Music Spoken Here

Re:play Session 1 | CANCELLED
2025-09-11 19:30 - 22:30 (Europe/London) | The Marr’s Bar, 12 Pierpoint Street, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR1 1TA, United Kingdom
Due to a medical emergency in the band and after exhausting all other options, this gig has unfortunately been cancelled.

Sunday Service: Danni Mayers
2025-06-29 16:30 - 19:00
Danni has created a unique sound mixing reggae, RnB and gospel to deliver passionate vocals and weave soulful melodies
Born in Manchester UK, Danni Mayers has spent the last 20+ years carving out a career as a session vocalist recording, performing and supporting a vast array of artists from around the globe including Loose Ends, Omar, The Lisa Marie Experience, Tippa Irie, Susan Cadogan Sugar Minott, Luciano, Backyard Dog, Sixth Revelation, Etana and Beenie Man. Danni has toured Europe playing at some of Europe’s biggest festivals including Summer Jam, Chiemsee (Germany), Rototom (Italy) and Cheltenham Jazz festival.
As a solo artist, Danni’s debut single “Summer Love” was released in July 2018. She performed headline shows at Pizza Express Live (Holborn) and The Jam House in Birmingham last year and has released further singles “Monday Blues” and “I Am Blessed”. Danni is no stranger to The Marr’s Bar either – she appeared as a guest vocalist when her husband Reed Bass performed for us in December 2023.
Her music has been described as a meeting of Jean Carne, Bob Marley and Erykah Badu in an urban UK city. Mixing Reggae, RnB and Gospel, Danni has created a unique sound to deliver passionate vocals and weave soulful melodies that you can’t help humming along to.
For this gig, Danni will be performing her own songs and some choice covers with her full, seven-piece band.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £12.

John Law's Re-Creations
2025-06-26 20:00 - 23:00
Familiar music re-imagined through an exceptionally accomplished jazz quartet
We’re wrapping up our summer program of exceptional jazz, funk & fusion with a covers band like no other! Re-Creations began as a fun project from pianist John Law, with the aim of playing lots of different tunes from different genres. It very quickly developed artistically to the point that it began to rival Law’s contemporary originals project ‘Congregation’ in terms of artistic excellence and spontaneous creativity.
The arrangements became more complex and interesting, while the fact that audiences almost always knew the tunes meant that the group was at the same time very accessible.
Along with some jazz classics, their repertoire includes pop, rock and indie from Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Jam, Stevie Wonder and Radiohead and maybe the occasional well-known classical piece, all re-interpreted by this talented and accomplished jazz quartet featuring Parliamentary Jazz Award winning saxophonist Sam Crockatt, joined by Henrik Jensen on bass and Alex Goodyear on drums.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Dreamscapes
2025-06-12 20:00 - 23:00
Post-fusion, nu-jazz ensemble creating a musical experience of true freedom
DREAMSCAPES is a young UK-based post-fusion, nu-jazz ensemble formed by London-based guitarist Julien Durand. Drawing from a wide range of influences, their sound is immersive and rich in texture, creating a musical experience of true freedom.
Electric instruments and effects craft expansive soundscapes that shift from serene, ambient moments to powerful prog-rock grooves. Known for blending multiple songs into one, DREAMSCAPES seamlessly combine improvisation with intricate structures, pulling audiences into a deep, multi-layered journey. Each performance is distinct, offering an experience that’s as much felt as heard.
Following the release of their debut three-track EP in January 2024 that includes two original pieces and the band’s take on ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’, the band performed at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and EFG London Jazz Festivals last year and toured in September performing in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Kidderminster, Birmingham, Sheffield, London and Bristol.
The six-piece band features vocalist Lucy-Anne Daniels and sees the return of saxophonist George Garford to The Marrs Bar following his first appearance with the Torin Davis Quartet in September last year. The line is completed with Cenk Esen on keys, John Jones on bass and Jack Robson on drums.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Sunday Service: Urban Soul Family
2025-05-25 16:30 - 19:00
A spectacular show full of soul, gospel and RnB
Who better to kick-start our brand new Sunday Service program of soul, gospel and RnB at The Marr’s Bar than The Urban Soul Family! This seven-piece collective of singers and musicians from the Midlands are regulars at Albert’s Schloss in Birmingham, they’ve supported saxophonist Kirk Whalum, Gregory Porter and Jools Holland, as well as headlining at The Jam House. This will be their first time in Worcester.
They will bring your weekend to a spectacular close with a brilliant show spanning soul, gospel, RnB and reggae that will have you up and dancing.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.

