ENSEMBLE PROGRESIVO + TONY MARSH (Solo)

WEDNESDAY 21st January 2009

Times : 8pm

Tickets : £6

ENSEMBLE PROGRESIVO

Ricardo Tejero: reeds
Alison Blunt: violin
Adrian Northover: alto and soprano saxes
Javier Carmona: drums and percussion
Dominic Lash: Doublebass

The ensemble was born in 2007 from an idea of Ricardo Tejero of working free improvisation within a compositive context, following the influence established by some works of composers and improvisers like John Zorn, Barry Guy or Anthony Braxton.

This way the group plunge into improvisations which happen within pre-arranged structures, through previously agreed musical paths or even together with composed music, but at the same time trying to maintain the essential principal of giving the musicians the least possible number of restrictions.

The core of the group is the trio consisting of Marcio Mattos, Javier Carmona and Ricardo Tejero who had already shared scenarios in other projects. Adrian Northover and Alison Blunt were added to the and eventually Dominic Lash on double bass, forming what we like to call a double duo strings/winds with Javier’s percussion as a link to all.

At the beginning of 2008 they released their first CD “Progressions”, which is a succession of 5 themes or progressions where the idea of progression is taking shape throughout different musical and conceptual levels.

TONY MARSH - Solo

Tony Marsh is one of the most creative and intuitive improvisers in the London scene. Being one of the veterans of this type of music he still can surprise with the freshness and novelty of someone who is starting.

Tony Marsh first came to prominence in the Seventies with the jazz-rock group Major Surgery. Developing its compositions from group improvisations, it became a major innovator in this area of jazz. The break up of Major Surgery in 1979 saw Tony teaching percussion and playing cabaret gigs in Londons Soho.

The Eighties were a productive period, providing many opportunities for recording and tours with Mike Osborne, John Surman, Evan Parker, Paul Rutherford, Barry Guy, Howard Riley, Elton Dean, Yves Robert and Didier Levallet. A trio with Simon Picard and Paul Rogers grew into the Mingus inspired band 7RPM.

Tony joined the Mike Westbrook Brass Band in 1982, recording On Duke's Birthday (featuring Dominique Pifarley) in 1983 and combining with Le Sinfonietta de Picardie in 1988 to record London Bridge is Broken Down. A long association with Harry Beckett in his Quartet and Flugelhorn Band has produced several records and a trio CD with Didier Levallet: a new CD with Harry Beckett is due for imminent release. Another long term association is with the improvising quartet Full Monte, with Chris Biscoe (saxes), Brian Godding (guitar and guitar synth) and Marcio Mattos (bass), with whom he has toured extensively and released two CDs.