Martin Archer / saxophones
Charlotte Keeffe / trumpet
Orphy Robinson / xylosynth
Pat Thomas / keyboards
Chris Sharkey / guitar
Anton Hunter / guitar
Dave Sturt / bass guitar
Adam Fairclough / drums

Taking the electric music of Miles Davis as its starting point, Anthropology Band is about finding the atmosphere through a deep rhythm, a searing blues run, a delicate melody, or a cascading solo statement. Band leader Martin Archer has kept the music as simple as possible – often driven by the bassline – and the structures loose, to enable this who’s who of UK creative musicians to let the music breathe in a different way each time it is played. There are multiple chordal instruments in the centre of the sound, allowing each soloist to sit on a kaleidoscopic wave of intercrossing figures which push the music forward.

“An outstanding collection of improvisers with a programme that is inspired by, but definitely not copies from, electric Miles. In fact, if it’s not sacrilege, I’d say it’s better, it’s a 21st century version. It’s how Miles might have sounded if his collaboration with Jimi Hendrix and Gil Evans had come about. Keeffe is a real find, and when Orphy Robinson and Pat Thomas started feeding off each other, the audience erupted.” – Peter Slavid, review of Liverpool International Jazz Festival gig.

The band’s first album is available now from Discus Music here: https://discus-music.co.uk/catalogue/dis90-detail

Anthropology Band live is supported by project funding from the Arts Council Of England.

“Martin Archer's aesthetic is an intriguing and transformative one—whatever enters his world comes out changed, if not utterly, then beautifully.” – Duncan Heining, All About Jazz.

"Five stars. Again a creative project by Martin Archer... Wide and open structures, imbued with a beautiful blues feeling, which allow those who find the inspiration to assert their expressiveness." – A G Bertinetto, KATHODIK

"With Miles as a starting point, Archer and his companions succeeded convincingly in creating a similar atmosphere that stands solid on its own two feet. Big fun!" - Dolf Mulder, VITAL WEEKLY

"Anthropology Band takes Davis’s electric phase as inspiration for a massive, gorgeous double album of the same set of compositions..." - Lee Rice Epstein, FREE JAZZ COLLECTIVE

"It doesn’t feel like so very long since the Anthropology Band‘s album rose like an incredible new sun over my world and I have been living with it since..." - Mr Olivette, FREQ

"This really deserves a wide and enthusiastic audience and is highly recommended." - Chris Baber, JAZZ VIEWS