Karim Saber Quintet
2025-05-22 20:00 - 23:00
Ferocious chops, memorable, shifting tunes and dynamic playing
Born and raised in London, British/Iranian guitarist Karim Saber is steadily building a profile as both a performer and composer to watch. Known for his instrumental prowess and creativity, he established his quintet in 2021, featuring Alex Wilson (piano), Matt Cook (tenor saxophone), John Jones (bass) and Jack Thomas (drums), four of London’s most virtuosic and in demand young musicians.
His debut album ‘Transmission’ was released on Ubuntu music in January 2024 and a second album is scheduled to be released in late 2025.
‘Amidst the many London guitarists, Karim Saber is one who’s playing I am most excited about. He’s got ferocious chops, a great repertoire and I really enjoy his writing’ – Ant Law
‘Karim is one of the most recognisable and distinctive guitarists to emerge on the UK jazz scene in recent years. His compositions, tone and ideas are unique to him and I absolutely love this new album he has put together. I think he will be a much sought after play once audiences get a chance to hear this beautiful set of original tunes’ – Chris Montague

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Empirical
2025-05-08 20:00 - 23:00
“Still a reliable touchstone of contemporary British jazz at its most sophisticated” – Jazzwise
Empirical exploded onto the UK jazz scene with the release of their debut album “Empirical” in 2007. Former Jazz Warrior, saxophonist Courtney Pine, who released the album on his Destin-e label and also featured on bass clarinet, declared Empirical at the time as “the most exciting new jazz to come out of the UK”.
Indeed, the album was awarded Album of the Year (Jazzwise) and the band were awarded Best Jazz Ensemble in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards the following year (and again in 2016). Their follow up 2009 album “Out ‘n’ In” won the 2009 MOBO Jazz Album of the Year award.
The original line-up of Jay Phelps (trumpet), Nathaniel Facey (alto sax), Kit Downes (piano), Neil Charles (bass) and Shaney Forbes (drums) didn’t survive beyond the first album (Phelps and Downes left and Tom Farmer replaced the departing Charles on bass). By the release of their second album “Out ’n’ Out” (2009 on Naim), the core quartet comprised Facey, Forbes and Farmer, joined by Lewis Wright on the vibraphone and remained constant up until their 2024 album “Wonder is the Beginning” on Whirlwind Records, which also featured previous Music Spoken Here performers Alex Hitchcock (with Resolution 88 in November 2022 and Dan Lockheart in September 2023) and Jason Rebello (with FNUK in January 2024).
“Wonder is the Beginning” is a mature musical statement that shows the band’s fire is still undimmed and their commitment to maintaining the legacy while forging their own unique path is as strong as ever. Empirical’s trademark combination of complex, thoughtful writing and spontaneous improvisation is enabled by the absolute trust that comes from years of collective music making, and is at the heart of what makes Empirical stand out consistently on the musical landscape.
With Wright since moving permanently to the US, this album tour, which brings Empirical to Worcester for the very first time, has seen a couple of different lineups, including guitarist David Preston (who brought his trio to The Marr’s Bar for Music Spoken Here in February last year) and pianist Ivo Neame. For this performance, we are delighted to feature the vibraphone for the first time on our program in the very capable hands of the young Kenny Wheeler Prize winner Jonny Mansfield, along with the core members Tom Farmer and Nathaniel Facey. In a scenario not uncommon with the best jazz bands, Shaney Forbes has other touring commitments in May, so Luke McCarthy (of Jonny Mansfield’s Quartet) will take the throne for this one.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Chris Bowden 'The Hypnos Files' ft. Neil Bullock & Louise Warren
2025-04-24 20:00 - 23:00
Maverick trailblazer who has chosen his own path in a 30 year career embracing jazz, soul, hip-hop and drum & bass
Emerging from the 90s Acid Jazz and Nu Jazz scenes in London, saxophonist Chris Bowden’s music has been described as “true future jazz”. Association with Gilles Peterson saw Chris in the “That’s How It Is” club night house band at Bar Rumba in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue, as well as working with K-Creative and 4 Hero, both projects releasing albums on Gilles’ Talkin’ Loud label.
As a gifted arranger on Jessica Lauren’s “Siren Song” album, he encountered Soul Jazz Records and went on to release his first album “Time Capsule” on the label in 1996. His work with The Herbaliser, one of the best known bands on the Ninja Tune label (run by Matt Black and Jonathan Moore – aka Coldcut), led to the release of his second album “Slightly Askew” on Ninja Tune in 2002. Featuring a 17-piece band including strings, Colin Buttimer (BBC) described the album as “ambitious, thinking music not afraid of expressing feeling. Chris Bowden is one of the UK’s great altoists and composers; Slightly Askew underlines this”.
Drug and alcohol addiction led Chris to return to his home town, Birmingham, but it wasn’t until 2010 that he resigned to making his first real attempt to get clean. Following a lengthy recovery program he describes as a desperate time with an uncertain future, with the support of friends and family he got back on his feet and has been clean and sober for the last 10 years.
In this time, he has established himself as an in-demand saxophonist and educator. His Quartet play all over the UK and he appears as a guest artist with a variety of groups. He has recorded two further albums, “Unlikely Being” on UK Vibe in 2018 and “The Hypnos Files”, described as “Brecker meets Beyonce”, on Rehab Records in 2022.
This special performance features Chris with a truly world class band – Louise Warren (vocals), Jim Watson (piano), Simon ‘Palmskin’ Richmond (keys), Chris Dodd (bass) and Neil Bullock (drums) – performing work from across his career.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

