ARTIST PROFILES

Korean-born bassist SeaJun Kwon loves to compose in what he calls quiet chaos. He's been composing this way for quite some time. His jazz group consists of Aaron Dutton on Alto sax Jacob Shulman on Tenor saxophone, Michael Juba Prentsky on trombone, Michael Juba and Jacob Hiser on piano, Charles Weller and Amery Logan on drums, and SeaJun Kwon himself on bass. The band likes to explore the liminal spaces in composition/improvisation and chaos/order. When listening to their re

Singer-songwriter Caroline Polachek has had an interesting career. Born here in NYC and raised in Connecticut where music was played at home. Her dad is a classically trained musician and by the time Caroline was 8 she started singing in choirs. Her father guided her musically and he bought her a Yamaha keyboard so she wouldn't be disruptive on the piano. When she was between the ages of 1 through 6 her family moved to Japan and there she says she was influenced by their musi

Clarinetist, Glenn Dickson has had a very interesting career. He has played with Greek bands Taximi and Meraki and plays with his own klezmer orchestra. If you have never heard of klezmer music its history is based on Ashkenazi Jews. It is ceremonial music that is played at weddings and social functions. It is also known as Jewish instrumental folk music. Glenn Dickson is also a member of his Shirim band which has been playing Klezmer music since 1982. The band is also known

It's funny I should have come across this group after watching the amazing documentary, Rumble: The Indians that Rocked the World on Netflix. Our native Americans were the first to create many of the music genres we listen to today like, jazz, blues, rock, and more. In listening to many of the songs I loved how I can pick those genres from their sounds. Medicine Singers who have just released their debut album, Daybreak is a collaboration between the Algonquin powwow group th

South London jazz saxophonist, Chelsea Carmichael is part of a group of jazz musicians who have shaken up the jazz world. She plays and tours with Theon Cross, Joe Armon-Jones, and many others. She studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and after graduation in 2016 was quickly accepted into the London jazz scene. She has her own projects as well as her quartet and performs frequently around London and beyond. Her sexy sax solos are awe-inspiring and she is

Indie jazz trio, Waldo's Gift from Bristol, England is quickly making a name for themselves on the jazz scene. The trio is Alun Elliot Williams, Harry Stoneham, and James Vine. These three like-minded musicians have been creating music since 2017. They love creating musical landscapes that mix jazz along with cool electronic sounds. They describe their music as 19th-century romanticism and when they got together decided they didn't want to sound like a guitar band. All three

I love experimental jazz and this jazz trio hits all the right notes. Fred Frith Trio from the San Francisco Bay area consists of English guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist, Fred Frith, American bassist, Jason Hoopes, and American drummer, Jordan Glenn. They have been making music together since 2013 and have recorded several albums that keep raising the bar in experimentation. The trio got their name by accident. It seems that the promotors of the venues they played at lik

The sounds of the double bass are rich and deep in sound more than the electric bass. More and more women double bass players are coming up in the jazz world. This talented bass player who is also a composer and arranger started her musical journey while in Isreal where she learned to play bass guitar at age 14. She then relocated here to New York City to continue her studies in jazz at the New School. She has studied with the best in jazz from the legendary Ron Carter to Bil

In the past couple of weeks, there have been several new jazz releases and some exciting new music. After listening to jazz pianist, Rachel Eckroth's new album The Garden I fell in love with several of her new tracks. This super-talented singer-songwriter, pianist was born in Mandan, North Dakota, and raised in Arizona. Music just runs through her veins since she comes from a musical family. Both her parents are musicians and her brother is also a pianist. Since high school,

Jazzman, Thomas De Pourquery is not easy to categorize. There are so many elements that go into his brand of jazz. As a child, he loved playing rugby so music was not on his radar yet. He was born in the city of Bondy in France and when he turned 14 he traded in sports for jazz music. This exciting saxophone player/singer/composer mixes jazz with several music genres. He says the music he creates he dreams. He is a multi-talented musician, singer, and actor. I have to say I

I love the diversity in the creation of harmonies and sounds coming from jazz musicians nowadays. Their mixing of jazz stylings with either adding samples and beats or incorporating other music genres that create some truly amazing sounds. Jazz pianist, James Beckwith loves experimenting with both sampling, beats, vocoder melodies, and using different keyboard sounds to create a musical painting if you will. Born in Leeds, England, and now living in South East London, he has

Jazz pianist/composer, Maria Chiara Argiro, London based, Italian born has been mixing jazz music with contemporary sounds and mixing electro keyboards into her compositions. Her music sounds like an ethereal dream. She was born and raised in Lazio, Rome surrounded by ancient ruins and beautiful sounds. Her interest in music began at an early age and she started singing in the Clara Schumann choir as well as playing piano, which is her beloved instrument. She studied jazz at

This Southeast London born singer, producer and saxophonist comes from a musical family. Laura Misch and her sibling have been making music since they were children. You may recognize her last name because her brother Tom Misch is also a well-known Jazz musician. Laura Misch says she learned to play the saxophone as a rebellion to not learn to play the violin like her brother. She mixes Jazz with experimental explorations in different styles and sounds and can make her saxoph

Massimiliano Milesi is a composer and tenor saxophonist who hails from Bergamo, Italy. He keeps himself very busy as a member of the Wayne Horvitz European Orchestra, founder of the RES Collective and fronting his own quartet. The latter is an “electroacoustic” outfit with Milesi on tenor, Emanuele Maniscalco on keyboards, bassist Giacomo Papetti, and drummer Filippo Sala. The quartet’s debut, Oofth, was released earlier this year. The title was inspired by a sci-fi novel of

When musicians are members of a rich community of artists, the potential for collaboration is tremendous. Fruitful alliances are currently the norm in London, where the jazz scene continues to redefine the genre. One such example is the experimental group Cykada. Founded by Tomorrow’s Warriors alum and bassist Jamie Benzies with drummer Tim Doyle (the driving force behind last week’s Jazz Cafe feature, Maisha), the group explores both traditional and digital sounds which exp

Multi-instrumentalist Emma-Jean Thackray is also a composer, producer, arranger and siger, and the winner of an Red Bull Music Academy award. On her recent recording, Ley Lines, she played trumpet, clarinet, piano, drums and more, recording in her home studio. Raised in Yorkshire in northern England, she was the lead cornet player in the local Tingley Brass Band at age 13. She’s performed with a range range of ensembles from the London Symphony Orchestra to her quartet. .She

A mysterious man whose face is often shrouded by his big, straw hat, Alxndr London creates an experimental electronic sound that accompanies his reflective lyrics. Incorporating other influences in his music, he strives to remain true to himself. His songs describe his personal experiences, memories and poetry. He began writing songs in 2015, and he’s already made a name for himself with his debut EP, A Long Time Ago, which the Observer touted as a record which, “blurs the li

Tomorrow’s Warriors alumni are currently dominating the independent jazz scene in the UK. Drummer Moses Boyd has worked with many fellow Brownswood Recordings artists, including those we have featured on playMYmusic.Fm such as Joe Armon-Jones and Shabaka Hutchings. He releases recording under his own name and with his group, Exodus. Binker Golding has his eponymously-named group too, leading the way with his tenor sax. Together, Binker & Moses have fared well, having earned a