Ubuntu Music Signs Bassist John Williamson for Debut Album Release

June 9, 2024 Martin Hummel

John Williamson / The Northern Sea

Release Date: 12th July 2024

CD & Digital Formats / UBU0182

John Williamson (Photographer: Tom Sankey)

Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the signing of UK bassist John Williamson, for the release of The Northern Sea, his upcoming debut album on Ubuntu Music.

This release is John’s first as composer/bandleader, drawing on an array of musical tastes and influences within and beyond his work as a jazz bassist. He aimed for stylistic freedom, holding the work together with a focused melodic instinct and a modernist, occasionally angular approach that has guided his journey in music.

Each piece developed from a small fragment, honed and reworked in duo practice sessions in corridors, large-ensemble rehearsals, and intimate jazz club gigs around the UK. The five other bandmembers comprise some of the UK’s finest improvisers and composers. Each – along with producer Nikki Iles – have played an important role in the development of the material. Together, the music expresses the tension between love for a sound, idea or place and accompanying feelings of subversion or doubt.

John describes the music from The Northern Sea: “The material is arranged for a variety of line-ups, from duo to full sextet, relying on the commitment and invention of the musicians to build a coherent sound.”

“Individual influences that can be traced include Charlie Haden, Lee Konitz, Radiohead, Charles Mingus and Carla Bley, and the music encompasses a wide range of feelings and approaches. Angular post-bop (‘Contrafact 1’) sits alongside big-sky, Americana-inspired folk (‘2700 Q Street Northwest’) and anthemic contemporary jazz (title track ‘The Northern Sea’). The album is united by a ‘melody-first’ writing style. Each piece stays true to the core melodic line, whether that melody is pushing against the boundaries of a conventional harmonic structure or working as a scaffold for something more unusual.”

Alex Hitchcock, John Williamson (Photographer: Tom Sankey)

John continues, regarding his new relationship with Ubuntu Music: “I am really excited to be releasing my first album with Ubuntu. Their progressive approach, knowhow, and a varied roster of artists I respect and am inspired by made it an attractive choice. I’m so grateful to Martin for being interested in the project and his support and guidance in getting my original music into the world.”

Jay Davis, Alex Wilson, Immy Churchill, Jonny Mansfield (Photographer: Tom Sankey)

Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, concludes: “It was a very pleasant and unexpected surprise to be introduced to John and his highly intriguing, dynamic music. John has pulled together a seriously talented range of young London musicians – Alex Hitchcock (sax), Jonny Mansfield (vibes), Jay Davis (drums), and special guests Immy Churchill (vocals) and Alex Wilson (piano) – and delivered a first-rate recording with ‘The Northern Sea’, which was beautifully produced by Nikki Iles. We are absolutely thrilled to be John’s partner, welcoming John and the team to our Ubuntu Music Family.”

For further information, please contact:

John Williamson (Artist): jjw@fastmail.com

Martin Hummel/Ubuntu Music (Worldwide): martin@ubuntumanagementgroup.com

JOHN WILLIAMSON BIOGRAPHY

Raised in Saltburn-by-the-sea in northeast England, John has spent time in Leeds, Washington DC and now London, where he has played with musicians including Helena Kay, Dominic Ingham, Nigel Price, Jo Harrop, Paul Edis, Vasilis Xenopoulos, Matt Anderson, and Sam Braysher. John earned a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, tutored by luminaries including Kit Downes, Nikki Iles, Jim Hart, Jasper Hoiby, Tom Herbert and Orlando Le Fleming, and in 2023 received the Academy’s Scott Philbrick Prize for outstanding postgraduate jazz recital.

Website: https://johnjosephwilliamson.com/

Ubuntu Music Signs Composer Paul Mottram for Release of Epic Project ft. Tim Garland & Jason Rebello

April 23, 2023 Martin Hummel

Paul Mottram / Seven Ages of Man

Release Date: 6th October 2023

CD & Digital Formats / UBU0140

Paul Mottram (Photographer: Julian Hubbard)

Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the signing of composer Paul Mottram, for the release of a major project that blends jazz and classical music within a fascinating project concept.

Seven Ages of Man is a large-scale concert work scored for Jazz Sextet and String Orchestra which weaves jazz improvisation and grooves within a tight thematically developed classical structure. Organised by the ‘Seven Ages of Man’ concept from medieval art and literature, it forms an atmospheric personal reflection on the stages of a single human life cycle, taking cues from Shakespeare’s description of life in terms of characters from a play: Infant, Schoolboy, Lover, Soldier, Judge, Pantaloon and the Second Childhood of Old Age.

The large string section projects a real sense of scale and emotional depth to the piece both supporting and integrated with the Jazz Sextet.

The work was written for acclaimed jazz musician and long-standing friend Tim Garland (soprano/tenor sax and bass clarinet) who performs as the principal soloist, and it alsofeatures Jason Rebello on piano and Jonny Mansfield on vibraphone.