The Boom Yeh
2025-04-10 20:00 - 23:00
A thunderous powerhouse of jazz, funk, rock and Afrobeat
Stalwarts of the London music scene, The Boom Yeh are at the forefront of redefining British Jazz-Funk with their high level musicianship and electrifying live performances. Following the release of their third album Near-Earth Objects last year, we are delighted to bring them to Worcester for the first time.
Featuring musicians that have worked with Jamiroquai, The Brand New Heavies, Incognito, Alice Russell and Leroy Hutson, they have performed to sell out audiences at Ronnie Scott’s, EFG London Jazz Festival, The Elgar Room (Royal Albert Hall), Pizza Express Jazz Club (Soho) and Manchester Jazz Festival, garnering the support and praise of BBC Radio 6, Jazz FM and radio/club DJs far and wide.
Propelled by the powerhouse rhythm section of band leader/guitarist Jon Speedy, bass player Matteo Grassi and drummer William Francis, the band’s compositions are interspersed with the sophisticated horn arrangements of alto sax player Ian Bailey, with Dave Sear on trombone and Thomas Kleyn on baritone sax.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Rob Luft Quartet
2025-03-27 20:00 - 23:00
One of the most exciting and accomplished jazz guitarists in Europe today
Rob Luft is undeniably one of the most exciting jazz guitarists in Europe of his generation. Hailing from London, this award-winning virtuoso has garnered comparisons to legends such as John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia, and Kurt Rosenwinkel.
Rob is a true rising star, possessing a rare combination of talent as a guitarist, band-leader, composer, and captivating communicator. He won the Kenny Wheeler Award after graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in 2016, followed by the release of his debut album “Riser” in 2017. Luft’s joy in music-making, humility, and ability to connect with other musicians quickly made him one of the most sought-after instrumentalists to emerge from the UK in recent years.
His highly anticipated third album “Dahab Days” was released on Edition Records in October 2023 and reveals Rob’s willingness to push boundaries and expand his sonic palette. Drawing inspiration from his time in Egypt’s Dahab region during the pandemic, he infuses the album with a unique ambiance that permeates his compositions.
For this performance Rob is joined by Joe Wright (sax), Tom McCredie (bass) and Corrie Dick (drums)

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Lekan Babalola's Sacred Funk 4tet
2025-03-13 20:00 - 23:00
Western jazz blended with Ghanaian and Nigerian dance styles, embracing a musical culture dating back centuries

Lekan Babalola is a two-time Grammy Award-winning musician, film director, and conceptual artist with over 40 years in the arts. Awarded his first Grammy in 2006 for performances on the late Ali Farka Toure’s album ‘In the Heart of the Moon’, he was awarded a second at the 49th Grammy awards in 2008 for his work on the American jazz diva Cassandra Wilson’s album ‘Loverly’.
Lekan started his career playing in the Yoruba Christian Church owned by his father. As custodians of Yoruba tradition his family taught him first hand Yoruba art and culture and this has influenced all his work. He also received a cultural and political apprenticeship from the late Fela Kuti.
The Sacred Funk project has been going several years with Lekan on percussion and his wife Kate Luxmoore on clarinet, joined by various other musicians in the past including Reed Bass, who has played for us in December 2023, and Christos Stylianides (trumpet) who will be appearing with Jas Kayser & Chums in January. In the current lineup we welcome back our friends Josh Vadiveloo (appeared with Dan Lockheart in September 2023) on bass and Reuben Reynolds (appeared with Reed Bass in December 2023) on guitar.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Miranda Radford Quartet
2025-02-27 20:00 - 23:00
Tomorrow’s Warriors Frontline drummer with her quartet featuring the stars of tomorrow
This event replaces the previously published Romarna Campbell’s Chaos Trio, which we have unfortunately had to postpone until later in the year.
Miranda Radford is a 19-year-old drummer who is most definitely ‘up and coming’ on the London jazz scene. She has studied with teachers such as Will Cleasby, Billy Hart and Julian Joseph and has been mentored at Tomorrow’s Warriors by Sultan Stevenson and Romarna Campbell. Selected for the Tomorrows Warriors all-female ensemble The Frontline, Miranda has been encouraged to explore the wonders and versatility of drums within the genre.
Her influences and inspirations include the work of jazz legends such as Tony Williams, Max Roach, Wayne shorter and Cedar Walton. Miranda has performed at venues such as Love Supreme, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Dizzy’s Jazz Club and more.
Her quartet, featuring BBC Young Jazz Musician 2024 finalist Klara Devlin on trumpet, Kyle Osborne on keys and Tom Sheen on bass, explores the works of Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton, Herbie Hancock, and Miranda’s own compositions.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Impossible Conversations
2025-02-13 20:00 - 23:00
The next generation making their mark on the jazz continuum
Impossible Conversations are five lads from Birmingham making their mark on the contemporary jazz world. Each of these young musicians bring their unique musical background and a combined love of jazz to create a sound that is both familiar, fresh and truly special with every performance. The band are already getting some great gigs around the West Midlands and played Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival in 2024.
The lineup includes Louis Hamilton-Foad (son of guitarist Paul Foad and grandson of the late saxophonist Andy Hamilton) on drums, Gabriel Amann (son of pianist Tim Amann, who played for us with Butcher’s Brew in July 2024) on trumpet, Sam Sharpe on bass, Alex Smith on keys and Ben Carter on sax.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Check out their debut single 19:58 on Spotify

