Elliot Galvin (Piano)
Tom McCredie (Bass)
Simon Roth (Drums)
The Elliot Galvin Trio Is made up of three young, exciting improvisors: Elliot Galvin (Piano), Tom McCredie (Bass) and Simon Roth (Drums), who blend a multitude of styles to create something original and In 2014 they were announced as the winners of the European Young Jazz Artist of the Year Award in Germany. That same year they released their debut album ‘Dreamland’ to rave reviews, with the Guardian calling it “audaciously accomplished” ****, Jez Nelson (BBC Radio 3, Jazz on 3) saying it was “Perhaps one of the strongest debuts that I’ve heard from a UK artist in a long while… extremely bold and progressive” and The German Jazz Magazine ‘Jazz Thing’ naming it as one of it’s albums of the year.
“This debut album is just as audaciously accomplished as Galvin’s admirers would have predicted” 4 stars, John Fordham, The Guardian
Their new album will be released on Edition Records in May.
(We shall also have exclusively available copies of Elliot’s new album on Babel with Mark Sanders, recorded at the Vortex.)
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AFURIKO TRIO
Akiko Horii (Percussion)
Jim Funnell (Piano)
World jazz African inspired duo AfuriKo was born in Paris in 2010, of the encounter between Japanese percussionist Akiko Horii and Anglo-French pianist and composer Jim Funnell. Akiko, whose first name literally means “curious child,” developed her skills on percussion at the source, during her many stays in Africa. As for Jim, he has always been strongly drawn to all kinds of music stemming from blends between European and African sounds, and expresses himself through improvisation as a jazz pianist.
Their compositions are the outcome of research into the aural harmonies between keyboards (both acoustic and electric) and percussion (made of wood, metal, and skin…), along with a stylistic exploration combining free and instinctive expression – proper to improvised musics – with down to earth West African rhythms, intimately connected to local dance patterns. In deep respect of the rich heritage of jazz and traditional musics, AfuriKo’s intention is to celebrate each moment through authentic, spontaneous, and ever-evolving music making.
The duo has performed in Japan (in numerous clubs as well as at the Kanazawa Jazz Street festival in 2013 and 2014), Europe (United Kingdom, France, Germany), in particular at renowned jazz venue Sunset-Sunside (Paris, 2014) for the release of their debut CD (On the Far Side, 2014), which received funding and was produced in partnership with SACEM (French performing rights society). More recently they traveled to New York (in January and May 2015) where they presented the album, recorded some new tracks and shot two videos at Congahead in preparation of their second CD (to be released in the spring of 2016…)
AfuriKo also leads improvisation and Ghanaian (Ewe people) music and dance workshops. Akiko and Jim have thus shared their passions with students of Cardiff University (Wales), at Highfield Community Center (Birmingham, England), at Munich International Ballet School (Germany), as well as in more unusual places: La Caféothèque (Paris, France), Jazz & Blues Bar Village (Kiryu, Japan), Oil Street Guest House and Space (Kyoto, Japan)…