Quartet with trumpeter Tom Arthurs, saxophonist John Butcher, Eddie Prévost on drums and John Edwards on double bass

TOM ARTHURS / trumpet

Former BBC New Generation Artist, and participant in Take Five Europe, the work of trumpeter, flügelhornist and composer Tom Arthurs situates itself between large scale commissions for orchestra and beyond, rich and intimate chamber jazz, and highly experimental yet beautiful and intriguing improvised music.

Drawing influence from music ranging from György Ligeti to the pygmies of Central Africa, the work of film directors Andrei Tarkovsky and Jean-Luc Godard and the creations of pioneering chefs Ferran Adrià and Heston Blumenthal, Tom's warm sound and all-encompassing approach are becoming increasingly well known accross Europe and beyond.

Recent recordings include Julia Hülsmann Quartet (ECM, 2013), Eric Schaefer's 'Who's Afraid of Richard W.' (ACT, 2013), Miles Perkin Quartet (2012), H3B Songs No Songs (Abalone, 2012) and Postcards from Pushkin with Richard Fairhurst (Babel, 2011).

www.tomarthurs.co.uk

Tom Arthurs photo by Heinrich Kobberling

EDDIE PREVOST / drums, percussion

Eddie Prévost plays with immense fire, grace and invention. Founder of the essential AMM, collaborator of the greatest improvisers internationally, since the 60's he has kept a continuous contact with the scene and always manages to invent anew his contribution to "meta-music".

“Prévost's free drumming flows superbly making use of his formidable technique. It’s as though there has never been an Elvin Jones or Max Roach.” - Melody Maker

JOHN BUTCHER / saxophones

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 EDWARDS / double bass

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, Joe McPhee, Lol Coxhill, Peter Brötzmann, Mulatu Astatke and many others.