A Gondwana Records party, celebrating recent releases from two of Manchester’s most vibrant home-grown exports making a heavy impact on the UK jazz scene.
Matthew’s sound echoes the modal jazz of John and Alice Coltrane and the hard bop of the late ’50s and early ’60s, but on Fletcher Moss Park, his latest recording and the focus of tonight’s performance, he offers his most personal statement yet. Inspired by the Didsbury gardens, the stillness and beauty of those surroundings have steeped into his elegant and sincere compositions, which draw on his love of spiritual jazz and contemporary dance music, eschewing complex jazz language for an earthy honesty and direct communication.
GoGo Penguin draws on a heady brew of influences from classical to electronica: from Aphex Twin to Brian Eno, Debussy to Shostakovich and Massive Attack to EST. Their debut recording Fanfares won rave reviews and was nominated for ‘best jazz album’ at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards. The band’s ability to synthesise and develop each others’ melodic and harmonic ideas whilst absorbing influences makes for an enthralling, powerful and energetic live experience.
GoGo Penguin
Chris Illingworth: piano, keyboards
Nick Blacka: double bass
Rob Turner: drums
Matthew Halsall Sextet
Matthew Halsall: trumpet
Lisa Mallett: flute
Rachael Gladwin: harp
Taz Modi: piano
Gavin Barras: double bass
Luke Flowers: drums
This event will begin at 8pm but our Picturehouse Cafe Bar is open from 5.30pm for delicious food and drinks.
Special Offer! Book your meal in advance and get free ‘lucky dip’ tickets for a future concert – click here now for details
A Manchester Jazz Festival Event
