Noble and Ward have been playing in duo for over 20 years- performing in clubs and festivals throughout Britain and Europe, most recently at the INCUS FESTIVAL- CALLING OUT OF CONTEXT (ICA) and regular gigs at BOAT-TING.

Their music- always totally improvised- veers from abstraction to full on swing- and everything that falls between!

Check out the video below …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcFNegqtE40

They were featured in the TV serialisation of Derek Baileys book ’Improvisation, its nature and practise’.

STEVE NOBLE - drums & percussion

Currently leads the groups –

‘N.E.W’– ‘DECOY’- ‘ WILKINSON/EDWARDS/NOBLE’- 4TET (Yarde/Robinson/Edwards)- ‘HARRY LOVE ALL STARS’

and a trio with Lol Coxhil/John Edwards.

He also occupies the drum chair in the following groups ;

Duck Baker 4 , SFQ, Badland , Gannets , Aethenor, Orphy Robinsons Spontaneous Cosmic Raw Xtra- .

Noble has also performed with Derek Bailey, Lee Konitz,KINO club, Bow Gamelan Ensemble, The Mancini Project.

Recent concerts have seen him play with ……..

Peter Brotzmann, , Joe McPhee , Jason Spaceman and Leo Smith ,Paul Dunmall and Matthew Shipp

He has been MD for the Spanish dance company MAL PELO since 1998

ALEX WARD- clarinet:

Born in 1974- he has been active in free improvisation since being given his first gig by Derek Bailey in 1987. He has played in bands led by Simon Fell and Eugene Chadbourne and leads his own quartet featuring Fell, Noble and Luke Barlow(with whom he runs the Copepod label).

Alex released his first solo clarinet recording ‘Cremated Thoughts’ in 2008 on the Treader label .

ORPHY ROBINSON - Steel Pan/percussion/trumpet/electronics

One of the major figures of the 90s jazz scene- he played with Courtney Pine, Jazz Warriors and Andy Shepherd- releasing records on the BLUE NOTE label and performing with Don Cherry, David Murray and Henry Threadgill.

He has composed for Film and TV- including “In answer to your question” for the Balanescu String Quartet and “ 42 Shades of Black” for Phoenix Dance Theatre,which was performed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Currently leads the groups CODEFIVE- NUBIAN VIBES - he also plays in the groups BRUISE and CLEAR FRAME and has been touring the world as part of Nigel Kennedys group!

SHABAKA HUTCHINGS - tenor sax,bass clarinet, clarinet

Grew up in Barbados- Studied clarinet at the Guildhall School of Music.

Leads the trio ZED-U , they have released their first cd ‘ Night Time on the Middle Passage’ on the Babel label.

He has also performed with Jazz Warriors , LIO , The Heights , Louis Moholo, Charlie Hadens Liberation Orchestra as well as Gary Crosbys Nu Troop and Red Snapper.

‘Shabaka Hutchins is a veritable cauldron of creativity, he assailed the audience with his gloriously uncompromising horn play. An emergingBrit-jazz star if ever there was one ! ( Jazzwise )