I gave my first performance at the age of four and spent my childhood playing classical music. Inspired by a friend’s request to play in his drum and bass band, at 21, I broke away from the classical thing to explore the art of improvisation. My curiosity took me through many different styles of music: Jazz; Indian; Cuban music and Flamenco. All of these have given me a unique and distinctive voice of my own. I have enjoyed playing internationally and recording with some of the world’s top artists, most notably Mukesh Jadhav (tabla) and Jean Toussaints (saxophone). It was, however, always my biggest dream to create and play original music of my own. My music comes from my heart and reflects my journey through different states of being. All my projects embody my quest to bring together my different musical interests to make something that is meaningful. My all-time favourite album is ‘Making Music’ by Zakir Hussain, featuring John McLauchlin, Jan Garbarek and Hariprasad Chaurasia.......those absolute Gods!!!!
Unfurl
Olivia Moore-violin
Stuart McCallum- guitar
Pete Turner-bass
Adam Warne-percussion
This band combines Jazz, Indian music and Arabic Rhythms. It is inspired by nature and by Buddhist ideals. Many of the tunes are in fact named after Buddha figures or concepts. At the Manchester Jazz Festival 2006, our music was described as transcendental, organic, fluid and never forced. The band is also a coming together of friends.
Adam and I met over six years ago. I came across him in ‘Baraka’, a bar in Hyde Park in Leeds, where I was at college at the time. He was undoubtedly ‘percussion man’. He seemed to be drumming his fingers on just about anything in sight and no-one compared in their passionate enthusiasm. I love playing with Adam because of his sensitive approach to music and his ability to play just the right thing at just the right time.
I love Stuart’s playing too, very much. As soon as I heard him, I knew I wanted to work with him. He is a guitarist who is open-minded, forward looking and with an interest in Indian music. His heartfelt approach gives me the freedom to express myself fully and I feel safe when playing together. I love the musical backgrounds that he intoduces in the band.
Pete Turner came later into the band. The founding bass player was Frank Grime who i am grateful to, for the time that he was with us. Pete has a natural touch and fitted perfectly into the band and is a delight to work with. I heard about Pete as he his presently one of the most sought after Jazz musicians in manchester.
We have enjoyed gigs at Manchester jazz festival (2006), Marlborough Jazz Festival (2008), Marsden Jazz Festival (2008), Square Chapel Arts centre (2008), Otley Courthouse theatre (2008) Seven Arts Centre (2009) to name a few.
As a band we are presently working with the visual artist Mark Cameron-Minard, on a project for the Manchester Jazz Festival. This is a very exciting project for us and personally the realisation of a long-held dream. In it we have the fortune to work with the Tabla and Santoor player, John Ball from Sheffield as well as the two sound-artists, Antti Saario and Philip Reeder.
Strung Out
Olivia Moore - violin
Jon Thorne - double bass
Strung Out grew out of my long held desire to create music using a loop station. I got hold of one in December 2005 and began performing with it immediately. I find it a great compositional tool and many of my ideas come out in short phrases just crying out to be looped!!! A few months after my first gig, Jon Thorne and I did an inspired and completely off-the-cuff performance using this magic machine. We enjoyed it so much and so did the audience and in this way, Strung Out was formed. It has become an all time favourite at the folk night Hedge (Carlton Club, Whalley Range). However, only nine months old, it is still early days for the band and we are currently expanding to include vocals in our set. Our influences include folk, Indian music and jazz and our message is Love.
It was a dream come true to work with Jon as I knew of him from his work with Lamb. I love the power with which he plays and the fact that when we play together it encourages me to embody myself in my fullest and play from my heart. Lastly I must mention his god almighty earthy and heartfelt twangs. I have never heard any other bass player do this (listen to Strung Out – Burning Bush to hear what I mean). He is also the partner and father to the child of my best friend Jojo.
The OM Quartet
Olivia Moore - violin
Stuart McCallum - guitar
Pete Turner - Double Bass
Luke Flowers - Drums
This is a jazzier alternative to Unfurl, intended for jazz venues, rather than theatres.
The Owl ensemble
Olivia Moore- violin
Clare Smith- violin
Fiona Peterson- viola
Danny Norbury- cello
John Ellis- piano
Sylvan Richardson- Bass
Myke Wilson- Drums
Myke and i had talked of working together for a long time, bringing in influences of Tango and Flamenco music and using free improvisation to make something that had its own unique identity. The band came together in April 2008. We enjoyed our premier, a wonderful concert at the Royal Northern College of Music, as part of The Manchester jazz Festival in 2008 and hailed by JazzWise as 'Inventive'. There are so many musical influences in the band so that lots of listeners find it hard to pin it down by its sound. The justaposition of
Classical string quartet against Jazz Trio makes for an unlikely but distinctive and rich sound palette. At times creating an intricate network of melodies and at other times building up layers of more groove-based rhythmic patterns, the resultant fusion is powerful yet intimate.
Olivia’s exquisite compositions and the high-octane musicianship of the whole band captivated the audience with music of genuine heart and soul. – Jon Thorne, bassist, composer.John Ellis is one of the most distinguished and in-demand performers in the UK. His relaxed, supportive and flexible approach has seen him work with Cinematic Orchestra, Lily Allen, Corinne Bailey Rae and Dj Vadim.Sylvan Richardson has a deep and grounding musicality and has played with Simply Red, Joe Lovano, Tommy Smith, Gary Boyle and Andy Sheppard. He is also an experienced MD and producer in his own right in the pop industry, having worked with Iain Brown and Cleopatra.Myke Wilson is an energetic and exciting drummer whose playing straddles pop and jazz. He has toured and recorded with Mike Walker, The Dust Junkies, Lamb, 808 State, Texas, Swing Out Sister.Clare Smith has played with the Lindsay Quartet and various Manchester orchestras.Fiona Peterson is currently a full time viola player with the BBC Philharmonic and works freelance for many other UK orchestras.
Danny Norbury is a sought-after cellist on the folk scene and as a multi-instrumentalist has written and recorded two EPs, Dusk and Jean Cockar, on which he also plays dulcitone, melodica and musical saw.
