Tuesday 31 March 2015, 8pm
Great saxophonost Paul Dunmall returns to OTO alongside drummer Tony Bianco ahead of their 2CD release, Homage to Coltrane, which was recorded live at OTO in 2013. Paul Dunmall's massive sound on saxophone and melodic sensibility has always demonstrated the influence of John Coltrane on his playing and he makes this debt even more explicit in this duo with drummer Tony Bianco whose own rolling, polyrhythmic excursions and free-time explorations are descended from both Elvin Jones and Rashied Ali. Joining them in the quartet are saxophonist Howard Cottle and Olie Brice on doube bass. Sunship is one of Coltranes greatest albums – the Paul Dunmall Quartet pays tribute to it and brings it into the 21st century.
“A robust and heavy hitting performer who has gone on to concentrate largely on free improvisation without sacrificing a rigorous melodic logic, a sparing lyricism and the technique to drop in on bebop occasionally.” – John Fordham, The Guardian
For 30 years Paul has carved out a reputation for himself and is now widely recognized as one of the most uncompromising and talented reed players on the International jazz/improvised music scene. Whether playing in Small or large groups, his musical sensitivity and imagination, combined with a powerful sound, make him one of the most distinctive improvisers playing today. He has performed with Alice Coltrane, Johnny Guitar Watson, Danny Thompson, LJCO, Mujician, Henry Grimes/Andrew Cyrille and a duo with Chris Corsano.
Tony Bianco grew up in New York City where he experienced the greats of jazz first hand - Mingus, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones - and fell in love with the music. In the early 90s he relocated to Berlin and got involved in the free scene there and playing with Alexander Von Schlippenbach, Aki Takase, Gerd Dudek and Reggie Workman. In the mid 90s he moved to London and hooked up with Paul Dunmall, Loz Speyer, Elton Dean, Dave Liebman, Paul Rutherford and many more.
Olie Brice is a double bassist, improviser and composer. Raised in London and Jerusalem, he now lives by the sea in Hastings.Olie Brice leads a Quartet featuring Rachel Musson, Alexander Hawkins and Will Glaser, (their debut album “All It Was” will be released in 2025) and an improvising trio with Rachel Musson and Mark Sanders (“Immense Blue”, 2024). He has also led a trio, quintet and octet which can be heard on albums including “Fire Hills” and “Day After Day”.
Brice performs with a wide range of creative improvising musicians, including both legends of the music and his peers. Frequent collaborators include Mark Sanders, Paul Dunmall, Rachel Musson, Tobias Delius, Cath Roberts and Luis Vicente, and he has also appeared with the likes of Evan Parker, Tony Malaby, John Butcher, Trevor Watts, Ingrid Laubrock, Ken Vandermark, Eddie Prevost and Louis Moholo. He is part of several ongoing improvising ensembles including Somersaults (with Tobias Delius & Mark Sanders), a Trio with Ziv Taubenfeld & Kresten Osgood, and the Flame (with Robert Mitchell & Andrew Lisle).
Howard Cottle has played with, Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, The Jazz Warriors, Slide Hampton, John Hicks, Harry Beckett, Kenny Wheeler, Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall, and has also played and Studied with Steve Grossman.
