003 debut album, "ALONG THIS WAY" was nominated for 'best new work" in the BBC JAZZ AWARDS.
 

Larry has also played & recorded in various bands including Abdullah Ibrahim, Tony Kofi, Denys Baptiste, Ingrid Laugbrock, Stanley Turrentine, Steve Grossman, Donald Brown (of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers), David Murray, Orinn Evans & Gary Bartz.
 

Australian drummer JOEL PRIME has become an important addition to British jazz. He was awarded most outstanding percussionist at Generations in Jazz by James Morrison, received a prestigious performance award from Downbeat magazine (USA) as a member of the Adelaide University Big Band 1. Joel also received the Helpmann Academy Award for Jazz Drums at the Elder Conservatorium and received the 2010 Helpmann Academy Award for most outstanding Honours graduate.

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Alina Bzhezhinska Inspiration Blue Nile Teaser

Andrew McCormack

Since bursting on to the scene in 2006, pianist and composer Andrew McCormack has been a driving force behind A-list jazz artists Kyle Eastwood, Eric Alexander, Denys Baptiste and Jean Toussaint, as well as a host of home grown talent including Jamie Cullum and Jason Yarde. His talent as a composer has also seen him work for different genres of classical and film scores globally.
In 2006 his debut album, Telescope, was released on Dune Records to critical acclaim and picked up the BBC Jazz Award that year in the Rising Star category. 2009 saw the release of his duo project with saxophonist Jason Yarde, M Y DUO, which features compositions from both Yarde and McCormack. This was followed by Places And Other Spaces in 2011 on the Edition Records label, which received accolades internationally for its development as a project and the achievements made in the duo format. More recently, McCormack has released two trio albums, Live in London in 2012 and his latest, First Light in 2014, which was recorded in New York (where he spends some of his time) and which again received considerable critical acclaim throughout the world.
As a composer and having studied privately with Mark-Anthony Turnage, McCormack has written for many different classical ensembles including the Heritage Orchestra, Linos Wind Quintet, G Project and the London Symphony Orchestra, which selected him to participate in their Panufnik Young Composer Scheme in 2008 and, in turn, commissioned from him ‘Incentive’, a 10 minute work for full orchestra, which premiered at the Barbican in Londscores 2009.
His film scores include orchestration and additional music and performances for Clint Eastwood in a number of his productions, which include ‘Flags Of Our Fathers’, ‘Letters From Iwo Jima’, ‘Changeling’, along with the John Cussack movie, ‘Grace Is Gone’.
McCormack has worked and performed with many great artists including Quincy Jones, Jamie Cullum, Manu Katchè, Till Broner, David Arnold, Eric Alexander and Courtney Pine. As a well-known collaborator, McCormack has been consistently linked  with a number of long standing groups which include the Denys Baptiste and Jean Toussaint quartets, and as a pivotal member of the Kyle Eastwood Band, touring extensively worldwide for the last decade. Eastwood’s 2011 release, ‘Songs From The Chateau’, which reached Number 2 in the U.S radio play Jazz charts, saw McCormack heavily involved in the writing and performing of the material. He has remained consistently involved with Eastwood, which includes the latest release, ‘Time Pieces”, in 2015.

For Website, Click HERE.

 

 

 

Andrew McCormack's Graviton Live @ Kings Place Escape Velocity

Andrew McCormack's Graviton / Live at Kings Place / 13.5.2017

Andrew McCormack Trio Prospect Park Excerpt Cardiff 2015
Andrew McCormack Solo Piano Concert: Bimhuis on Mezzo TV

Brandon Allen

Born in Perth, Western Australia, Brandon started playing the piano at the age of 10, then played classical guitar for a year before taking up the saxophone at age 13. And this became the start of his journey as a professional artist.

Since arriving in the UK, he has worked with many artists and groups/ensembles within the jazz, funk, R&B, hip hop, soul, big band, classical and pop genres.

He is also an accomplished session musician, composer and arranger for commercial music and films.

Brandon has performed with a broad cross-section of artists, including Eric Clapton, Mica Paris, Jools Holland, Neil Diamond, Kyle Eastwood and Liane Carroll.

Brandon regularly hosts the Late Late Show at Ronnie Scott’s with his quartet.

Brandon has appeared at many festivalsand venues around the world, including the Oslo Jazz Festival, Reading Rock Festival, Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Isle of Wight, Brecon Jazz Festival, Marsiac Jazz Festival (France), Copenhagen Jazz Festival, the London Jazz Festival and various jazz festivals throughout Italy. The list of venues where Brandon’s performed are equally impressive: The Royal Albert Hall, Birdland, the Blue Note (Milan, Tokyo and Nagoya), Millenium Stadium in Wales, Duc de Lombards (Paris), The Bimhuis (Amsterdam), Birmingham Symphony Hall and Ronnie's Scott's in London.

 

QCBA, a brilliant swing/bop quartet, is the brainchild of Brandon on sax and Quentin Collins on trumpet. Completing the line up are the masterful Ross Stanley on Hammond organ & Enzo Zirilli on drums. Since their inception in 2008, QCBA have taken the contemporary jazz scene by storm, having performed across the UK and Europe at many top venues and festivals including Ronnie Scott’s, Pizza Express Dean Street, Bravo Caffe Bologna, Jazzino in Cagliari, Duoro Jazz Festival in Portugal and The Scarborough Jazz Festival. They are also noted for collaborating with a broad range of artists such as Liane Carroll, Omar, Paloma Faith, Hamish Stuart & Natalie Williams. This has enabled them to develop the eclectic sound that is so evident on their second studio album, "Beauty in Quiet Places", released September 2015 on Ubuntu Music, which brings together a melting pot of Jazz, Brazilian and Funk and, crucially, non-stop swinging.

For Website, Click HERE.

Kyle Eastwood - Caipirinha (live)

Camilla George

Camilla George is a London based saxophone player, improviser, composer and teacher.

She began playing when she was 11 years old where she won a music lesson and as a result, won saxophone lessons. Camilla has studied with many jazz greats such as sax giant, Jean Toussaint (of Art Blakey fame), Tony Kofi, Christian Brewer, Julian Siegal and Martin Speake. In 2012 she graduated with a Masters in Jazz from Trinity College of Music where she also won the Archer Scholarship for outstanding performance.Since 2004

Camilla has been working with both Tomorrows Warriors and the Nu Civilisation Orchestra (including a UK tour performing at many prestigious venues such as the Queen Elizabeth Hall), as well as leading workshops for the younger members of The Warriors family.

In 2009 she joined award winning band, Jazz Jamaica whose alumni have included Jason Yarde, Soweto Kinch and Nathaniel Facey. In October 2009 she performed with Jazz Jamaica and Ernest Ranglin at London’s Ronnie Scotts jazz club. In 2013 Jazz Jamaica were nominated for a MOBO award for Jazz Performance. Most recently in October 2014, Camilla performed at Ronnie Scott’s for 3 consecutive nights with Jazz Jamaica. The performance received rave reviews and was a sell out performance.

In 2014 she also joined Courtney Pine's Venus Warriors, an all female super group who had their debut gig at The Hideaway jazz club.

Camilla's debut album, 'ISANG', with special guest Zara McFarlane on vocals, was released on Ubuntu Music in late 2016, to exceptional critical acclaim.

For Website, Click HERE.

