Press

Three Weeks Website- 4 stars

"Exploring the concept of ‘Home’ through jazz is a formidable task; and concepts such as ‘earth’ and ‘nationalism’ can also be difficult to convey through the medium of improvised music. But a bit of multimedia enabled this band to communicate such specific ideas successfully. The ensemble performed with zeal and displayed a spectacle of extended techniques and extempore virtuosity, as each shone individually. The effect as a whole, however, was where the focus remained; the world of kaleidoscopic, liquid beauty in which the audience found themselves immersed was tremendously stimulating. "

The Scotsman- 4 stars

"Saxophonist Phil Bancroft launched an ambitious two-year project with this performance, ...... an adventurous and imaginative success. A sofa and two armchairs adorned the front of the stage, and the players performed the first half clad in that most redolent of "home" garments, pyjamas. Bancroft opened with a hilarious home video, then launched into a new tune inspired by swimming with his dog.

From there, the evening developed in typically unpredictable fashion, with projected images and video complementing the musical action, with a young volunteer from the audience joining in at one stage.. The compositions focused on both the excellent ensemble playing and soloing. Graeme Stephen negotiated the lengthy Journey in inventive fashion, O'Rourke and Caribe conjured an evocative mix of Scottish and Arabic scales leading into powerful sections – Nationalism and War – and Gaia reflected on the current woes of our planetary rather than personal home.

They closed with a hilarious glimpse into the future as the band nipped off to return dressed in space suits. They launched into a furiously funky dance tune set against a video of the saxophonist and his very patient wife preparing to head for the stars in a second-hand spaceship."

The Herald - 4 stars

"In possibly a first for a jazz festival- although one can never be too sure about such matters- a three-piece suite and a band in pyjamas and dressing gowns graced the stage as saxophonist Phil Bancroft presented his multi-media enquiry into home and what it means to us.

Bancroft has approached his "Home, Small As The World" project with deep thought. From easy-loping, conventional quartet depiction of the daily swim with the dog and a graceful round adding fiddle, trumpet and guitar to denote home comforts, the music moved into less calm waters as Bancroft expanded his thesis into disturbed upbringings, the tyranny of domestic technology, politics and war.

As a musical work, there were oodles of strong themes and a variety of settings, from jazz-rock to free improvisation, designed to challenge and get the best from his musicians, who responded with a sense of involvement that belied the fact that they were separated from the audience by a couch."

Forthcoming live!

November UK Tour

16th November 2011 8pm
The Chapel Arts Centre, Bath
Buy tickets....here

17th November 2011 8pm
The Stables, Wavendon, Milton Keynes
Buy tickets here

18th November 2011 5.30pm
London Jazz Festival- The Front Room, South Bank Centre
Free concert- Festival website here, & venue website here

See REVIEW from recent Manchester Jazz Festival Performance...here

See VIDEO of amazing solo by Guitar Genius Mike Walker- live via Skype from his own home, during the Manchester Gig....here

Posts on this site.....


Featuring:
Phil Bancroft- Saxophones
Paul Harrison- Keyboards
Mario Caribe- Acoustic Bass
Graeme Stephen- Guitar
Felicity Provan- Trumpet
Aidan O’Rourke- Fiddle
Stu Ritchie- Drums