DYLAN HOWE Q U A R T E T
Drum-led modern jazz
UK TOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2011
Dylan Howe - drums
Brandon Allen - tenor
Ross Stanley - piano / synths
Tim Thornton - double bass
'To mark his first tour since 2008, acclaimed drummer Dylan Howe takes his modern jazz four-piece on the road throughout the UK in February and March 2011 - playing original ensemble pieces with special arrangements of Blue Note classics, David Bowie's Berlin period, John Coltrane and beyond'
'A superb player.' THE OBSERVER
'The thrilling, incisive drumming of Dylan Howe.' LONDON METRO
'A kinetic conceptualiser.' COVENTRY TELEGRAPH
'The best neo-bop group in the country' LONDON EVENING STANDARD
'For this writer, Brandon Allen is arguably the most exciting tenor player in Britain today.' JAZZWISE MAGAZINE
link here if can't play above: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv21eqDnzEU
Also - full length versions of the rehearsal clips and individual films on each of the group can be found here: New quartet YouTube videos
THE DATES:
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(DH / Will Butterworth Duo: Stravinsky - both sets)
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More info:
The band features the best young players from the London jazz scene and has often featured as critic's choice and CD of the week in the broadsheets with hundreds of live performances including:
- Ronnie Scott's
- Pizza Express Dean Street
- Jazz Café
- 606 Club
- Southbank Centre
- London Jazz Festival
- The Sage Gateshead
- Canary Wharf Jazz Festival
- 6 extensive UK tours of 20-25 dates each
With a new studio album to be released in summer 2011 and a 25-date tour preceding it, DH has returned to the Coltrane influenced quartet sound that first got him into jazz. Reunited with his favourite pure jazz players in Allen, Stanley and Thornton.
This group marks Howe's progression from his popular quintet of 2005-7, his Larry Young inspired Unity 4 group (featuring Mike Outram, Tony Kofi and Stanley on Hammond), his re-imagining of David Bowie's Low and Heroes albums; The Subterraneans and his recent piano / drum duo (with Will Butterworth) playing adaptations of Stravinsky, to this new and organic improvising ensemble, all at the top of their game, clearly enjoying playing together, having really found their métier with each other.
The choice of music on this tour is an amalgam of Howe's recent projects; encompassing Bowie's Berlin trilogy albums, Larry Young, Stravinsky and John Coltrane.
For the quartet:
- 'The best neo-bop group in the country' LONDON EVENING STANDARD
- 'A looseness reminiscent of Miles' 1960s ensemble, (DH) knows exactly how the dynamics and drama of this idiom are supposed to work, and he proves himself to be a sophisticated composer of slow tone-poetry.' John Fordham - THE GUARDIAN
- 'Searing modal hard bop from drummer Howe, playing scorching originals and drawing on the spirit of classic 60’s Blue Note' THE TIMES, TOP FIVE JAZZ
- Jazz CD of the week in the OBSERVER and LONDON EVENING STANDARD
* PRESS QUOTES:
For Howe:
'Howe, always inspiring and invigorating in any genre.' 'THE GUARDIAN
'('DH) rightly acclaimed as one of the best drummers of his generation.' RONNIE SCOTTS
'A superb player.' The Observer
'The thrilling, incisive drumming of Dylan Howe.' LONDON METRO
'Howe swings effortlessly.' DRUMMER MAGAZINE
'Dylan Howe makes it new. The way he plays it, it's as if Be-bop were still hot and wet from its Harlem womb - he plays time from the heart.' ROBERT WYATT
For the quartet:
'The best neo-bop group in the country' London Evening Standard
'A looseness reminiscent of Miles' 1960s ensemble, (DH) knows exactly how the dynamics and drama of this idiom are supposed to work, and he proves himself to be a sophisticated composer of slow tone-poetry.' John Fordham - THE GUARDIAN
'Searing modal hard bop from drummer Howe, playing scorching originals and drawing on the spirit of classic 60’s Blue Note' The Times, Top Five Jazz
Jazz CD of the week in the Observer and London Evening Standard
On his projects:
'Howe is particularly impressive as a kinetic conceptualiser, constantly creating fresh platforms for his music, whether penning originals or embarking on unusual interpretative journeys.' Martin Longley - Coventry Telegraph
'Howe can switch from swinging his arse off Blue Note style one minute to a sombre reading of David Bowie's 1970's electronic phase next.' Selwyn Harris - JAZZWISE MAGAZINE
'(An) audacious example of cross-pollination… Dylan Howe is a cultured drummer who enjoys leaping into the unknown.' Clive Davis - The Times
'DH excels himself, inspired' Time Out
'Immaculate, entrancing.' JAZZWISE MAGAZINE
'Consistently absorbing, occasionally downright mesmerising' Chris Parker - The Vortex
* DYLAN HOWE'S Albums as LEADER:
Stravinsky - The Rite Of Spring Part 1 (Motorik Recordings. 2010)
Translation Volume 2 - Standards and Previews (Motorik Recordings 2007)
Translation Volume 1 - Recorded Live In Soho (Motorik Recordings 2006)
This Is It (OT Records 2004)
The Way I Hear It (OT Records 2003)
* ABOUT THE MUSICIANS:
Dylan Howe - drums / leader
Born in 1969 - London
Dylan Howe is a celebrated drummer and bandleader, whose versatility and swing has led him to work in many genres and formats for the past 20 years.