 

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Camilla George Quartet

Chet Baker

Chesney Henry “Chet” Baker Jr. was raised in a musical household in Oklahoma (his father was a guitar player), and coming of age in Southern California during the bebop era of jazz, Baker found success as a trumpet player in 1951 when he was chosen by Charlie Parker to play with him for a series of West Coast engagements.
In 1952, Baker joined the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, which was an instant phenomenon. Baker became famous on the strength of his solo on their recording of “My Funny Valentine” a piece he was later said to “own”. The Quartet, however, lasted less than a year because of Mulligan's arrest on drug charges.
In 1954, Baker won the Downbeat Jazz Poll, beating Miles Davis among others. Over the next few years, Baker fronted his own combo, playing trumpet and singing. He became an icon of the west coast “cool school” of jazz, helped by his good looks and singing talent. By the early 1960s, Baker had begun playing the fluegelhorn, as well.
In 1966, Baker allegedly was severely beaten after a gig in San Francisco, sustaining severe cuts on the lips and broken front teeth, thus ruining his embouchure. Accounts of the incident vary, largely because of his lack of reliable testimony on the matter. From that time he had to learn to play with dentures, an almost impossible process for a brass player.
Between 1966 and 1974, Baker mostly played flugelhorn, with its wider mouthpiece, and recorded what must be considered slick mood music. He eventually moved to New York City and began recording again in earnest with other well known jazz musicians such as Jim Hall.
Baker recorded extensively throughout his career. As a result, his discography is considered widely uneven. However, some of Baker's European recordings, made near the end of his career, reveal a more mature and, at times, brilliant talent with simplicity and depth beyond his previous work.
Near the end of Baker's life, he resided and played almost exclusively in Europe, returning to the USA about once a year for a few performance dates.
Ubuntu Music has been granted the exclusive rights to releasing a series of recordings from 1983 that Chet made in London, at the Canteen Club. He is accompanied by the John Horler Trio, with Horler on piano, Jim Richardson on bass and Tony Mann on drums. This is one of the only known series of Chet performing live in London. The aptly titled, 'Live in London', is a two CD set and was released in late 2016 to worldwide critical acclaim. A follow-up two CD release is scheduled for Autumn 2018.

For Website, Click HERE.

 

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Chet Baker: "Let's Get Lost" Documentary (extract)
 Chris Philips introduces the first airplay--anywhere in the world--of the track,  Leaving , from Chet Baker  Live in London .   CLICK HERE TO LISTEN.

Chris Philips introduces the first airplay--anywhere in the world--of the track, Leaving, from Chet Baker Live in London. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN.

Flying Machines

FLYING MACHINES play emotive and dramatic music, drawing upon influences as diverse as jazz, progressive rock and metal to create an utterly unique and modern sound.

Formed by guitarist Alex Munk in 2014, Flying Machines features some of the most innovative young musicians to emerge in recent years from the UK jazz scene, Matt Robinson on piano/keyboards, Conor Chaplin on electric bass and Dave Hamblett on drums. Centred on Alex's unique compositional approach, the band fuse visceral  improvisation with anthemic melodies and lusciously textured soundscapes. It's a sound shot through with the here and now of London's cutting-edge music scene, a decadent mash up of free-wheeling improvisations, prog rock energy and ambient meditations that never detract from the emotive lyricism at the music's core.

Having released their self-titled debut album to critical acclaim in October 2016, with glowing reviews in the likes of Guitaristmagazine and The Guardian, Flying Machines went on to complete a 24 date UK tour supported by Arts Council England which ended with a sold out, headline performance at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. The band went on to perform on the BBC Introducing stage at Latitude Festival. 

Having recently finished off a breakthrough year with performances at London Jazz Festival and Cambridge Jazz Festival, Flying Machines have recorded their second album with the Grammy, MOBO and Mercury nominated producer Sonny Johns at the world class Livingston Studio 1 recording studio. Entitled ‘New Life’, it will be released on Ubuntu Music in October 2018.

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Flying Machines 'New Life' Video

Gwen & Tiana

Gwen & Tiana" is an Afro-jazz and soul duo. Their music is cadenced by the union of their two remarkably powerful soulful voices. A blend of numerous styles, their hybrid music is an alchemy between an energetic African rhythmic and Afro-European Jazz sounds.

DÉBUTS ET CARRIÈRE

In 2012, Gwen and Tiana officially became a duo. It was organic, evident, as if the tandem were destined to shine under the spotlights. 

The general public discovered the two artists on the stages of various gospel and soul concerts across Europe, where they performed both as backing vocalists and lead singers. Those tours led them to share the stage with renowned artists such as Derrick McKenzie (drummer for Jamiroquai), Ledzek Mozdzer and Martha High (ex- backing vocalist for James Brown) and to sing on the musical stages of the Cannes Film Festival.

2014 was a turning point in Gwen & Tiana’s career. The duo sought to create a repertoire reflecting its image and its identity. It was the beginning of a process of reflection, of research and experimentation that led them to become, a year later, musically mature and to affirm a shift to an Afro-jazz and soul repertoire.

« We wanted to go beyond soul music, which has always been an important part of our artistic expression. Exploring African culture enables us to create connections, to build bridges between Africa and Europe, throughout our musical mixture that has the taste  of our own influences ».

Africa is a continent that Gwen & Tiana know very well. Gwen, who is from Gabon and Togo and Tiana, whose roots are in Cameroon and Madagascar, both left their countries over ten years ago to develop their knowledge of music – respectively in a prominent jazz school in Montpellier and at the Conservatoire de Musique in Lille – and to start an artistic career on stage.

A RETURN TO THEIR ROOTS

In 2015, Gwen & Tiana crossed the path of the jazz guitarist Femi Temowo – whose references include Amy Winehouse, Gregory Porter or even George Benson – and their career gained new momentum. Familiar with Afro-European sounds, the Nigerian/British artist had no difficulty to understand the spirit of the duo and where Gwen & Tiana wanted him to take them in terms of expression and experimentation.

An artistic collaboration started and it was dynamic. A few weeks later, Gwen & Tiana decided to go to Poland, a country they knew pretty well, in order to find a work space where they could produce their first EP.

« We discovered Poland during a Gospel tour back in 2014. It was love at first sight! During that tour, we met excellent Polish musicians and they are now working with us  on our first EP. » 

Throughout 2015, Gwen & Tiana travelled back and forth between Switzerland, where they lived, and Poland, where they worked on the songs of their debut album.

« During that period, we were working with Femi Temowo and Polish musicians who helped us in the creative process. Our goal was to create a music that is entertaining,  simple, warm and most importantly, heart-warming ».

The EP is a poetic and melodious break with an unusual Afro-soul rhythm and it should be released in September 2016. It is a foretaste of the upcoming album produced by Femi Temowo and that should be presented in spring 2017. Its songs will be disclosed to the publics of the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, and during the duo’s French tour in October 2016.

For website, please click HERE.

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Gwen & Tiana - Soki (Session in Paris)

Helena Kay

Tenor saxophonist Helena Kay (Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year 2015, winner of Peter Whittingham Jazz Award 2017) leads a trio comprising some of the most in demand young musicians on the London jazz scene. Joined by Ferg Ireland (Kansas Smitty’s House Band, Soweto Kinch) and David Ingamells (Kate Williams), the trio play a mixture of Helena’s originals and tunes from the jazz canon, inspired by greats such as Sonny Rollins and Antonio Carlos Jobim, and contemporary names like Melissa Aldana and Larry Goldings. Their debut album Moon Palace is released on 7th December 2018 on Ubuntu Music.

