BLOG
Keeley Forsyth: DEBRIS
January 17th, 2020There are moments in one’s life that occur only once. Having the chance to collaborate with Keeley Forsyth is, unquestionably, one of the defining moments in my musical life to date. The first time I heard Keeley’s songs, they were impulsive recordings that had been performed directly into a laptop via its built-in microphone – READ MORE
Help the grand piano to stand on its own (four) feet for the very first time
October 6th, 2019Not so long ago, I visited Sarah Nicolls at her studio in Brighton, and was introduced to her ‘inside out’ piano: a grand piano with its frame and interior displayed on the vertical plane, opposed to the traditional, horizontal position. There are many benefits to such reorganisation – not least for the opportunity to become READ MORE
October Concerts: Mike Westbrook / Keith Tippet
October 4th, 2018SO… Mike Westbrook’s music changed my way of hearing music when I was a student at Leeds College of Music, and Keith Tippett is the reason I play the piano the way I do. And, if that weren’t enough, I am appearing under their auspices within one week of each other. First up: OCTOBER 6 READ MORE
Mike Westbrook’s Letter
April 22nd, 2018On discovering the work of various figures from British Jazz, I quickly came to the Music of Mike Westbrook – albums such as Metropolis, Marching Songs Vol. 1 & 2, Love Songs, Release, and Citadel/Room 315 (composed in the old Leeds Polytechnic building; now part of Leeds Metropolitan University), were the ones always leaning against my READ MORE
Nightports w/Matthew Bourne Released
March 15th, 2018Nightports w/Matthew Bourne has been released, and is out now, and available in all formats from Bandcamp. Oli Bentley at Split Design has done an incredible job on the design concept for the CD and LP sleeves (the latter is die cut, and looks quite lovely…), and, along with Sara Teresa‘s photographs, complement each other, READ MORE
Forthcoming album: Nightports w/Matthew Bourne
January 11th, 2018At last, the collaborative venture with Nightports (AKA Adam Martin & Mark Slater), will be released on March 2nd – on CD, and half-speed mastered vinyl. The latter will be housed in a stunning die-cut outer sleeve, designed by Split. Nightports w/Matthew Bourne will be available to pre-order on Bandcamp, and all other digital download READ MORE
New Releases: collaborations w/Nostalgia 77 & Jerry David DeCicca
November 30th, 2017I’m very pleased to announce the release of these two records on Impossible Ark Records. They are words apart (musically speaking), and have both been in the making over the last year or two. First up, is Machines of Loving Grace – which is a collaboration between myself, drummer Tim Giles and Benedic Lamdin (AKA READ MORE
Duo concert w/Keith Tippett + other London Jazz Festival appearances
November 8th, 2017TIPPETT / BOURNE DUO – NOVEMBER 10, KINGS PLACE, 19:30 It’s difficult to express how incredible it is to be making music with Keith Tippett. He is the reason I play the piano the way I do – and his music certainly shaped my early musical development whilst still at college. Fast forward twenty years(!), READ MORE
Twenty-Seven Areas of Contention (for Basil Kirchin) + Sam
October 26th, 2017for Basil Kirchin by Matthew Bourne Way back in February, I was asked to take part in Mind on The Run: The Basil Kirchin Story – where I was commissioned by Serious to respond to Kirchin’s work in a solo setting of my choosing. Unsurprisingly, I chose to use the Lintronics Advanced Memorymoog, READ MORE
Twenty-Seven Areas of Contention: celebrating the life and work of Basil Kirchin
October 26th, 2017Twenty-Seven Areas of Contention is a piece I was commissioned to write by Serious, for Mind on the Run: The Basil Kirchin Story, and was premiered at Hull City Hall on February 19 2017. Devised using two of my favourite electrically-powered musical instruments: the LAMM and my beloved Roland Re-201 Space Echo tape delay, Twenty-Seven… is READ MORE