Jas Kayser & Chums
2025-01-23 20:00 - 23:00
A fiery 5-piece combining jazz, Afro-beat and Latin rhythms from an incredible young drummer
This event is the first in our “Up!Beat” series, celebrating drummer-led bands and focusing our minds, in an increasingly divisive and polarising world, on the positive things we have in common that unite us all.
Jas Kayser played on my first visit to 91 Living Room in London – the home of Jazz refreshed – back in November 2022. I spoke to her after the gig and emailed her manager right away to arrange a booking, but it took two years of persistence to line up this gig, so I am really stoked it is finally happening!
A conscientious student at the Julien Joseph Academy in the UK, Jas went on to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. While at Berklee, Jas caught the attention of Lenny Kravitz, who invited her to Paris to film his 2018 video ‘Low’. She also spent time in Panama with her Berklee mentor and Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez. In 2021, Jas won the Parliamentary Jazz Newcomer of the Year and Jazz FM Breakthrough Act of the Year awards and she released her debut album in 2022 on the Jazz re:freshed label for their ‘5ive’ series. She has featured with leading artists including Jorja Smith, Alfa Mist, Nubia Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings and most recently joining Lenny Kravitz on his 2024 tour, which will finish it’s South American leg in December, resuming in Europe from February.
Her ‘Chums’ lineup features Daisy George (bassist who appeared at The Marr’s Bar with Tom Ford in September 2022), Richie Sweet (percussion), Christos Stylianides (trumpet) and Jamie Leeming (guitar).

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

TRYPL
2025-01-09 20:00 - 23:00
Hot Latin vibes from top UK horn section in a 7-piece lineup
TRYPL was formed by three exceptional horn players who have worked together on numerous recordings and performances and share a love of Latin-jazz. The band name is derived from the founding members names – trombonist Trevor Mires (Jamiroquai, Incognito, David Sanborn, Alicia Keys), trumpeter Ryan Quigley (Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, George Michael) and saxophonist Paul Booth (Incognito, Jamiroquai, Louis Cole, Van Morrison). You may remember Paul and Ryan when they appeared in Paul’s band HOOP back in November 2023.
Speaking of the band’s eponymous 2020 album, our resident reviewer Ian Mann noted “There is much joy and energy in these effervescent and vivacious performances, but this is not just ‘party’ music, there is a high level of musical sophistication too.”
For this gig, the incredible three-piece horn section will be accompanied by the brilliant pianist Will Barry (2017 winner of the Musician’s Company Young Jazz Musician award in the company of other winners Tim Garland, Laura Jurd, Daniel Casimir and Moses Boyd). We will also see the return to The Marr’s Bar of bassist Davide Mantovani (he performed with Tristan Banks Quartet, April 2023) along with Davide Giovannini (Down to the Bone, Snowboy & The Latin Section, Jocelyn Brown, Roy Ayers) on drums and Andres Ticino on percussion.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Bryan Corbett's Instrumental Groove Unit
2024-12-12 20:00 - 23:00
Improvisation, hip grooves, beautiful melodies, unique musicianship, interplay and virtuosity
Having returned to playing from serious health issues and major surgery, renowned Birmingham-based trumpeter and flugelhorn player Bryan Corbett is back doing what he does best! His Instrumental Groove Unit is an original project full of improvisation, hip grooves, beautiful melodies, unique musicianship, interplay and virtuosity.
Bryan’s musical journey is a tapestry of diverse collaborations and artistic pursuits. As a sought-after session musician, he has lent his talents to some of the biggest names and acclaimed artists across various genres. From The Brand New Heavies, Us3, Tony Christie, Sigala & Ella Eyre to featured soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra and performing under his own name at jazz clubs and festivals around the globe. His remarkable versatility allows him to seamlessly transition between musical styles, from jazz and funk to soul, pop, and beyond.
This exciting new project introduces original material and a repertoire with emphasis on the ‘pocket’ of groove and freedom of improvisation. Bryan introduces the project as “A chance to play some original tunes and ideas coming to it from a different angle than I normally would”.
Featuring the outstanding talents of fellow Brand New Heavies band member Luke Harris on drums, Paul Deats on keys and Wayne Matthews on bass, this promises to be something not to be missed!