Helena grew up in Perth, Scotland and moved to London in 2012 to begin studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2016 with a First Class in BMus Jazz (Hons) and also awarded the Anjool Malde Jazz Prize for the highest jazz final recital mark that year. In 2015 she won the Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year, and in 2017 she won the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award, the prize of which she is using to record and release her debut album.
Since graduating, Helena has performed with bands such as Barry Green/Helena Kay Quartet, Calum Gourlay Big Band, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Issie Barratt Dectet, Helena Kay/Peter Johnstone Duo, Ryan Quigley Big Band, EuroRadio Jazz Orchestra.

David Ingamells has been performing in the UK and abroad for many years. He has participated in several album projects, in addition to numerous festival, concert and club performances. A versatile musician, he has appeared in large ensembles such as orchestra and big band, as well as intimate groups of duo and trio.
Recent highlights include Kate Williams’ album Four Plus Three, Birmingham Jazz Festival, and appearances at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Pizza Express Soho and the Vortex Jazz Club.

Ferg is a founding member of the Kansas Smitty’s House Band and a first-call bassist for some of the leading jazz musicians in the UK (Soweto Kinch, Zhenya Strigalev, Jay Phelps, Ruby Rushton, Nathaniel Facey, Reuben James, Ashley Henry, Empirical) as well as for visiting US luminaries such as Johnny O’Neal (Art Blakey) and Leroy Jones.
He now performs regularly in the UK at leading Jazz venues such as Ronnie Scotts, The Jazz Cafe, Pizza Express Dean Street, the Vortex and the 606, has performed at The Barbican, Kings Place, The Cadogan Hall, Glastonbury Festival, the Royal Albert Hall, The Hackney Empire and The Shoreditch Town Hall, and frequently performs Internationally at festivals and venues across the world.

Helena Kay’s KIM Trio’s debut album, ‘Moon Palace’, will be released on Ubuntu Music in December 2018.

For website, please click HERE.

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Helena Kay's KIM Trio 'Moon Palace' Album Introduction

Jessica Radcliffe

Jessica Radcliffe was originally classically trained as a pianist and clarinettist at the prestigious Wells Cathedral School, which she attended as a music specialist from the age of 11. She was first introduced to jazz through big band music, singing as a young teenager with Bristol-based big bands, and playing flute and saxophone with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. She later began singing with the ensemble and was offered a place as a jazz vocalist at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where she graduated with First Class Honours in 2014.

Since moving to London 2010, Jessica has appeared regularly at the capital's array of jazz clubs and venues, such as Ronnie Scott's Bar, The Spice of Life, The 606 Club and The Vortex, as well as regional and international venues, with a wealth of well-reputed jazz musicians. Recently she performed alongside Jiggs Wigham with the Latvian Radio Big Band and, as a member of the London Vocal Project, travelled to New York to debut Jon Hendricks' fully lyricised "Miles Ahead" to the man himself. She was a featured soloist alongside Michelle Hendricks, Kevin Burke-Fitzgerald and Anita Wardell.

As a composer, Jessica is musical director of "The Remembrance Project", which was featured in the London Jazz Festival 2016. The project is made up of 2 sets of Jessica's original compositions and arrangements based on her in-depth study of the First World War. To be her debut album (due to be released 2018), the music has just been recorded at Curtis Schwartz Studios by the group with featured guest saxophonist Mark Lockheart. In order to fund the recording, Jessica applied to be a contestant on ITV's The Chase, and beat chaser Mark "The Beast" Labbett.

For website, please click HERE.

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Jessica Radcliffe's Remembrance Project

Laurence Hobgood

Jazz pianist, composer, arranger, producer, Yamaha® artist and Grammy® winner Laurence Hobgood has enjoyed a 30+year career. Highlights include: three consecutive Fellowships to the Aspen Music Festival (1990, '91, '92), being chosen as a 1995 Chicagoan of the Year in the Arts, a 2003 Deems Taylor Award given by ASCAP for the year’s outstanding music journalism, multiple Grammy® nominations and a 2010 Grammy® Award. He's played at many of the world’s most prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the White House, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Tanglewood, Hollywood Bowl, and the Sydney Opera House.

For almost 20 years he served as pianist/arranger/collaborator/co-producer for singer Kurt Elling during which time he wrote virtually all of the material on Elling's first ten albums, all of which received Grammy® nominations.

His 2009 CD, “When The Heart Dances”, featured duets with iconic bassist Charlie Haden.

His "Christmas" CD was chosen by both the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune as one of the best Holiday CDs of 2013.

He’s currently involved in an ongoing recording/performance project, "Poemjazz", with 3-time U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky; their second CD, "House Hour", was released in 2015.

His 2016 trio CD, "Honor Thy Fathers", features bassist John Patitucci and drummer Kendrick Scott. JazzTimes' Michael West praised the work, saying:

"It’s easy to hear similarities between Laurence Hobgood’s piano and that of Brad Mehldau . . . The album is a sublime statement—perhaps the first of 2016."

In Spring 2016 he was the Artist in Residence at Jazz Camp West, held annually at a redwood retreat south of San Francisco.

Laurence's newest project is called "tesseterra"; Hobgood combines his love of jazz trio and writing for string quartet with uplifting arrangements of what he calls the "expanded songbook" -- repertoire ranging from Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Hoagie Carmichael to Sting; Joni Mitchell; Michel Legrand; Antonio Carlos Jobim; Crosby, Stills & Nash and Stevie Wonder among others.

The writing embodies the signature style of composing and arranging Hobgood has become known for: imaginatively innovative yet fun and thoroughly accessible to audiences. He's reunited with the celebrated, New York-based string quartet ETHEL and at the core lies the ebullient playing of his trio which features Jared Schonig on drums and Matthew Clohesy on bass.

“tesseterra” will be released on Ubuntu Music in Spring 2019.

For website, please click HERE.

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Chicago Jazz Festival - The PianoForte Sessions - Laurence Hobgood
Laurence Hobgood's "tesseterra" EPK

Leo Richardson

Leo Richardson is the son of veteran jazz double bassist Jim Richardson and is widely recognised to be one of London's leading Jazz Tenor Saxophonists.

In 2009, Leo was awarded a scholarship to study Jazz at the prestigious Trinity College of Music. Whilst at Trinity, Leo studied with world class saxophonists including Jean Toussaint, Julian Siegel, Martin Speake, Mark Lockheart and Mick Foster.

In 2012 Leo was awarded the Trinity College of Music Jazz Achievement Award and in 2013 graduated with a 1st class degree with honours in Jazz Performance.

Since graduating, Leo has been making a name for himself on the London Jazz scene. He has become an in demand side man and has collaborated with many well renowned musicians at acclaimed venues such as Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, The Royal Albert Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Cadogan Hall, The Vortex Jazz Club and Glastonbury Music Festival. In 2015 Leo was nominated in the London Music Awards for Rising Star in the Jazz catergory.

