Tonight’s concert will be in three parts. A duo followed by a solo and ending with a trio.

DUO- Steve Noble and Alex Ward- on drums and clarinet-now in the 20th year of working as a duo.

SOLO- John Edwards has been playing solo for many years, but has just released his first solo cd " VOLUME"- tonight, he will further explore the possibilities of the acoustic double bass.

TRIO- N.E.W- Nobles power trio, finds Ward switching to guitar- in the words of Jazzwise " there’s as much rock here as jazz- Ward is phenomenal, all spidery glissandi and slashing chords. Edwards is a dark magus of a bass player thundering against the elements, while Noble is a violent, malevolent presence. A white -knuckle ride you'll be glad to take. (Duncan Heining)

ALEX WARD

Born in 1974, Alex Ward has been active in free improvisation since being given his first gig by Derek Bailey in 1987, going on to work with a wide range of musicians as a clarinetist (sometimes also on alto sax), and increasingly since 2000 as a guitarist. His debut recording ‘Ya boo, reel and rumble’, a duo with Noble was released in 1990 on Baileys label Incus, to great critical acclaim.

He has played in bands led by Simon Fell and Eugene Chadbourne, as well as his own quartet “Help Point”, featuring Fell, Steve Noble and Luke Barlow (with whom he runs the label Copepod). He also co-led the rock band Camp Blackfoot with Benjamin Herve, and in 2005 released a solo album of songs entitled “Hapless Days”. He currently writes the material (as well as playing guitar and singing) for “Dead Days Beyond Help”, a 2-piece band with drummer Jem Doulton.

JOHN EDWARDS

Since taking up the double bass in 1987 and playing with the Pointy Birds and the Cholomondeleys dance company-he went on to play with B Shops for the Poor, The Honkies and GOD as well as busking in the street and composing and performing music theatre with The Great Explorers. Since the early 1990s he has built a reputation as one of the finest, and most in demand bass players currently active on the British and European improv/ jazz and New music scenes- a first choice for musicians such as Evan Parker, Louis Moholo, Veryan Weston, Charles Hayward and Spring Heel Jack- Other groups include BRUISE and the Obliquity trio with Alan Wilkinson and Noble.

STEVE NOBLE

From playing with Nigerian master drummer Elkan Ogunde, Rip Rig and Panic, Brion Gysin and the Bow Gamelan Ensemble, Noble went on to work with the pianist Alex Maguire and with Derek Bailey (including Company Weeks 1987,89 and 90) and was featured (along with Alex Ward) in the TV series based on Baileys book ‘Improvisation; its nature and practice’. He has toured and performed throughout Europe, Africa and America. Currently leads the groups ‘4tet’ - ‘Say What’- ‘Shakedown Club’- ‘Harry Love All Stars’ and a trio with Lol Coxhil / Edwards-he also fills the drum stool in the following groups; SFQ, Badland, Gannets, Freebase and Tim Hills group Tongues of Fire.

Has been MD for the Spanish dance company MAL PELO since 1998. Noble also runs the record company PING PONG PRODUCTIONS.