Paul describes how he conceived the highly ambitious project: “Writing ‘Seven Ages of Man’ was an incredible opportunity to bring together all the strands of my musical persona. I could draw on my background as a classical musician steeped in Jazz, fused with a media composer’s ear for conveying the emotions of a story through music. It’s always been an ambition of mine to write a classically structured long form jazz composition for Tim Garland, who’s been a friend and an inspiration since we met at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in the 80s. It’s been a privilege to assemble such a distinguished band of musicians with Jason Rebello (piano) and Jonny Mansfield (vibraphone) also taking soloing roles. Ralph Salmins (drums), Misha Mullov-Abbado (bass) and Paul Clarvis (percussion) complete the Jazz Sextet. I didn’t compromise either with the size of the string orchestra line up, contracted by Isobel Griffiths, and that with recording in the wonderful acoustic of Abbey Road Studio 1 gives the whole album a real sense of scale, something I was after from the outset.”

Paul continues, describing the relationship with his new record label: “In Ubuntu Music, it feels great to have found such an excellent and welcoming home for the ‘Seven Ages of Man’ album. The hybrid musical style of the piece is hard to quantify in the classical/ jazz spectrum but at its’ core the principal soloists of the piece are jazz musicians of the highest order and that sits well with the fine roster of talent on the label. The stylistic breadth of the catalogue also leads me to believe that ‘Seven Ages’ will fit right in with the broad ‘no boundaries’ vision that Martin Hummel has for Ubuntu.”

Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, gives his parting thoughts: “I was absolutely blown away by the scale, the quality and the inherent appeal of this project, in every single aspect - from the concept, to the compositions, to the musicians, to the quality of the recording itself. Paul is meticulous in his craftsmanship, paying considerable attention to each and every detail. And it’s clearly evident in the end result. Having world class musicians like Tim Garland and Jason Rebello, personal heroes of mine, makes this project even more special. This is a genre-defining release that’s certain to reward both classical and jazz fans alike. We cannot wait to ultimately bring this project to live audiences, whenever and wherever possible. It’s a pleasure to be a part of something so special, and to welcome Paul, the outstanding musicians in the sextet and the exceptional string orchestra into the Ubuntu Music Family.”

For further information, please contact:

Paul Mottram (Artist): paul@paulmottram.com

Emma Perry (UK Publicity): emmasarahperry@gmail.com

Martin Hummel/Ubuntu Music (Worldwide): martin@ubuntumanagementgroup.com

WEBSITES

https://paulmottram.com/

https://www.weareubuntumusic.com/

https://www.ubuntumanagementgroup.com/

PAUL MOTTRAM BIOGRAPHY

Paul Mottram has forged an extremely successful career as one of the most prolific and versatile media composers in the UK, with an enviable back catalogue of compositions. His ability to cut to the emotional heart of the subject matter with a sophisticated melodic multi-layered compositional style has also enabled him to deliver concert music which resonates deeply with the audience.

Classically trained as a violinist, pianist and composer at the Royal College of Music, Cambridge University and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Paul quickly began working as an orchestrator on films such as Chaplin, Shirley Valentine and Rain Man. Later, moving into commercials, he also started writing music for BBC radio 4 shows in the 90s, such as In the Red and Babblewick Hall, and television, with the hit spoof documentary series People Like Us (1999).

As one of the founder composers at production music library Audio Network in the early 2000s, Paul began producing a prodigious line of albums which continues to this day (his latest album, Intimate Canvas, came out on streaming platforms in February 2023). You would be hard pressed to watch an evening’s television without hearing his compositions, featured in 100s of shows such as The Great British Bake Off, The Apprentice, Downton Abbey, Doctor Who, The Crown, QI, Big Mouth, Travel Man and Upstart Crow. His music has also been featured in films such as Bad Santa and The Bee Movie and cinematic trailers such as for the Oscar winning film, Blue Jasmine.

A fascination with Jazz has always had a major impact on Paul’s concert music output. Over the years he has written for musicians such as The Swingle Singers, The Underground Orchestra, Fine Arts Brass Ensemble, Superbrass and the Dunedin Consort. Moccasin Trail was written for saxophonist John Harle’s band and features on ‘The John Harle Collection: Vol 15’ and a saxophone/ piano version was premiered by John at a Wigmore Hall recital broadcast on BBC Radio 3. In 2015, the song cycle Falls, (initially commissioned and performed by the Dunedin Consort) was performed at the Snape Maltings by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and his Gospel Jazz composition for choir with rhythm section Come Spirit was premiered by the Chapter House Choir in York Minster.

Seven Ages of Man, a new 70-minute suite and album written for world class jazz musicians Tim Garland and Jason Rebello, is Paul’s biggest and most ambitious work yet and a remarkable synthesis of his classical, jazz and media music roots. Writing to his own brief, the work has enabled him to explore the intersection between his musical worlds and write something on a grander and more profound scale.