Some notable performance and recording credits include: Kylie Minogue,  Jamie Cullum, Gregory Porter, Submotion Orchestra, Anne-Marie, The BBC Proms, Ronnie Scott's Jazz Orchestra, Blue, Peter Andre, Mulatu Astatke, The Pete Long Big Band, Clare Teal, Jack Pack, Il Divo, Gillespiana, The Heliocentrics, Elaine Delmar, Jamie Davis, Vula Malinga, The Hackney Colliery Band, Dave Stewart, Alan Skidmore, Dick Pearce, Gene Calderazzo, Gareth Williams, Jim Mullen, Roman Holiday, Nina Ferro, Niamh Mcnally, Theo Jackson, Teotima Ensemble, Iain Mackenzie.

Leo's debut album, 'The Chase', features his quartet and special guests Alan Skidmore (tenor sax) and Quentin Collins (trumpet). It will be released on Ubuntu Music in late 2017.

For Website, Click HERE.

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The BBC Proms 2014: James Pearson Band

Mark Kavuma

 Kavuma, the debut album of virtuosic trumpeter Mark Kavuma, brings together some of the leading young jazz musicians on the UK jazz scene today – Ruben Fox on saxophone, Artie Zaitz on guitar, Reuben James on piano, Conor Chaplin on bass and Kyle Poole on drums as well as renowned saxophonist Mussinghi Brian Edwards.  “Not only a formidable array of talent, but also demonstrating a rock solid understanding of their respective roles,” commented engineer and musician Jake Zaitz.

“They resemble the finest amalgam of classic 50’s Blue Note and Prestige line ups. Perhaps what attracted them to jazz in the first place was the energy, vibe, blues, rhythm, gospel and emotions found on these influential sides.”

The tracks on the album tell the story of Kavuma’s life so far - Kavuma’s first trumpet teacher, Joe Morgan, is acknowledged in ‘Papa Joe’, an early romance is expressed in the poignant ballad ‘Barbar G’ and ‘Carolina Moon’, the 1920’s pop hit Kavuma discovered in a Thelonius Monk box set, is interpreted with a new twist. ‘Church’ captures the ambience of late night hang The Haggerston in East London where Kavuma has perfected his performance style and features Michela Marino Lerman tap dancing.

The Wayne Shorter influenced ‘Into The Darkness’ has developed over time since Kavuma’s teens. “ At the time I wrote it, it was one of those days, just a certain vibe,” says Kavuma . “It was dark, we all have those moments.” The album closes with ʻAbide with Meʼ, an XIX century Christian hymn. “I grew up with church music and a lot of hymns. So a big part of my music has that kind of thing in there somewhere. I heard “Abide with Me” since childhood. Thatʼs the hymn thatʼs embedded in my head.”

Kavuma’s music is original contemporary jazz with historical roots planted deep in American post-bop, blues and African rhythms.  “Music is powerful and knowing that power I see it as my duty to elevate, inspire and spread positivity, love and joy through my music,” concludes Kavuma.

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KAVUMA & THE BANGER FACTORY - Papa Joe

Martin Speake

Citing Lee Konitz, Charlie Parker, Warne Marsh, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Ornette Coleman, Steve Coleman, Rabi Abou Khalil, and Paul Motian as major influences, Martin has developed a personal musical voice that expresses a deep understanding of the history and language of Jazz with individuality as an improviser that is intelligent, melodic, cool, complex, direct, beautiful and profound.

Born in Barnet, North London in 1958, Martin was inspired to take up the saxophone at the age of 16. From 1977-81, he studied Classical Saxophone at Trinity College of Music, where he was awarded the prestigious Dame Ruth Railton prize for woodwind playing. He first came to public attention as a founder member of the award winning Saxophone Quartet ‘Itchy Fingers’ during the height of the UK’s so called ‘80’s Jazz Revival’ when a host of young musicians including Courtney Pine, Andy Sheppard, Django Bates, Iain Ballamy and the big bands of the Jazz Warriors and Loose Tubes were acclaimed as the leaders of an emerging generation of UK jazz talent.

2004 saw the release of three different cds including The Exploring Standards Trio (33 Records) with bassist Mick Hutton and drummer Tom Skinner, a ballad album My Ideal (Basho Records) with American pianist Ethan Iverson (The Bad Plus), and The Journey (Black Box) with Indian musicians Dharambir Singh and Sarvar Sabri. Autumn 2004 he toured with Sam Rivers in his UK big band on a Contemporary Music Network tour. In 2005 he celebrated the music of Charlie Parker with a newly formed group and touring throughout the country promoting a cd release of the project.

With Itchy Fingers, Martin toured Europe, South America, Africa, Britain and the USA, and recorded two albums. In 1988, he left the group to develop his own projects, and establish himself as a composer and improvisor.

His studies at Canada’s renowned Banff Centre for the Arts in 1990, under the artistic direction of Steve Coleman, and alongside peers that included keyboard players Andy Milne and Ethan Iverson, and trumpeter Ralph Alessi, proved to be pivotal and catalytic in Martin’s subsequent development as a creative musician.
Martin is as comfortable and fluent playing personal interpretations of the music of Charlie Parker with his quartet, or with free improvising drummer Mark Sanders, in a duet with Ethan Iverson of the Bad Plus, or with Indian musicians Dharambir Singh and Sarvar Sabri.

In 1999 he received the Peter Whittingham Award to help fund a tour of the UK with The Martin Speake Group. In 2000 he was commissioned to compose music for an international project featuring American drummer Paul Motian, Swedish pianist Bobo Stenson and English bassist Mick Hutton. This group toured in May of that year with funding from the Arts Council of England and toured again in Autumn 2001. Their first cd Change of Heart was released on ECM in April 2006. 

He started his own record label Pumpkin in 2007. The first release was a duo with free improvising drummer Mark Sanders and in 2008 Generations with Barry Green, Jeff Williams and Dave Green.

Current projects being developed include a saxophone quartet with Phil Bancroft, Martin Hathaway and Tony Kofi and a trio with Canadian musicians Duncan Hopkins and Anthony Michelli.

Martin is a committed, inspiring, and sought after jazz educator and currently teaches at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and the Royal Academy of Music in London, and on numerous international Jazz summer courses.

For website, click HERE.

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Martin Speake 'Intention' Album Teaser Video

Miguel Gorodi

Miguel Gorodi is a London based composer, teacher and trumpet player performing across a broad spectrum of jazz and improvised music.

He currently leads and writes for the Miguel Gorodi Nonet, and co-leads the Gorodi/Ingamells duet ensemble and the Gorodi/Braysher Quartet. He is a member of the Barry Green Sextet, SEED Ensemble, the London City Big Band and the Dixie Ticklers, as well as regularly playing for the London Jazz Orchestra.

Born in Spain in 1990, Miguel also grew up in Saudi Arabia and Thailand before moving to England in 2006 upon winning a music scholarship at Wells Cathedral School in Somerset. Miguel moved to London in 2008 to study Jazz Trumpet at The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, graduating in 2012 with a first class honours degree and a Concert Recital Diploma, and stayed at Guildhall for a further two years as the Jazz department’s fellow.

Since moving to London, Miguel has become one of the city’s leading young jazz trumpet players. He was first picked up at the age of 19 by singer Ian Shaw to record his album The Abbey Road Sessions (featuring Peter Ind and Gene Calderazzo) in 2010. Miguel has continued a freelancing career as a sideman and featured soloist ever since, performing in Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, Hungary, Ireland, Russia, and across the UK.