Mostly self taught from an early age, he is best known for his work with Ian Dury and the Blockheads (joining in 1997), his father Steve Howe's groups, extensive session work and leading his hard bop quintet and other jazz projects since 2002.
He recently released a new piano/drum duo album of Stravinsky's The Rite Of Spring Part 1 on his Motorik Recordings label and also can be seen playing in Wilko Johnson's group, The Blockheads, touring with The Steve Howe Trio. Howe can be heard on the recently BAFTA nominated score for the Ian Dury biopic: Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll and is playing in Steve Fishwick and Mike Outram's groups among others
Howe has performed live and recorded with such notables as;
Nick Cave, Damon Albarn, Portishead, Ray Davies, David Gilmour, Paul McCartney, Mick Jones, Robert Wyatt, Gabrielle, Stan Sulzmann, Pete King, Gilad Atzmon, Guy Barker, Byron Wallen, Jim Mullen, Robert Glasper and Courtney Pine among many others.
Also, DH's recent solo albums were awarded Jazz CD of the week in the Observer and London Evening Standard.
Howe cites his main Influences as: Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Tony Williams, Philly-Jo-Jones, Bill Stewart, Al Jackson Jnr, and Bernard Purdie.
More at: dylanhowe.com
Brandon Allen - tenor sax
Born in 1978 - Perth, Western Australia.
Allen started playing piano at the age of 10, then played classical guitar for one year before starting the saxophone at age 13. Studied at the Western Australian Conservatorium of
Music - majoring in Performance. He toured around Australia with various bands for a year and a half before relocating to London in the early '00's
Allen is considered by many to be the best tenor player living n the UK at the moment.
With his full tone and Coltrane influenced approach he has found many admirers, working with:
Eric Clapton, Mica Paris, Jools Holland, Tony Hadley, Paloma Faith, Carleen Anderson, Adrian Utley (Portishead), The Blockheads, Guy Barker, Natalie Williams, Mike Janisch, Laurence Cottle Big Band, Claire Martin, BBC Big Band, Stan Tracey, Pete King, Gerard Presencer, Mike Outram and Jim Mullen and Wynton Marsalis
Allen's main influences are: John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley and Sonny Rollins.
Howe and Allen have been playing together since 2005 and many regard their duo recording of Coltrane's Impressions (on Howe's 2007 album Translation Volume 2) as one of the high points of recent British jazz recordings.
'For this writer, Brandon Allen is arguably the most exciting tenor player in Britain today. His phrasing is unashamedly emotional, soaked in the blues tradition. Sure, there’s some early Rollins and plenty of Coltrane in there' Tony Hall - JAZZWISE MAGAZINE
Read more: myspace.com/brandonsaxophonics
Ross Stanley - piano / Hammond / synths
Born in 1983
Stanley is one of the most in demand piano and Hammond players working in the UK today.
He grew up in Marlborough, Wiltshire. Studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London.
Now 27, RS has racked up an impressive CV with credits including: Jamie Cullum, Liane Carroll, Jim Mullen, Guy Barker, Seamus Blake, The Steve Howe Trio and sessions with Trevor Horn amongst many others.
He cites his main Influences as: Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Larry Goldings and John Taylor.
Howe and Stanley have had a long and fruitful association, collaborating together on Howe's Bowie adaptation The Subterraneans, Slits' guitarist Viv Albertine's recent album Flesh (released on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace label), Steve Howe's past two trio albums and tours as well as Howe's popular quintet and Unity 4 project with Tony Kofi and Mike Outram.
Stanley was recently nominated for Best Instrumentalist in the 2010 London Jazz Awards, Jazzwise Magazine's Talent Deserving Wider Recognition and Worshipful Company Of Musicians Best Instrumentalist 2010 and is planning his first album of original compositions to be released in 2012.
'Ross Stanley’s full-blooded solos are right on the money.' Jazzwise Magazine
'Stanley's piano highlighted his melodic attributes in a nimble-fingered display of pyrotechnics' www.jazzsteps.co.uk
Tim Thornton - double bass
Born in: 1988
Bass wunderkind Thornton grew up in London and studied at Birmingham Conservatoire.
Tim recently left Birmingham Conservatoire a year early because of his full diary of bookings in London. He can be heard most nights at Ronnie Scotts and various venues around the country, fast becoming one of the most in-demand young bass players in the country at 22.
His main influences are: Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, Charles Mingus, Jimmy Blanton, Larry Grenadier and Drew Gress
His credits include: Gareth Lockrane, Alex Garnett, Steve Brown, Matt Home, Tom Cawley, Enzo Zirilli, Tim Lapthorne, Liam Noble, Sam Crowe, Ross Stanley, Nick Smart, Kit Downes, Chris Draper, Leon Greening, Brandon Allen, Mark Armstrong, Martin Shaw, Colin Oxley, Matt Skelton, Guy Barker, Sir Willard White, NYJO, Julian Bliss
Read more: myspace.com/timthorntonbass
