Having performed recently as part of a quartet led by NYC guitarist Elliott Sharp, Butcher (saxophones), Edwards (contrabass) and Marsh (full percussion) return to OTO as a trio.

JOHN BUTCHER

John Butcher is a saxophonist of rare grace and power, who has expanded the vocabulary of the saxophone far beyond the conventions of jazz and other musics, to encompass a staggering range of harmonics, multiphonics, overtones, percussive sounds, and electronic feedback. But his playing is far more than merely an array of special effects; it's characterised by a drive and intensity that propels music into strange new places that are both incredibly beautiful and deeply exhilarating. “In the hands of London improvisor John Butcher, the saxophone can sound like anything, from a piece of hollowed out brass baubled with pads and valves to a hermetically sealed feedback system, a miniature sound environment teeming with ever-evolving note forms, or a huge echo chamber inflicting dub scale damage on every breath . . .” - David Keenan, The Wire

John Butcher photo by Sam Shepard.

JOHN EDWARDS

John Edwards is a true virtuoso whose staggering range of techniques and boundless musical imagination have redefined the possibility of the double bass and dramatically expanded its role, whether playing solo or with others. Perpetually in demand, he has played with Evan Parker, Sunny Murray, Derek Bailey, John Wall, Joe McPhee, Lol Coxhill, and many others.

TONY MARSH

Tony has been a stalwart of the London improvising scene since the 1970s. He has played with many of the key figures in European improvisation. According to The Guardian's Richard Williams Marsh has a: "marvelous ability to erase the boundary between time and no-time" and "an exquisite feeling for percussive texture".

Tony regularly plays with Evan Parker, John Edwards, Paul Dunmall, Nick Stevens, The London Improvisers Orchestra and many others. Tony also played with Peter Brotzmann and Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith at café OTO in 2010.

"...bassist John Edwards and drummer Tony Marsh provided highly illustrative rhythmic and percussive textures, and fiercely eloquent conversational duet interludes." (Jazzwise Magazine)