Serious

Matthew Bourne

piano / Leeds
Image by Suki Dhanda

As one third of trio Bourne/Davis/Kane, pianist Matthew Bourne’s recent albums include Lost Something; Moment to Moment with Paul Dunmall; and The Money Notes in 2011. As well as several collaborative recordings, Bourne has released two solo albums: The Molde Concert on Foghorn Records (2007) and Montauk Variations on The Leaf Label (2011).

Max de Wardener

double bass / London
Image by Suki Dhanda

Composer, arranger, producer and bass player Max de Wardener is an arch-experimentalist whose work weaves a tapestry of gentle oratorio, tonal grandeur and shimmering, cut-up electronics. As well as composing music for film and television and releasing his own music with Matthew Herbert’s Accidental label, de Wardener is a member of Dani Siciliano and Mara Carlyle's live bands.

Laura Macdonald

saxophone / Scotland
Image by Suki Dhanda

Alto and soprano saxophonist Laura Macdonald is one of Scotland’s leading jazz musicians and musical educators. With Tom Bancroft, she leads and composes for the half male half female big band, Band of Eden.

Dave Milligan

piano / Scotland
Image by Suki Dhanda

Dave Milligan is renowned for his crossover style of piano playing, merging his talent for jazz and improvisation with folk music of his native Scotland. His current projects include his dynamic trio; Bachué, with harpist and singer Corrina Hewat; a duo with concertina virtuoso Simon Thoumire; the Catriona Macdonald band; and the folk orchestra The Unusual Suspects.

Eska Mtungwazi

vocals & piano / London
Image by Suki Dhanda

Vocalist, performer, songwriter, musician and producer Eska Mtungwazi transcends musical genres and pushes boundaries with a voice drenched in roots and folk. Recent performances have included collaborations with Bobby McFerrin, Tony Allen and Matthew Herbert’s Big Band. Her vocal arrangements have featured on 3 Mercury-nominated albums and her first solo album, English Skies, is in production.

Sebastian Rochford

drums / London
Image by Suki Dhanda

Formerly a member of the F-IRE Collective, composer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist Seb Rochford’s current bands include the Mercury-nominated Polar Bear; new band Jyager Bear, with MC Jyager, Pete Wareham and Shabaka Hutchings; Trio Libero, with Andy Sheppard and Michel Benita; rock trio Big Dave, with ex-Babyshambles guitarist Patrick Walden; and electro-acoustic quartet Fulborn Teversham.

Seaming To

vocals / Manchester
Image by Suki Dhanda

Manchester-based vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Seaming To studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and has since explored a huge number of vocal techniques. With the eclectic jazz/funk/electronic big band Homelife, Seaming has toured the UK and Europe, performed at several music festivals and played live on the radio.

Pete Wareham

saxophone/ London
Image by Suki Dhanda

Founder of the vibrant Acoustic Ladyland in 2001 and member of Mercury-nominated Polar Bear, saxophonist Pete Wareham has blends contemporary pop and rock with jazz to create energetic shows and recordings. Acoustic Ladyland have recently played their final shows, but they are now exploring a fresh musical angle under the name of Silver Birch.