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

King Heron
2024-11-28 20:00 - 23:00
An unapologetically different slant on the guitar trio format
King Heron are a guitar trio sprung from Bristol’s modern jazz scene, bringing together lyrical expression, hard-edged basslines and clanging rock to form their own distinct blend of progressive beats and fluttering soundscapes. Jacob Houghton’s perpetually melodic guitar phrases glide around Cerith Evans’ stoic low-end rumble and Cameron Macdougall’s deeply musical drum grooves. The clear-cut individuality in each of the musicians results in King Heron’s unapologetically different slant on the guitar trio form.
The group have shared stages with the likes of Oscar Jerome, Mdou Moctar and Lydian Collective, and performed at venues, clubs and arts centres across the UK. Their 2023 single ‘Stasis (ft. Andrew Neil Hayes)’ marked their first collaboration with a guest appearance from the Run Logan Run tenor player, in a raucous exploration that excitedly reflects a ‘Bristol sound’. Following 2023’s two single releases, the trio have their second EP, ‘Risky Business’, set for release in September 2024.
King Heron are most at home on stage. Always groove-oriented with an emphasis on improvisation, their live performances are captivating with tunes taking their own path and never being played the same twice. At the heart of their live sound is a deep trust and connection between three friends exploring a new jazz impression together.
“Great stuff!” – Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM)
“Gobsmackingly tight rhythm section” – Tom Robinson
“Bright, smooth, from King Heron. The EP that just oozes soul crafted by these musicians who clearly love what they do” – Adam Crowther (BBC Radio Bristol)

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Chube
2024-11-14 20:00 - 23:00
Electro-acoustic fusion trio brings the harp into the 21st century
Chube is a young fusion band based in Cardiff led by Ben Creighton Griffiths (Electric Harp/Keys) with Ashley John Long (Basses) and Jon Bradford-Jones (Drums).
They draw their inspiration from a wide variety of artists and genres, writing electro acoustic music that pushes the boundaries of their instruments.
The harp features prominently in performances, and Ben uses effects processors to extend the sound palette beyond its regular, classical sound, incorporating characteristics from rock guitar to ambient synth and much in between. Combined with innovative percussion and groovy bass riffs, it all goes to creating a totally unique blend of jazz fusion.
This really is going to be something quite special! Put the date in your diary NOW and come down for an evening of exceptional live music.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Jakub Klimiuk Quintet
2024-10-31 20:00 - 23:00
New project combining modern jazz, Scandinavian improvised music, Eastern European folk and contemporary classical
Polish guitarist Jakub Klimiuk, now based in London, made his first appearance on the British jazz scene at the EFG London Jazz Festival in 2022, performing music from his quintet’s EP “Reluctance”. He has performed in jazz clubs across the UK including Bristol, Brighton, Birmingham and St Ives, in addition to major jazz venues in London such as PizzaExpress Live and the Vortex.
With his quintet, Jakub fuses elements of modern jazz inspired by the New York scene with influences drawn from the Scandinavian improvised music scene. The resultant repertoire is a thrilling combination of scripted forms and improvised sections, constantly entwining melodic compositions and experimental sonic escapades.
“Jakub’s original compositions, his own playing and that of this fabulous band were also appropriately full of optimism and the promise of good days to come. Nights like this reassure us that the future of jazz is in safe hands.” – London Jazz News
Jakub’s quintet for this performance features Simeon May (tenor sax / bass clarinet), Cody Moss (piano), Huw V Williams (bass) and Adam Merrell (drums).

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Wild Card
2024-10-03 20:00 - 23:00
“Energetic, unapologetic hybrid of funk, fusion and irrepressible swing” – AllAboutJazz
London-based organ trio Wild Card have been described as “fearless, because this feverish ensemble isn’t afraid to bring on the funk, the bop, the pop, the swing or Afro-Blue when they want to” (Mike Jurkovic on AllAboutJazz.com).
Formed in 2011 by French guitarist Clement Regert, the trio have recorded six albums and played more than 200 shows around the world, featuring guest artists including Graeme Flowers, Rosie Turton, Emma Rawicz, Poppy Daniels, Maddy Coombs and former Music Spoken Here performers Paul Booth and Alex Hitchcock. They were last up this way at this year’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival, where they performed at The Bottle of Sauce.
For this performance, Regert is joined by Chris Bland on keys and Filippo Galli (Wild Card’s regular drummer Sophie Alloway – the “goddess of groove” – is unfortunately unavailable for this gig due to other touring commitments).
“A sound that exhorts the still-seated grouches of the world to get up and get that booty shaking!” – Bruce Lindsay, AllAboutJazz.com
“Their approach is the diametrical opposite of navel-gazing jazz” – Peter Jones, London Jazz News
“It’s creative, refreshing and jam packed with energy…hot and cool but definitely Jazz.” – Simon Redley, Music Republic Magazine