Miguel’s Nonet debut album, ‘Apophenia’, will be released in Spring 2019 on Ubuntu Music.

For website, please click HERE.

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Moyses Dos Santos

Bass player Moyses Dos Santos is best known as co-founder, along with Incognito and Level 42 drummer Pete Ray Biggin, of the exceptional band, Lola’s Day Off.

Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Moyses showed an aptitude for the instrument from a very early age. His first public performance was at the age of eight, when he appeared with his local church band, and he continued to perform within the church environment right through to the age of 18. Once in his teens, the word soon got out and it wasn’t long before Moyses found himself touring Brazil with established gospel and pop artists. 

Moyses’ international career really took off, though, with his move to London in the late 2000s. It didn’t take long for his talent to be recognised, and he has been touring Europe and his native South America with various high profile bands, in addition to working regularly as a successful studio musician. His long awaited debut album will be released later this year.

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Lola's Day Off / Park Life
Moyses Dos Santos / Fire In My Heart

New York All-Stars featuring Eric Alexander & Harold Mabern

The New York All-Stars play energetic and swinging music on the highest level, presented with the utmost professionalism and uninhibited enthusiasm, which has given them the title of “Jazz at its Best”.

New York tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander is one of the most important soloists of the current modern straight-ahead jazz world. His accolades are many and he has appeared on over 75 albums--as leader, collaborator and sideman--with big names like Steve Davis, Jim Rotondi, Vincent Herring, Pat Martino, Jimmy Cobb, Cedar Walton and McCoy Tyner.

In the quartet, New York All-Stars, Alexander performs with a true jazz legend, the American piano player Harold Mabern.

The 82-year-old pianist Mabern has been a part of the top New York jazz scene since the 1950s. He’s partnered with many of the greats, including Lionel Hampton, Wes Montgomery, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughn, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Sonny Rollins and Freddie Hubbard, to name just a few. Special guests on his last album included Gregory Porter, Norah Jones and Kurt Elling.

Philly bassist Darryl Hall is one of the most accomplished bass players on the international scene, working with many renowned artists from around the world, in a wide variety of genres. His virtuosity, warm sound and impeccable beat makes him one of most sought-after jazz bassists in the business.

Since 2012, Alexander and Mabern have worked in various projects with Austrian drummer Bernd Reiter, who studied in Graz and New York and lives now in Paris, always delivering a rock-solid beat. He has worked with many international jazz stars such as Kirk Lightsey, Don Menza, Steve Grossman, Charles Davis, Claudio Roditi and many more.

Ubuntu Music is extremely proud to be releasing the first live recording of The New York All-Stars, Burnin’ in London on September 7th. The release will be supported by an extensive European Tour.

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New York All-Stars featuring Eric Alexander & Harold Mabern: 'The Night Has a Thousand Eyes'

Nick Costley-White

Leading British guitarist Nick Costley-White releases his debut album, Detour Ahead, this summer. It features some of the UK’s finest improvising musicians – Matt Robinson on piano and Fender Rhodes (Reuben Fowler), Conor Chaplin on double bass (Norma Winston) and Dave Hamblett on drums (Ivo Neame). The album portrays the quartet’s musical journey, beginning with performances that draw from the American Songbook tradition and travel through to a more modern aesthetic, inspired by the surroundings of London’s exciting jazz scene. “The diversity of people playing and writing at such a high standard in London is very inspiring to me and I feel really lucky to have three such musicians in my band,” explains Costley-White. “What’s crucial for me in this group is that the musicians play in a contemporary style that is routed in the fundamentals of playing traditional jazz harmony and rhythm. The melding of these two aspects is what I try to balance when writing music specifically for these players and during this process I hope to express my own voice and experiences with this idiom which I find endlessly inspiring.”

 Costley-White combines his love and deep understanding for the jazz tradition with a fresh and contemporary approach, his six original compositions exploring sounds from many perspectives simultaneously. Forms, harmonies and rhythms are superimposed and abstracted but still retain their essential function, whilst the improvisations express the excitement and beauty of these frameworks. ‘Thinky Pain’, a tribute to the wonderfully neurotic comedian Marc Maron, reflects this blending of styles and paints a haunting portrait in three parts. “The solo intro explores an open palette of clustered chords. The rhythm section (augmented now with bass clarinet played by Sam Rapley) join the guitar with a steady travelling pulse whilst the polytonal theme is slowly unwrapped and explored through further improvisations,” explains Costley-White. “The final section strips us back down to just the double bass and gradually all the instruments, harmonies and rhythms are stacked on to one another, building a rich and beautifully dissonant sound world. As if from nowhere, the final chord is struck, peacefully resolving all tensions.”

 ‘Just One of Those Things’ by Cole Porter & ‘Detour Ahead’ by Herb Ellis have been arranged with a subtle new flavour that is fresh and personal to the quartet’s own sound. ‘Just One of Those Things’ is a wonderfully witty and clever song by the great Cole Porter,” says Costley-White. “Further twists and turns in the arrangement keep the listener on their toes whilst the soloists dig into every corner of this beautifully harmonic song.”

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Nick Costley White: 'The Best Things In Life are Free'

Noemi Nuti

Born and raised in New York from Italian descent, Noemi Nuti is a jazz and Latin singer and composer currently residing in London.
 She studied classical harp at Brunel University and jazz improvisation and composition at Trinity College of Music as a vocalist in 2009 with Anita Wardell, Nia Lynn, Pete Churchill, Simon Purcell, Liam Noble, Julian Siegel, Martin Speake and Barak Schmool, graduating with an MA in Jazz Performance in 2012.
 In 2008 and 2009, she performed with the Tomorrow’s Warrior’s project “Jazz Alive” and, in 2010, appeared at the London Jazz Festival alongside Norma Winstone.
 A former member of the London Vocal Project led by Pete Churchill and lead singer of British Samba Band Rhythms of the City, Noemi has performed at numerous London venues, including Ronnie Scott’s, The Crazy Coqs, the 606 Club and Islington Assembly Hall, and toured the UK as well as further afield in Brazil.
 In 2014, she headlined at The Forge during London Jazz Festival and has supported Brazilian legend Marcos Valle. 
 Most recently, in 2015, Noemi has launched her Latin influenced debut album, Nice to Meet You, at Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho, London. The album, released on the Ubuntu Music label, received extensive airplay on Jazz FM and has earned extensive critical acclaim from around the world.
 Noemi Nuti is very active in the London scene, hosting a monthly residency known as 'Brazilian Love Affair' in London's Soho, amongst a number of other projects. She toured in summer of 2015 with her band, which included a headline show at the Ipswich Jazz Festival's closing night, and debuted her latest music in New York City this past summer.

For Website, Click HERE.

 

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Noemi Nuti's showcase, Celebrating Milton Nascimento, at Pizza Express Soho, London 2017.

Pete Lee

 The Velvet Rage is the debut album by pianist, composer and bandleader Pete Lee, and features a collection of original compositions that celebrate progression and diversity.

