Michelson Morley with Jake McMurchie

Jake McMurchie tours internationally with Get the Blessing and also plays with other Bristol bands Greg Cordez Quintet, the Nick Malcolm Quintet, What Four, Mr Dowland's Midnight as well as Portishead and the great Portuguese singer Fernando Tordo. Dan Messore is on guitar and Iain Ballamy, who plays with him in Indigo Kid, describes him as “a mature and confident musician with an individual approach to writing and playing.” Dan has inherited and absorbed a diverse range of music, from the post-contemporary fusion of Pat Metheny and Kurt Rosenwinkel, to the rich folk-rock traditions of John Fahey and Bert Jansch. Messore’s sweet folky harmonies and dreamily chiming open chords recall the misty mountain landscapes of Led Zeppelin, but jazz is central, with hints of Bill Frisell’s Americana always to the fore. Jake and Dan are playing Birmingham Jazz for the first time but Mark Whitlam on drums and Will Harris on bass are well known to us and make welcome returns.

The core trio came together in 2012, and features some of the leading players of the Bristol scene. Drummer Mark Whitlam plays with many of the UK’s top jazz musicians including Jim Mullen, Alan Barnes, Tina May, Dave Newton as well as US saxophonist Benn Clatworthy. Will Harris’s work with Emily Wright’s Moonlight Saving Time has taken him to Brecon, Cheltenham and Manchester jazz festivals as well as Pizza Express Jazz Club, Manchester’s Band On The Wall and live sessions for BBC Radio 3 and BBC 6 Music. But he is also a regular member of Karen Street’s Streetworks (alongside Mike Outram) and the Colman Brothers.

The line-up will be Mark Whitlam on Drums, Will Harris on Bass, Dan Messore on guitar and Jake McMurchie on Sax.

 

Check them out at a recent gig:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?t=17&v=QVRasZXZoTk

Pictures from the gig by Brian Homer:

here

£12/£10 Members/Students £5