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Emily Francis Trio
2024-09-19 20:00 - 23:00
Original prog-jazz from an intense and immersive trio with influences as varied as FORQ, Porcupine Tree and Brad Mehldau
+ support from DJ Steve ‘Moore Fe Jazz’ Moore spinning the latest dance floor jazz, fusion, Latin, jazz funk and jazz house.
It has been a busy year for keyboard and synth ace Emily Francis, with the 10th anniversary re-issue of her trio’s debut album The Absent, a new EP Atomic released in May and touring with this trio and The Toyah and Robert Fripp show, including a performance at the Fields of Avalon stage at Glastonbury.
Her textured, playful and energetic compositions with collaborator and bassist Trevor Boxall are really brought to life with the irrepressible Jamie ‘Drum Cat’ Murray on drums. Their second album Luma, inspired in no small measure by David Bowie’s Black Star band, was described as “a thing of rare beauty” by Nick Hasted in Jazzwise Magazine.
This all-original music will appeal to fans of prog-rock, electronica and melodic jazz fusion and anyone looking to find something new and different.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Torin Davies Quartet ft. James Maddren
2024-09-05 20:00 - 23:00
Rising Birmingham guitarist presents new project developed with Jazz Central Mentoring program
We are delighted to support the Jazz Central Mentoring program again this year, with a project from Birmingham-based rising star Torin Davies. The program accepts applications from young jazz musicians based in the West Midlands, from which a selection is made by a Jazz Central panel. This year, six successful candidates were selected and each paired with an established jazz musician as a mentor to work on a composition project that will be presented in individual gigs at various Jazz Midlands venues and together in a mini-festival at 1000 Trades in Birmingham 6-8 September.
This performance features guitarist and composer Torin Davies, an exciting young improviser and composer who has worked with some of the most prominent UK jazz musicians, such as Soweto Kinch and Mike Williams. He appeared at The Marr’s Bar last September when Dan Lockheart, a participant in the 2023 program, presented his project with mentor Alex Hitchcock.
Torin’s distinctive quartet, which features his program mentor James Maddren on drums, blends elements of 20th-century classical, jazz, rock, and folk music, creating a unique and captivating compositional style. For this performance, the quartet showcases the adventurous alto saxophonist George Garford and the lyrical bassist Asaph Tal.
The first set will explore musical themes inspired by the history of the Midlands (where Torin grew up and still lives). From the clamour of the Industrial Revolution, to pastoral scenes of Leafy Warwickshire, the quartet will take you on a sonic tour of the heart of England. The second set will feature an exciting selection of new compositions by Torin.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Butcher's Brew
2024-07-25 20:00 - 23:00
Jazz, funk and Latin from some of the West Midlands’ finest
Ray Butcher started playing cornet at the age of eight and progressed through brass bands to study classical trumpet at Peter Symonds College in Winchester. Disillusioned with classical music, he took up piano for a while, playing in various cocktail bars and clubs including Stringfellows. He returned to trumpet, this time playing jazz, and moved to Birmingham, where he had a short stint with King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys in 1996. His career has also seen him perform with Dr John and Mica Paris.
Butcher’s Brew features some exciting players from the Birmingham scene, including pianist Tim Amann and saxophonist Sam Rogers, who have both been playing together with Ray in the Tim Amann xTet for many years. Sam has appeared on the Music Spoken Here stage at The Marr’s Bar before, with Reed Bass and as a special guest with Law of Three. The line-up is completed by Miles Levin on drums and Mike Green on bass.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Experience Beck
2024-07-06 20:00 - 23:00
A tribute to iconic, legendary guitarist Jeff Beck featuring music from the significant albums “Wired” and “Blow by Blow”
We’re no strangers to the music of Jeff Beck on the Music Spoken Here stage at The Marr’s Bar. In January, FNUK (which included Jeff Beck’s pianist of six years, Jason Rebello in the line-up) featured the astounding guitarist Paul Stacey playing Beck’s arrangement of ‘Goodbye Pork Pie Hat’ (see the video here), and played ‘Led Boots’ as an encore. Slinky Machine dedicated their performance of Billy Cobham’s ‘Stratus’ to the man in March, and in April, Sam Leak’s Looking Glass included ‘Love Is Green’ in their set.
So when drummer and band leader Ollie Usiskin contacted me about his new project Experience Beck, playing the music from his 1975 ‘Blow by Blow’ and 1976 ‘Wired’ albums that also featured in the 2007 ‘Jeff Beck performing this week at Ronnie Scott’s’ live album and DVD (featuring Jason Rebello, Vinnie Colaiuta and the 21-year-old Tal Wilkenfeld), I thought “Let’s do it!”. This show is our second trial of a Saturday night this year, with another band that we expect to have a broader appeal than our usual Thursday audience.
Ollie is joined by Guy D’Angelo on guitar, Aurelius Sciuka on keys and Rob Statham (who played in Francesco LoCastro’s band in May last year), on bass.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell
2024-06-27 20:00 - 23:00
Celebrating the music of Joni Mitchell featuring Hattie Whitehead in a formidable 7-piece band
Hejira is a 7-piece band set up to celebrate and honour the masterpiece works of Joni Mitchell, mostly from the late ‘70s. Having released the albums ‘The Hissing of Summer Lawns’, ‘Hejira’, ‘Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter’ and ‘Mingus’ (regarded as her ‘jazz period’), Joni then toured briefly with a band formed from the crème de la crème of contemporaneous jazz musicians (Metheny, Mays, Brecker, Pastorius and Alias). The tour was recorded, producing the outstanding live album, ‘Shadows And Light’; it is from this album that the band Hejira is drawing the body of its repertoire. Comprising highly experienced jazz musicians, this band is fronted by the brilliant Hattie Whitehead who not only has – in her own way – assimilated the poise, power and beauty of Joni’s vocals, but also plays guitar with Joni’s stylistic mannerisms. Expect an evening of the ‘great’ songs from Mitchell’s back catalogue, such as ‘Amelia’, ‘Woodstock’, ‘A Case Of You’, ’Song For Sharon’ and ‘Edith And The Kingpin’.
Hattie is joined by Ollie Weston (tenor & soprano saxophones), Chris Eldred (keyboards), Pete Oxley (guitar), Dave Jones (bass), Rick Finlay (drums) and Marc Cecil (percussion)

