Jazz in the Humffray – Friday 31st August at 7.30pm

Omelette

Ambient lush soundscapes and adventurous dynamic textures.

Combining the exceptional talents of Stephen Magnusson (guitar and effects), Ronny Ferella (drum set and percussion), Javier Fredes (percussion) and Jordan Murray (trombone), Omelette presents an evening of improvisation. From ambient lush soundscapes to adventurous dynamic textures, Omelette weave their sonic explorations to take their listeners through a stylistic montage.

Omelette’s repertoire pivots between originally composed melodies and spontaneously improvised music. Inspired by improvising groups such as The Necks, Omelette’s performances feature improvisations that continuously evolve over the duration of the set, taking the listener on a sonic journey.

Some of Omelette’s influences include Bill Frisell,  The Necks, Randy Weston and the Splendid Master Gnawa Musicians of Morocco and Old and New Dreams.

cleverhorse

Melodic and cinematic meets frenetic and quirky

cleverhorse is a distinctive five-piece ensemble led by composer/guitarist Robbie Melville. The band also comprises Monty Mackenzie (alto saxophone), Gideon Brazil (tenor saxophone), Zoe Frater (electric bass) and Dan Macdonald (drums).

Their second album ’50:fifty’ represents a culmination of their shared vision, featuring a juxtaposition of heavily structured arrangements with free-spirited extemporization, informed in equal measure by contemporary jazz and Norwegian folk, the density of Shanghai city, and the sparse and playful writings of Richard Brautigan. The result is a body of work that contrasts the melodic and cinematic with the frenetic and quirky, on an album that shuns conventions of jazz and improvised music.

“They have given a lot of thought to an overall sound, to an attractive surface, to listenability as well as creativity or simply ‘getting it on’.  It was seductive and euphoric.  They are onto something.  They are undoubtedly creative…A band to be watched.” – John Clare, 27/2/04