Duo - Alexader Hawkings & Tony Marsh

Trio - Paul Dunmall, Tony Marsh & Nick Stephens

Reviews of Paul Dunmall, Tony Marsh & Nick Stephens's Trio;

"Three minds working in parallel with generous hearts. It’s improvisation, jazz, maybe it is only the will of sharing a common vision between gifted artists - and the audience is the element that profits from this kind of game" - Massimo Ricci Touching Extremes Italy

"When Dunmall breaks out the New Thing rhetoric, the rhythm section is right there to support him and when the volume drops, interjections crackle and dance around each other with sinewy grace." - Marc Medwin All About Jazz. USA

"Much of what one might want most in a music is apparent in a Salvation Army band: it’s the utopian combination of collective will, spiritual message and community good. The same dynamic is apparent in this version of free improvisation, a group dialogue with strong roots in the jazz tradition...While Dunmall can proceed with the intensity of a quest, the engine of his line is rooted in melody and the idea of variation. It’s also a flexible trajectory, shifting with the impulses of the moment and the input of his partners. There’s reflection and wit, aside and extended conversation, with moods from playful to intense" - Stuart Broomer, Point Of Departure. Canada

"La séance baigne dans une veritable communication musicale" JM van Schouwburg - Improjazz. France

PAUL DUNMALL

For thirty years Paul Dunmall has carved out a reputation for himself and is now widely recognised as one of the most uncompromising and talented reed players on the International jazz/improvised music scene.Whether playing in small groups or big bands his musical sensitivity and imagination combined with a powerful sound make him one of the most distinctive improvisers playing today. His octet and Moksha big band showcases his abilities both as a composer drenched in the Jazz traditions and Folk traditions and as a sympathetic leader able to give maximum freedom to a elite group of fellow improvisers.

After turning professional at seventeen and touring Europe for one year with progressive rock group Marsupilami he moved to America and lived there for 3 years playing with many musicians including Alice Coltrane and toured with Johnny Guitar Watson for one year. On his return to the UK he worked with folk musicians Polly Bolton/Kevin Dempsey and groupings worked around the Dando Shaft band. In 1979 he became a founder member of the jazz group Spirit Level with pianist Tim Richards plus playing free improvised music with the Nigel Morris trio. At this time also Paul played in the London Improvised music scene. In 1985 the group Tenor Tonic was formed with Alan Skidmore, Tony Levin and Paul Rogers. In 1987 Paul joined the London Jazz Composers Orchestra lead by Barry Guy and joined Danny Thompson's Folk/Jazz hybrid Whatever. The following year the outstanding collective quartet Mujician was formed with Keith Tippett, Tony Levin, Paul Rogers. Whilst playing in these groups Paul was also still playing in many ad hoc groups plus playing in several of Elton Deans ensembles. Since 2000 Paul is still freelancing and has been playing in the composer's Brian Irvine's 14 piece band. In 2003 Brian was commissioned by the BBCto write a full orchestral piece with freely improvisedsaxophone, a long time dream of Paul's. In 2000 Paul set up his own improvised music record label with Philip Gibbs called Duns Limited Edition. It brought musicians together to improvisefrom many differenttraditions such as classical/folk/ethnic and to date has 52 releases.

http://www.pauldunmall.com/

TONY MARSH

Tony Marsh first came to prominence in the Seventies with the jazz-rock group Major Surgery. Developing its compositions from group improvisations, it became a major innovator in this area of jazz. The break up of Major Surgery in 1979 saw Tony teaching percussion and playing cabaret gigs in Londons Soho.

The Eighties were a productive period, providing many opportunities for recording and tours with Mike Osborne, John Surman, Evan Parker, Paul Rutherford, Barry Guy, Howard Riley, Elton Dean, Yves Robert and Didier Levallet. A trio with Simon Picard and Paul Rogers grew into the Mingus inspired band 7RPM.

Tony joined the Mike Westbrook Brass Band in 1982, recording On Duke's Birthday (featuring Dominique Pifarley) in 1983 and combining with Le Sinfonietta de Picardie in 1988 to record London Bridge is Broken Down. A long association with Harry Beckett in his Quartet and Flugelhorn Band has produced several records and a trio CD with Didier Levallet: a new CD with Harry Beckett is due for imminent release. Another long term association is with the improvising quartet Full Monte, with Chris Biscoe (saxes), Brian Godding (guitar and guitar synth) and Marcio Mattos (bass), with whom he has toured extensively and released two CDs.

He has recently been gigging and recording with bassist Nick Stephens and saxophonist Frode Gerstadt.

NICK STEPHENS

“Much more than just a complimentary presence, he draws expertly on his instrument’s wide communicative range to make sustained, substantial and imaginative statements.” --Julian Cowley, The Wire

ALEXANDER HAWKINS

Born in Oxford in 1981, Alexander Hawkins is a pianist with a fast-growing reputation, described as having a 'fierce technique' and a 'wizard's touch'. Equally at home with completely free as with complex notated territories, he works in improvised idioms ranging from funk to jazz to non-idiomatic European styles.

Current co-operative groups include The Convergence Quartet, a transatlantic ensemble featuring Hawkins, US musicians Taylor Ho Bynum and Harris Eisenstadt, and Dominic Lash; Nostromo, with Pete McPhail, Dominic Lash, and Roger Telford; and Barkingside, with Alex Ward, Dominic Lash, and Paul May. Debut albums from The Convergence Quartet (Live in Oxford) and Barkingside (self-titled) have both met with critical acclaim. He also anchors fast-rising funk unit Big Train's Haymaker from the organ.

In more ad hoc groupings, he has worked with musicians such as Tom Arthurs, Tony Bevan, John Butcher, Andy Cleyndert, Lol Coxhill, Otto Fischer, Will Gaines, Steve Noble, Eddie Prevost, Orphy Robinson, John Russell, Pat Thomas, Clark Tracey, Steve Waterman, Alan Wilkinson, Steve Williamson.