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are operated on a ticketless, ‘pay-what-you-can on the door’ model, which works well for most shows considering our typical audience size and venue capacity.
The suggested contribution for this event is £15-20.
For more popular shows like this where we may reach venue capacity, it is important that we monitor expected attendance to ensure the venue is adequately staffed and avoid turning people away at the door. Seating is limited (around 50) and unallocated, although priority is given to Music Spoken Here Club Members. The remainder of the venue is standing room. You can choose to reserve your space now by pre-paying your chosen amount, or pay what you can on the door on the night. Club Members and pre-paid customers will be given priority admission on the night.
Pre-payment and registration for this event is now closed.
You can find out more about our admission and membership strategy at A New Approach

Check out these videos for an idea of what to expect on the night!

The Band
Hattie Whitehead – vocals and guitars
The band is fronted by the extraordinarily talented Hattie Whitehead, who not only sings masterfully with Joni’s pitch-accuracy, poise and dignity, but she also plays guitar much with the mannerisms of Mitchell (incorporating various open tunings – which lend an instant authenticity to the colour of the songs). Hattie grew up surrounded by music and musicians – her father is the outstanding saxophonist, Tim Whitehead – and has a career as a singer/songwriter outside of this band. In 2016, she won the ‘Emerging Talent’ competition at Glastonbury Festival. Her original songs have been listened to hundreds of thousands of times on various streaming platforms.
Pete Oxley – guitar
Pete grew up in a family of classical musicians, fell for jazz in his late teens, went on to study jazz at the Leeds College of Music, then moved to Paris in his mid twenties. It was there that he began gigging intensively and developing his career as a guitarist, composer and bandleader. He has produced 16 albums of critically acclaimed original music (including 7 with the Swiss guitar virtuoso, Nicolas Meier) and is one of only a handful of British composers to have their works included in the ‘European Real Book’ (Sher Publications). The Oxley-Meier Guitar Project continues to record and tour extensively throughout the UK and Europe.
Ollie Weston – saxophones
Since graduating from Leeds College of Music, Ollie has had a diverse career which has included education, session work and live performance. In the former of these, Ollie teaches at the Guildhall (London) and has major tutorial books published by Schott Music under the heading, ‘Exploring Jazz’. In the latter, Ollie has toured all over the world with such outfits as Amy Winehouse, Tim Minchin, Bonobo and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. He has also worked extensively in the West End, performing in Chicago, Dream Girls and in two critically acclaimed seasons at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
Chris Eldred – piano and keyboards
Chris first came to prominence while playing in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), from 2008 to 2014. In the midst of that period, he was winner of the 2011 Yamaha Scholarship Award for Outstanding Jazz Musicians and graduated in the same year from Trinity College of Music with first class honours. With NYJO, he performed many high-profile gigs (such as at the Albert Hall Proms) and came to the attention of such established masters as Mark Lockheart, Jean Toussaint and Salena Jones, with whom he subsequently worked. He is now a regular performer at Ronnie Scott’s and is one of London’s most in-demand pianists.
Dave Jones – electric basses
Dave is one of the most brilliant bass players – on both electric and acoustic basses that the UK has produced! His deep musicianship has led him to work with, amongst others, John Etheridge, Bill Bruford, the BBC Big Band, Jacqui Dankworth, Willard White and Scott Hamilton. He is bandleader, arranger and composer of the ‘Dave Jones Nonet’, comprising the creme de la creme of UK jazz musicians. Dave is continually active in jazz education leading many courses at Richmond Jazz School where he also previously led the faculty and he is also regularly invited to teach on a number of international jazz summer schools.
Rick Finlay – drums
Rick’s career has seen him being perpetually occupied, dividing his time between London’s West End, education and performing as a jazz musician. In the former, Rick held the drum chair at Blood Brothers for twenty years and also played for The Little Shop of Horrors and Chess Time. As a freelancer, Rick has performed on many prestigious TV shows, including Parkinson, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and The Late Show. Rick has, for several years, been hosting the ‘Just East Jazz Club’ in North London, where he has accompanied most of the UK’s jazz glitterati!
Marc Cecil – percussion
Marc Cecil is a musician whose career has seen him work in myriad styles, performing at all sorts of premier venues, such as The Royal Opera House, Wembley Arena, The 02, Glastonbury Festival, The Jazz Cafe – Camden and Ronnie Scott’s. He was a member of “King Salsa”, the UK’s premier 12 piece salsa band for 17years. His extensive theatre work includes seasons with: Blood Brothers (west end), Billy Elliot (west end), Saturday Night Fever (west end), Footloose (tour), Streisand The Story (tour), The Chicago Blues Brothers (tour), Million Dollar Quartet (west end) and The Carpenter’s Story (tour). In the jazz arena, Marc has worked with a ‘who’s who’ top UK musicians, including: Jason Rebello, Neil Angilly, Nigel Price, Art Themen, Jim Mullen, Picante, Jacqui Hicks, Snowboy, Noel McCalla, Liane Carol, Lily Dior, Geoff Gascoyne, Laurence Cottle, Alan Barns, Henry Lowther, and the Derek Nash Quartet. Marc’s extraordinary drive, groove and use of sonic colours is an essential element of the whole Hejira soundscape.

