Coming to the Vortex Jazz Club

From London’s Vortex:

THURSDAY 25/10/2012 – 20:30
PARKER, RUSSELL, EDWARDS

Long-standing regulars John Russell (guitar) and John Edwards (bass) join saxophonist Evan Parker for his monthly free improvisation residency. Certainly no strangers to each other’s music, the trio nevertheless continues to unearth new creative potential in their rapid response, close listening improvisations. Engaging, vital and dynamic.

FRIDAY 26/20/2012 – 20:30
MAURIZIO MINARDI TRIO

Composer, pianist and accordionist Maurizio Minardi uses a myriad of musical elements and styles to create an original sound. Reminiscent of Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Avishai Cohen, The Bad Plus, Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota, Yann Tiersen and Michael Nyman, Minardi’s intimate and expressive sound is defined by a daring and unique combination of genres from baroque to minimalist jazz fired up with splashes of the tango and the rumba.

SUNDAY 28/10/2012 – 20:30
MARTIN SPEAKE TRIO

This unusual trio comprising alto saxophone, guitar and drums, which brings together all of Martin’s musical influences alongside his favourite musical partners. Meditative ballads, trance like grooves, free improvisation, minimalism, jazz standard songs, Arabic influenced music, heavy metal guitar, unaccompanied solos from each player and more… ‘Martin Speake is one of the most interesting and rewarding alto saxophonists now playing jazz on any continent’ (Thomas Conrad Jazz Times).

THURSDAY 01/11/2012 – 20:30
EVAN PARKER QUARTET WITH STRINGS

Saxophonist Evan Parker’s free improvisation residency this month featuring Dylan Bates (violin), Hannah Marshall (cello) and John Edwards (bass).

SATURDAY 03/11/2012 – 20:30
JOHN ETHERIDGE BLUE SPIRITS TRIO

The unassumingly virtuosic guitarist John Etheridge explores the classic guitar ‘n’ Hammond sound with Pete Whittaker (organ) and Mark Fletcher (drums). Capable of playing anything from straightahead jazz, through blues and what used to be called ‘progressive’ rock, to Frank Zappa material, Blue Spirits allows John to relax into a relatively informal groove, playing soul-jazz type material and the odd standard with his trademark fluency.

VORTEX CITY SESSIONS
@ THE BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE
SATURDAY 17/11/12 – 20:00 – THE BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE
GUILLAUME PERRET & THE ELECTRIC EPIC
TRIOVD
PUMA

French Saxophonist Guillaume Perret and his band the Electric Epic have been playing up a storm this year, making headlines across the country for their eclectic, mesmerising and unique sound. Nominated for the French-equivalent of the Grammy’s, they will soon be making waves across the channel when they appear at the London Jazz Festival.

Vapourising generic boundaries with their ear-cleansing assault of warped thrash metal guitar, vocalised sax squalls and hyper-kinetic drum pyrotechnics, trioVD create a radical new interface between jazz and unrelenting mathrock.

Puma, the trio of guitarist Stian Westerhus, Oysten Moen (keyboards/ electronics) and drummer Gard Nilssen, create a collision of fiery improv, free rock and textures of electronic sound.