Lee is recognised for imaginative, virtuosic piano playing that draws effortlessly on his love of jazz, classical and folk music. From the pop grooves of the opening track ‘Writer’s Block’ to the rich beauty of the ‘The Velvet Rage’ and ‘Stavanger’, a piece dedicated to Stavanger’s artist of the year, the Norwegian contemporary dancer Marie Ronold Mathisen,  The Velvet Rage reveals that he is an equally gifted composer. “ The structure of ‘Writer’s Block’ follows the pop-tune canon rather than that of a typical jazz standard. It's made up of verses, choruses, guitar solo bridge and even a stereotypical key change. The feeling of writer's block was never something I struggled with as a child. I used to write a new piano tune every week or so. I'd be far less concerned about how my songs would be appreciated than I am now. They were just for me, and I loved the feeling of creating something - composing simply felt joyful,” explains Lee . The tune of ‘The Velvet Rage’ marked the beginning of a new style of writing for Lee. “ The piano part was at first composed around the physical shape of my hands as they crossed over, sharing the same range of the keyboard. I wanted to use this piano technique throughout the entire cycle. I'd met the Amika Quartet whilst playing with Alice Zawadzki. For the first time, I arranged for string quartet. The experience was pretty mind blowing.”

The album is arranged for Lee’s 10-piece band,  “a fusion group in the truest sense of the word,  from jazz, pop and classical backgrounds,” explains Lee.  “Josh Arcoleo on saxophone, Alex Munk on guitar, Huw Foster on bass, Ali Thynne on drums & The Amika Strings – Laura Senior on violin 1, Rich Jones on violin 2 & jazz violin, Lucy Nolan on viola and Peggy Nolan on cello. Simmy Singh plays violin on ‘Stavanger’.”

Named after the seminal book The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World by Alan Downs the album examines the pursuit of personal validation. “ Growing up in an Evangelical Christian family, my sexuality took some time for us all to understand and accept. I'm keen that a story of joy and love is included in the way my music is presented. Listen out for the Velvet and the Rage.” says Lee.

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Pete Lee The Velvet Rage Live

QCBA

Quentin Collins (QC) and Brandon Allen (BA), the hardest hitting trumpet/sax frontline in the business, have released their next album, Beauty in Quiet Places, on the Ubuntu Music record label.

The follow-up to their highly acclaimed debut album, What's It Gonna Be?, released in 2011,  Beauty in Quiet Places consists of all original compositions, written by the pair, with styles ranging from the up-tempo swing of Modal Tranesition (Allen's homage to two of his biggest influences, John Coltrane and Joe Henderson) to the laid back pocket groove of the title track. The opening track, Fuerteventura, takes you on a samba-infused roller coaster ride whilst Oscar's Lullaby showcases the group's softer, more reflective side. 

Completing the lineup on Beauty in Quiet Places are QCBA's regular rhythm team of the masterful Ross Stanley on Hammond organ and the elegant musicianship of Enzo Zirilli on drums.

Since their inception in 2008, QCBA have collaborated with a broad range of artists, including Omar, Paloma Faith, Liane Carroll, Hamish Stuart, Natalie Williams, Gwyneth Herbert, Dennis Rollins and Cleveland Watkiss. This has enabled them to develop the eclectic sound that is evident in this recording, bringing together a melting pot of Jazz, Brazilian and Funk, always soulful and, crucially, always swinging!

Currently, QCBA are the front line for the Kyle Eastwood band, further allowing them to hone the strong sound of unity which they are renowned for on some of the jazz world's biggest stages. 

QCBA hosted a special show to celebrate the launch of Beauty in Quiet Places at Brilliant Corners in Dalston, London, on 22nd September. QCBA are embarking on a major tour during autumn and winter 2015-16 throughout the UK & Europe.

QCBA’s Beauty in Quiet Places was released on 25th September 2015 to critical acclaim and is available in physical and digital formats throughout the world.

For Website, Click HERE.

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QCBA/Fuerteventura Studio Performance Video

Quentin Collins

For over a decade, Quentin Collins has established himself as one of Europe's top jazz/commercial trumpeters, having worked with a plethora of internationally renown artists across many genres. 

In the commercial sphere, Quentin has played and recorded with Basement Jaxx, Craig David, Beverley Knight, Girl's Aloud, Alicia Keys, Boy George, Tinie Tempah, Mark Ronson, Omar, Prince, Leona Lewis, US3, Hamish Stuart, Englebert Humperdink, Jeff Beck, Lulu, Roy Ayers, Lemar, Natalie Williams, Paloma Faith, Steve Howe and SunlightSquare.

Among the jazz musicians he has worked with are Tony Kofi, Jean Toussaint, Jason Rebello, Gregory Porter, Roy Hargrove, Liane Carroll, Gwyneth Herbert, Kyle Eastwood, Phil Robson, Troy Miller, Andrew McCormack, Jim Hart, Renato D'Aieillo, Cleveland Watkiss, Mark Lockheart, Mornington Lockett, Dennis Rollins, Tim Garland, Norma Winstone and Ray Gelato, to name but a few.

In 2007, Quentin released his debut solo album, "If Not Now, Then When?", on SunlightSquare Records to much critical acclaim. Jazzwise Magazine called it an "intensely impressive debut", whilst The Guardian said, "Booker Little's harmonic adventurous and Alex Sipiagin's rich tone can both be heard in Collins' sound on this vigorous set." MOJO magazine, which voted the record one of its Top Ten jazz albums of 2007, said, "superb debut from a trumpeter whose style is an update of the Morgan/Hubbard approach."

Quentin currently co-leads QCBA, a Hammond-organ quartet with tenor sax titan Brandon Allen.

More recently Quentin has been turning his hand to the role of producer, both in his own projects as well of others. In autumn 2013 he was asked by up-and-coming artist Noemi Nuti to co-produce her debut release, 'Nice To Meet You', which features her own co-written material (which includes Andrew McCormack as co-writer), as well as some songs from the standard Brazilian repertoire. This was released in 2015 on Ubuntu Music.

When Quentin isn't composing, recording and touring, he is working as producer with a number of recently signed Ubuntu Music artists, in preparation for their upcoming releases.

For Website, Click HERE.

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QCBA Quartet with Omar MBE

Reuben Fowler

The jazz influence in Steely Dan’s music is unquestionable. A self-confessed jazz nerd, Donald Fagen spends much of his book, ‘Eminent Hipsters’, waxing lyrically over the effortlessly hip sounds of Henry Mancini and the ‘tight arrangements’ of the Boswell Sisters. It seemed a natural progression that some day the music he crafted with his partner Walter Becker would find its way back onto the music stands of a full big band…while preserving the understatedly cool musical signature that defines Steely Dan.

Reuben Fowler is a 28-year-old composer, arranger and trumpet player based in London. He is the recipient of the 2012 Kenny Wheeler Prize, the 2012 Musicians Benevolent Peter Whittingham Award and the Jazz Services Recording Support Scheme. From touring the world with artists such as Boy George and Paloma Faith to leading his own big band featuring Tom Harrell, Fowler is never short of ideas.

His latest celebrates the 40th birthday of arguably one of the finest contemporary albums of all time--Steely Dan’s Aja. In true Steely Dan fashion, the recording features 22 of London’s finest jazz and session musicians collaborating to perform Reuben’s arrangement of Black Cow, a Steely Dan masterpiece. Among those contributing are The Average White Band’s Hamish Stuart/vocals, Paul Booth/sax and Jason Rebello/keys.

Fowler explains, “…as the name of the project suggests, we recorded this as an arrangement painstakingly faithful to the original version with the sole intention of celebrating 40 years of Aja; an album responsible for introducing me to Steely Dan’s music that I have lived with and loved for a very long time.”

