Chris Biscoe
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ChrisBiscoe.co.uk
2025
Sunday 19 Jan 2025- 8:00pm
Riverhouse Barn
Manor Road
Walton-on-Thames
Surrey
KT12 2PF
Buy Tickets:
Standard £17
Students £10
Live streaming £5 (A YouTube access link will be sent in the afternoon of 19 January 2025)
MUSIC IS – CHRIS BISCOE PLAYS MIKE WESTBROOK
Mike Westbrook is one of the most important composers in jazz with a huge body of work from small band jazz through big bands, cabaret, fusion, chamber works, opera, settings of poetry, creative re-workings of Rossini and The Beatles’ Abbey Road, always retaining his unique
character.
The idea behind Music Is is a simple one: take some of these great pieces out of their context and play them with a small jazz group, as you might an Ellington, Monk or Gershwin song.
Chris Biscoe – soprano, alto, baritone sax, alto clarinet – (George Russell, Hermeto Pascoal, Brotherhood of Breath, Mike Westbrook, Profiles of Mingus).
Kate Williams – piano - (Parliamentary Jazz Awards winner for Best Album in 2020).
Mike Outram – guitar - (Credits include Tim Garland, Robert Fripp, Jacqui Dankworth).
Dave Whitford – double bass - (Bobby Wellins Quartet and Bill Frisell).
Jon Scott – drums - (first with Kairos 4Tet, now with GoGo Penguin and Mulatu Astatke).
The songbook includes:
Music is, Mama Chicago, Goin to Chicago, Aggro-Vancouver-Desperado, View From The Drawbridge, July ‘79, Graffitti, Wasteground and Weeds and two of Mike’s favourite standards: You Leave me Breathless and Johnny Come Lately.
Chris May, All About Jazz ****
Everything about 'Music Is: Chris Biscoe Plays Mike Westbrook' is near perfect: the simplicity of the concept, the choice of material, the uncluttered nature of the arrangements, the quality of the performances....A little gem.
Andy Robson, Jazzwise **** some of Westbrook's best songs alongside a stellar band
Brian Payne, Jazz Journal
Much of the music was improvised on the day of recording by this talented quintet and the results are superb – it’s an exhilarating album.
Duncan Heining, All About Jazz ****1⁄2
Biscoe’s 44-year association with the great British composer Mike Westbrook and his music, and life partner Kate Westbrook gives him a unique insight into their artistic world.
Music Is: available as a CD (Trio 607) or as a download from Chris Biscoe’s Bandcamp page.
For more information see
https://chrisbiscoe.co.uk/biscoe-westbrook.shtml
https://chrisbiscoe.bandcamp.com/album/music-is-chris-biscoe-plays-mike-westbrook
https://www.facebook.com/ChrisBiscoe.Jazz
Riverhouse Barn
Manor Road
Walton-on-Thames
Surrey
KT12 2PF
Buy Tickets:
Standard £17
Students £10
Live streaming £5 (A YouTube access link will be sent in the afternoon of 19 January 2025)
MUSIC IS – CHRIS BISCOE PLAYS MIKE WESTBROOK
Mike Westbrook is one of the most important composers in jazz with a huge body of work from small band jazz through big bands, cabaret, fusion, chamber works, opera, settings of poetry, creative re-workings of Rossini and The Beatles’ Abbey Road, always retaining his unique
character.
The idea behind Music Is is a simple one: take some of these great pieces out of their context and play them with a small jazz group, as you might an Ellington, Monk or Gershwin song.
Chris Biscoe – soprano, alto, baritone sax, alto clarinet – (George Russell, Hermeto Pascoal, Brotherhood of Breath, Mike Westbrook, Profiles of Mingus).
Kate Williams – piano - (Parliamentary Jazz Awards winner for Best Album in 2020).
Mike Outram – guitar - (Credits include Tim Garland, Robert Fripp, Jacqui Dankworth).
Dave Whitford – double bass - (Bobby Wellins Quartet and Bill Frisell).
Jon Scott – drums - (first with Kairos 4Tet, now with GoGo Penguin and Mulatu Astatke).
The songbook includes:
Music is, Mama Chicago, Goin to Chicago, Aggro-Vancouver-Desperado, View From The Drawbridge, July ‘79, Graffitti, Wasteground and Weeds and two of Mike’s favourite standards: You Leave me Breathless and Johnny Come Lately.
Chris May, All About Jazz ****
Everything about 'Music Is: Chris Biscoe Plays Mike Westbrook' is near perfect: the simplicity of the concept, the choice of material, the uncluttered nature of the arrangements, the quality of the performances....A little gem.
Andy Robson, Jazzwise **** some of Westbrook's best songs alongside a stellar band
Brian Payne, Jazz Journal
Much of the music was improvised on the day of recording by this talented quintet and the results are superb – it’s an exhilarating album.
Duncan Heining, All About Jazz ****1⁄2
Biscoe’s 44-year association with the great British composer Mike Westbrook and his music, and life partner Kate Westbrook gives him a unique insight into their artistic world.
Music Is: available as a CD (Trio 607) or as a download from Chris Biscoe’s Bandcamp page.
For more information see
https://chrisbiscoe.co.uk/biscoe-westbrook.shtml
https://chrisbiscoe.bandcamp.com/album/music-is-chris-biscoe-plays-mike-westbrook
https://www.facebook.com/ChrisBiscoe.Jazz
