Category Archives: Archive

JOHN RUSSELL

A welcome return of the great improv guitarist in company with two highly creative musicians.

John Russell: guitar
Kay Grant: voice
Dave Solomon: drums


Plus:
ZAATTAAZ
Alison Boston: voice
Alistair Strachan: cornet
Z*qhygoem: bass guitar
Tony Gill: drums

The Wildcard Quartet

LUO CHAO YUN

Luo Chao Yun: pipa
Gus Garside: double bass
Dan Powell: laptop and small percussion

A rare UK visit from Chao-yun, the Taiwanese virtuoso of the traditional Chinese guitar lute. She plays traditional music to free jazz improvisation and experimental avant-garde.

Plus

Bela Emerson: cello
Adam Bushell: vibraphone
Two renowned Brighton players improvise together.

… and The Wildcard Quartet

Luo Chao Yun is sponsored by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan.

SIBYL MADRIGAL & ALEX WARD

Sibyl Madrigal: poetry
Alex Ward: clarinet

“Alex Ward is one of those players who seems to get interesting music out of anything he touches.” The clarinet virtuoso in performance with the highly entertaining poet.


Plus:
Monty Oxymoron – keyboards
Annie Kerr – violin
Gus Garside – double bass
Paul May – drums
Exciting new quartet

Plus: The Wildcard Quartet

ALAN TOMLINSON TRIO

Alan Tomlinson: trombones
Dave Tucker: guitar
Phil Marks: drums

A welcome return of the hugely entertaining trombone virtuoso with ex-Fall guitarist Dave Tucker and Mancunian drummer Phil Marks.

Plus:

Simon Mclennan: guitar
Adio Lawal-West: Voice, electronics
Mark Whiteford: Saxophone, voice, electronics

“Haunting improvisation skirting the unknown”

Plus: The Wildcard Quartet

COLIN WEBSTER WITH MARK HOLUB & TOBY McLAREN (OF LED BIB)

Colin Webster: tenor saxophone
Mark Holub: drums
Toby McLaren: Fender Rhodes, Juno 106

A dark and intensely raucous stew from two thirds of the higlhy acclaimed LED BIB with sax player Colin Webster.

Plus:

Clock (Chris Parfitt & Chris Cook)

A long overdue first Safehouse appearance of Same Actor with our very own Noteherder. The duo use sitar, laptop, soprano sax, flutes, found sounds and small percussion.

Plus: the Wildcard quartet

JOHN BUTCHER & STEVE BERESFORD

John Butcher: saxophone
Steve Beresford: keyboards, toys and electronics

John Butcher is known for his explorations in multiphonics on the saxophone, often playing in locations with extraordinary natural acoustics. Steve Beresford has been known as a central figure in the UK improv scene for four decades and for his international collaborations with the likes of John Zorn, Han Bennink, Anthony Braxton and others.

In this special end-of-year Safehouse show Steve and John will perform as a duo, but also individually with Safehouse members. The line-ups will be: John Butcher, Stuart Revill, Chris Parfitt, Ron Caines, Monty Oxymoron, Andy Pyne and Gus Garside; and in the other group: Steve Beresford, Tim Wood, Tony Gill, Alison Boston, Z*qhygoem, Clive Craske, Alasdair Willlis and Al Strachan.

Please note: it starts at 8pm sharp and finishes at 9.45pm

Maggie Nicols & Mark Whiteford

Maggie Nicols: vocals
Mark Whiteford: sax, vocals and electronics
VV Gawel: movement
Annie Kerr: violin
Garima: sitar


One of the UK’s finest vocal improvisors in a new combo with our four regular Safehouse players.

Plus:

4.33
Stuart Revill: guitar
Chris Parfitt: soprano sax
Tim Wood: tenor sax and vocals
It’s a leap year, and Stu Revill is back in town from Canada – ample excuse for a 4.33 get together!

Plus

The Wildcard Quartet

Be advised order of play may vary, come early!

Dave Draper and Ntshuks Bonga

Dave Draper: guitar and electronics
Ntshuks Bonga: alto and soprano saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet

Dave Draper is a London based guitarist who has combined a lifelong interest in African music with an enthusiasm for new technology to create his own style. He sometimes performs under the moniker Invisible String Quartet.

Ntshuks Bonga is a South African born saxophonist who has collaborated with a wide range of musicians, including Louis Moholo, Maggie Nicols, Robyn Hitchcock and Lydia Lunch!

The pair have played together in countless settings over the last 20 years or so, ranging from Dave’s large African China Pig Orchestra to the duo we will see on this night. They have also recorded together, producing the CD Snow in November.