‘Black Cow’, the single, is a digital stream and download release only on the Ubuntu Music record label, and can be found on all major digital/streaming platforms throughout the world (such as Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal). All proceeds will be donated to Cancer Research’s oesophageal cancer unit, in memory of the passing of Walter Becker, co-founder and guitarist of Steely Dan.

Explaining this decision, Fowler continues, “I started this project around eight months ago with musical buddies Tom Walsh and Darren Williams purely as a labour of love. Sadly, within that time one half of the Donald Fagen/Walter Becker partnership that created ‘Steely Dan’ as we know it passed away. Martin and I felt that this was the right thing to do to preserve the original spirit of the project while doing something in Walter’s memory.”

“I was first introduced Reuben’s idea late one night at Ronnie Scott’s and never stopped thinking about it since”, says Ubuntu’s Director, Martin Hummel. “It’s the right time to remind ourselves of just how brilliant this music is and to celebrate its genius. And Reuben, along with his all-star Big Band, is just the guy to make it all happen.”

Future plans include an album of Steely Dan/Donald Fagen material, along with a supporting tour in 2020.

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Black Cow - Celebrating 40 Years of Aja | Reuben Fowler Big Band with Hamish Stuart

Tom Cawley

Tom Cawley is one of the UK’s leading jazz pianists. He has performed worldwide - in major clubs, venues and festivals – with some of the country’s leading artists, most notably Peter Gabriel, with whom he has also recorded two albums and a live DVD. As an artist in his own right he has performed, recorded and broadcast extensively over the last ten years.
 

As well as an award-winning pianist, Cawley is also a composer, bandleader and educator. His group, Curios, won Best Band the 2008 BBC Jazz Awards, and their three albums have been hugely critically acclaimed – described as “extraordinary” in MOJO, “spellbinding”in The Independent, “fantastic” in Time Out and “a shining light for British jazz” in Musician magazine. They have performed at the Barbican, the Royal Festival Hall, Ronnie Scott’s and at all of the UK’s major jazz festivals, as well as in Europe (most notably at North Sea Jazz).
 
As a freelance jazz piano player, Tom regularly leads the house band at Ronnie Scott's club, and he is also a professor of jazz piano at the Royal Academy of Music.

‘Catenaccio’, Tom’s latest album, will be released on Ubuntu Music in May 2019.

Line-Up:

Tom Cawley - Keys

Fini Bearman - vocals

Gareth Lockrane - Flute

Rom Mullarkey - Bass

Chris Higginbottom - Drums

For website, please click HERE.

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Peter Gabriel & Tom Cawley - Wallflower

Trio HLK

Trio HLK is the union of three distinct, forward thinking musical personalities.

At the centre sits drum and percussion virtuoso Richard Kass. He is a powerful, polyrhythmic engine whose multi-limbic facility affords him a wealth of textures and multiple layers of expression, unimaginable (and certainly unplayable) for most drummers. He executes rhythms at more than one tempo simultaneously, which often draws comparison to electronica and computer generated music. The standard drumset is augmented with numerous bells and chimes, hugely expanding the range of sounds.

Guitarist Ant Law plays a bespoke extended range electric guitar with 8 strings and a variety of effects, creating ambience and sonorities. This, the only electric instrument in the ensemble, provides a contrast to the acoustic elements from the piano and drums. He is known mostly as a jazz musician, but his interests and musicianship spread further and wider than that, and influences from heavy metal and elsewhere shine through at times.

At the helm sits classical pianist and composition mastermind Richard Harrold. From a young age Harrold was immersed totally in contemporary classical music. This led him to study composition in London (at the Royal Academy of Music) and in New York (at the Yale School of Music). His approach encompasses recomposition and decomposition as much as pure composition itself. His harmonic realm is the border between tonality and atonality, and there is a strong sense of rhythmic and melodic development throughout his writing.

A belief in the high art of improvisation and intrigue with the infinite art and science of rhythm is what brings H, L and K together. Together they address ambitious improvisational frameworks which often resemble contemporary classical music more than jazz. Their music features dense, complex rhythms and textures, and virtuosic improvisation. Their pieces are strewn with temporal distortions, modulations, implied modulations, rhythmic tricks, and harmonic ambiguities. Whilst they reference a huge and disparate range of styles, their sound distils these styles, unifying them with a unique instrumentation and fearless approach. Audiences and critics inevitably confuse the meeting point of the composed and the improvised, an effect achieved by countless hours the band has spent practising together. The resulting music operates on a number of levels, making it accessible and cerebral. Trio HLK's music sounds genuinely fresh, and genuinely new.

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Trio HLK + Evelyn Glennie - "Extra Sensory Perception (part ii)"

Wandering Monster

'Thoughtful music; melodic, flowing and measured, with enough twists and turns to keep everyone engaged.'

 Mike Walker (Dave Holland, Tal Farlow, Anthony Braxton, Bill Frisell)

​

Wandering Monster perform intricately arranged instrumental rock music which draws upon jazz sensibilities and sound worlds. Made up of five crossover musicians highly active on the northern scene, the group reach beyond what may be expected from the tried and tested line-up of the tenor saxophone/guitar quintet. Retaining the harmonic sophistication and improvisational approach of jazz, these influences are juxtaposed with the rhythmic complexity of modern rock and metal. The result is a sound that is intense and raucous, yet also dynamic, sensitive and spontaneous. An engaging live act, the band is able to pull off involved written material alongside moments of exciting, natural improvisation.  Despite hailing from the musical melting pot of Leeds, the monster has been unleashed across the north of England at a number of jazz festivals after winning the 2016/17 Jazz North Introduces Award. Notable performances include support slots for Seamus Blake, Trio HLK and Mammal Hands.

​

Line-Up:                                                                  

 Sam Quintana- Double Bass/Compositions

Ben Powling- Tenor Saxophone

Calvin Travers- Guitar

Aleks Podraza- Piano/keys

Tom Higham- Drums

For website, please click HERE.

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Wandering Monster 'Samsara'

C8 Associates

Given the successful work for the strategy and rebranding of the former Jazz Services to the newly launched JazzUK, Martin Hummel was invited to join C8 Associates as Consultant and Non-Executive Director.

C8 Associates specialises in working with creative businesses to take them to the next level of their development.

The services provided include:

Public Affairs

Business Development

Non-Exec Directors

Coaching

C8 Associates believe that, no matter what challenge a company faces in growing its business, C8 Associates has the people to deliver against the immediate needs of that business.

For Website, Click HERE.

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James Joseph, Chief Executive Officer

Edition Records

In 2013, Martin Hummel began his association with Edition Records as a result of a negotiation he was spearheading on behalf of an artist who was seeking an extension to his existing recording contract.

Hummel had never met Edition's founder, Dave Stapleton, prior to the negotiation.

The negotiation was a success and, as a result, in 2014 Stapleton ultimately invited Hummel to become the non-Executive Chairman and shareholder of Edition Records.

Hummel became engaged in the business and the strategic issues the Label faced. Within a short period, Edition evolved from a cottage business to a registered company, with a newly defined strategy and a long term plan for its future success.

Edition Records now has the reputation as an innovative record label.

After four years, in 2018 Martin resigned as non-Executive Chairman and has subsequently sold back his shares in Edition.

For Website, Click HERE.