Plus:
Allen Strachnid
Dave Allen: guitar
Al Strachan: cornet and electronics
Two Safehouse stalwarts squeeze out some new sounds.

Plus:

The Wildcard Quartet

Alan Wilkinson, Steve Noble and John Edwards

Alan Wilkinson: reeds
Steve Noble: drums
John Edwards: double bass

This explosive trio play a roaring kind of free jazz that brings to mind both the celebration music of Albert Ayler and the guttural wailing of Peter Brötzmann. The group formed by accident when Lol Coxhill was unable to make a gig with Noble and Edwards at London’s Flim Flam night, and they clearly found something in each other as they have been playing ever since. They have released two albums on the Bo’Weavil label – Obliquity and Live at Cafe Oto.

“This trio is defined by live performance. The relationship between the three, fused into an innate musical understanding through constant exposure to one another in the fiery amphitheatre of improvisation, driven by their individuality, bursts into fissive conflagration in live performance.” – Bo’Weavil

Tickets are available online here

Plus:

Ron Caines: saxophone
Gus Garside: double bass
Tony Gill: drums

Plus:

The Wildcard Quartet

Nick Malcolm Trio

Nick MalcolmNick Malcolm: trumpet
Olie Brice: double bass
Simon Roth: drums


Three highly individual improvisers who between them have worked with Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall, Ingrid Laubrock and Louis Moholo-Moholo, among many others. The group are steeped in jazz, yet they are clearly keen to swerve conventional blues, bop and free jazz cliches, preferring instead to take the least expected route when improvising. This approach is personified in Nick Malcolm’s trumpet playing which explores long rhythmic cycles, odd mid-valve timbres, silences and carefully placed notes, and the result is a very thoughtful kind of instant composition.

Plus:

Feast of Fools
Tony Gill: drums and words
Foz Foster: saw, theremin, toys, face

Plus:

The Wildcard Quartet

Alex Ward and Daniel Thompson

Daniel Thompson: guitar
Alex Ward: clarinet

Two seasoned improvisers make fine and eerie sounds together.

Plus:

Hamilton Yarns
Featuring Safehouse regulars Iain Paxon, Alistair Strachan and Joceline Colvert, the Yarns usually purvey songs and set pieces, but on this night they will throw that out the window and make things up.
hamiltonyarns.co.uk

Plus:

The Wildcard Quartet

Ken Vandermark Trio

Ken Vandermark: saxophones and clarinets
Olie Brice: double bass
Mark Sanders: drums


Chicago-based saxophonist Ken Vandermark has collaborated with some heavyweight improvisors such as Peter Brötzmann, Paal Nilssen-Love, The Ex, Mats Gustafsson and Joe McPhee. He has been the driving force behind groups such as Vandermark 5, Powerhouse Sound, the Frame Quartet, NRG Ensemble, Spaceways Inc., Free Fall and the Resonance Ensemble.

He blows a mighty wind and we’re excited to have him play at Safehouse.

UPDATE: Tickets are now available from Resident Records in Brighton – 28 Kensington Gardens, Brighton 01273 606 312

Here he is in a duo with Paal Nilssen-Love:

Plus:

Annie Kerr: violin
Gus Garside: double bass

Plus: The Wildcard Quartet

Birchall / Brice / Marks Trio

David Birchall: guitar
Olie Brice: double bass
Phillip Marks: drums


David Birchall started playing the guitar in 1994 and has continued to ever since, gigging and touring extensively with a variety of groups in the UK, France, Holland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Palestine and Denmark.

Olie Brice is a double bassist from London he has performed with Ingrid Laubrock, Javier Carmona, Veryan Weston, Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Lol Coxhill, Pat Thomas, Steve Reid and Steve Swell, among many others. “Consistently inspired” – The Wire.

Phillip Marks has been performing and promoting improvised music in Manchester, the UK and Europe since the mid-80s. He is a founder member of Bark!, a member of the Grew Trio and has performed with Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Alan Tomlinson, Mick Beck and many others. “Mark’s percussion work shapes and holds it together. His drumming drives the music along and gives it it its pulse- enough indeed for the publicity to describe it as ‘James Brown meets the spirit of Modernism!’ not a phrase often attributed to improvised music.” All About Jazz.

Plus:

Meshmass
Peter Pick: sax and electronics
Richard Miles: guitar / strings
“A mixture of unpredictable improvisation and selected nuggets from all over the place which contrives to combine solidity with surprise.”

Plus:

The Wildcard Quartet