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JazzUK

Jazz Services, an organisation for the promotion and well-being of jazz and jazz-related music in the UK, faced a critical cross-roads concerning its future in 2015.

Martin Hummel, a lifetime lover of the music, was invited by the Board to assist them in repositioning the offering and helping to define a new way forward. With a series of immersive sessions involving key stakeholders, the team defined a new way forward.

Built on the 30 year track record of support for jazz musicians across the Country, JazzUK was the new face of Jazz Services.  During the first half of 2015, JazzUK developed new partnerships and strands of work to move swiftly in to top gear.
 
JazzUK was a progressive organisation that united the jazz and wider artistic communities by sharing the power of jazz music to increasingly greater and diverse audiences.

JazzUK’s mission was facilitate those who play jazz to entertain those who love to listen, and to encourage the next generation to fall in love with jazz.

At the end of 2017, JazzUK’s assets were transferred to MusicTank, a unique, non-profit information hub for UK music business.

For Website, Click HERE.

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James Joseph, Vice Chairman - JazzUK

Pepsi Madonna Sponsorship

Right.

A blast from Martin Hummel’s advertising past.

In his day, BBDO’s most important client was Pepsi US. The agency desperately wanted to be seen as a network (and not a ‘not-work’) but it didn’t represent the client anywhere other than the US.

So the agency put together a plan that changed BBDO’s relationship with that most important client.

BBDO was appointed Pepsi’s “International Headquarters Agency of Record” (a mouth-full), and tasked by the client to provide a consistent and relevant strategic base for its key worldwide brands (Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, 7Up and Mirinda).

The starting point needed to be Pepsi, and BBDO had to create a fully integrated campaign to conceivably run across more than 60 countries and appeal to the world’s youth.

A big ask, as Pepsi was never successful at this before, and BBDO was not a welcomed agency to the local international marketers.

So, what do you do?

You create something that no single Pepsi country could do on its own, that would resonate with the target and would make Pepsi cooler than Coke.

BBDO, under Hummel’s leadership, devised a fully integrated communications campaign for the brand, with Madonna at the centre. Advertising in all media, a world tour sponsorship, exclusive merchandise and, here’s the best bit, the opportunity to launch Madonna’s new music through a worldwide campaign which would exclusively feature the track in the advertising…for a month.

The program was originally intended to launch everywhere, except the US. BBDO presented the communications package to Roger Enrico, Pepsi’s Worldwide CEO. 

The discussion went something like this:

Roger: “How much will this cost internationally?”

BBDO: "$5 Million."

Silence...

Roger: “What about if you include the US?”

Silence...

BBDO: “Probably $10 Million.”

Roger: “OK. I like it. Go for it.”

In a half hour meeting, Pepsi’s Enrico made a $10 Million decision on gut instinct.

The first problem was that Madonna had the right of refusal on the creative work, and she was refusing everything. With a lot of research, Hummel came up with the idea that, for her to buy anything, the idea would have to play on a part of her life when she was her happiest. This was her childhood, which became the core of the campaign. The featured music was also the title to her upcoming album, “Like a Prayer”.

The two minute launch commercial was aired on the same day, at roughly the same time locally, in +60 countries and to an estimated 2.5 Billion viewers.

It was the first media roadblock ever. And it was an amazing success.

The next problem was that Madonna decided to mess things up. Shortly after the launch and while ignoring her embargo agreement, Madonna introduced her music video of the song on MTV around the world…with love scenes in a church, stigmata on her hands and burning crosses on the hills (I think you get the picture).

There were extensive repercussions in the US. Consumers, having been exposed to Madonna’s ‘interpretation’ of her song, were outraged and chose to boycott all Pepsi brands. The Pepsi-Cola Company, in a panic, withdrew the initiative in the US and began to negotiate an out-of-court settlement. And they weren’t too concerned about the rest of the world…why?

Unlike America, people in other parts of the world simply accepted Madonna as a highly creative, controversial artist. And they therefore tolerated (or turned a blind eye to) her outlandish behaviour.

Consequently, the full program died in the US (thanks to the conservative mid-West bible belt) and went on in the rest of the world (including the most Catholic of countries–Brazil, Argentina, Italy and Spain, to mention just a few), to become the successful initiative in the brand’s history.

And, for BBDO, the agency went on to be awarded in the Pepsi brands in nearly every country in the world.

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Pepsi Madonna "Like a Prayer" Advert
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Pepsi Gladiators Event

OK, it doesn’t get much bigger or more dramatic than this, in the ad world…

Martin Hummel was responsible for the Pepsi-Cola International business at BBDO Worldwide for nearly 20 years. He was winding down his involvement with the business, when something very significant reared its ugly head.

BBDO, with all its incredible worldwide creative resource, struggled to crack a mega creative brief to combine the likes of Britney Spears, Beyonce, Pink and Enrique Iglesias for a global integrated music project on behalf of Pepsi.

Just before it becomes a lost cause (and a tragic business loss), Hummel was recruited to lend a hand. 

He refused to quit, stayed awake for nights and ended up writing the treatment that saved the day.

Hummel was Creative Director/Art Director/Copywriter/Agent/Talent Negotiator for a fully integrated campaign that ran on a global basis.
The sweetest of victories was that the ad achieved the highest copy scores in Pepsi’s history and the viral film was one of the Top 10 most viewed of its kind in the history of the internet.

And, by the way, the trend-setting Buzzfeed thinks it’s the best Pepsi commercial ever made.

 

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Pepsi Gladiators "We will Rock You" Advert
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Railway Children Charity

Railway Children is an international children’s charity that fights for vulnerable 16 year olds and under, who live alone at risk on the streets. They asked us to update a brochure and we completely revamped every aspect of their communications activity…from corporate identity through a complete online campaign.

We created an immensely powerful film that captures a ‘life in the day of’ a young female runaway.

The idea came from the discovery that runaway children under the age of 16 often take to the streets and fade into the darkest folds of life. In essence, they become invisible. Our mandate was to make the invisible, visible once again.

The music to the film was generously donated by Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine.

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Railway Children Case Study
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Krow Online Recruitment

Krow, a state-of-the-art online recruitment offering, which uses the Facebook social media platform, came to us to do everything for them, other than naming the company. And we did. It’s been in test and is going global, with fantastic early results.

80% of people around the world hate their jobs.

Imagine if you could find the perfect career match, quickly, easily and in a completely different way. Krow does just that, online.

The introductory viral brought the notion of work happiness to life and directed people to the Krow microsite, as the first step to being “work happy”.

The film was seen online by over 300,000 people in the first week it launched…in Belgium.

As Frank Aernout, Chisf Executive Officer of Krow NV said, “Krow is an international state-of-the-art online job recruitment service that uses proprietary semantic language matching software to identify the perfect fit between job candidate and employer prospect. A few years back, we came to Martin with the name of the company and the technology to make it happen. Through a series of concentrated work sessions, Martin led us to identify the key consumer insight for the brand, defined its positioning and strategy, and articulated the company’s vision, mission and values. From there, he created the corporate identity and resultant communications assets, and formed a holistic plan to launch the offering. Essentially, he delivered a stunning 360° totally integrated solution--from insight through to tactical execution--which placed Krow and our “BeWorkHappy” job matching service firmly on the road to a very successful future. Martin is an outstanding practitioner in his field and we have grown to become close personal friends.”

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Krow Case Study
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