Brandon Allen's Groove Band
2024-06-13 20:00 - 23:00
Groove, funk & fusion from a saxophone heavyweight at the height of his powers
We are delighted to welcome Australian/UK saxophonist and composer Brandon Allen to The Marr’s Bar with his Groove Band for an evening of groove, funk & fusion influenced by Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Harris, John Scofield, Tom Scott, David Sanborn and The Brecker Brothers.
Allen, who also heads up the Brandon Allen Quartet / Sextet and The Stanley Turrentine Project, has toured Internationally with the Kyle East band and performed with Eric Clapton, Paloma Faith, Omar Lyefook, Gary Husband, Adam Nussbaum, Stefano Di Battista, Ibrahim Maalouf and numerous others.
This relatively new band, which has already enjoyed two sold-out shows at Ronnie Scott’s, has an equally impressive collective CV. The lineup features Mike Outram (Carleen Anderson, Tim Garland, Chick Corea, Steven Wilson, Herbie Mann) on guitar, Hamish Balfour (Harvey Mason, Yolanda Charles’ Project PH, Tenderlonious, Odyssey, Faze Action, Bassically) on keys, Chris Attwell (Valmuz) on bass and Laurie Lowe (Preston GlasgowLowe, Robert Mitchell, Project PH).

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here is proud to offer exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Secret Night Gang
2024-05-30 20:00 - 23:00
Uplifting, transcendent, jazz-inflected street soul from Manchester
Come and join us as we celebrate two years of Music Spoken Here at The Marr’s Bar with a very special show from British street soul masters, Secret Night Gang. Formed by Manchester natives and childhood friends Kemani Anderson and Callum Connell, this 7-piece collective spread their uplifting, transcendent, and genre-blending street soul sound through dynamic melodies and jazz-inflected soul prowess, renewing the musical frontiers of the genres.
Handpicked from Manchester’s vibrant live music scene in 2021 by legendary broadcaster, DJ, producer and label head Gilles Peterson, the band has been championed by a wide range of tastemakers, including Rolling Stone, Clash magazine, Jazz FM, Jamie Cullum and Bandcamp, just to mention a few. Their eponymous debut album in 2021 on Peterson’s Brownswood label was followed up last year with “Belongs on a Place Called Earth”, selling out shows at Ronnie Scott’s and the Jazz Cafe in London. They have also performed at the most progressive contemporary festivals including North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Primavera Sound, Love Supreme, We Out Here and Cross the Tracks.
Joining Kemani (vocals) and Callum (sax) will be Aaron Wood (trumpet), Nicola Guida (keys), Jack Duckham (guitar), Manny (bass) and Ruben Edwards (drums).

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here offers exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are operated on a ticketless, ‘pay-what-you-can’ on the door model, which works well for most shows considering our typical audience size and venue capacity.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
For more popular shows like this where we may reach venue capacity, it is important that we monitor expected attendance to ensure the venue is adequately staffed and avoid turning people away at the door. We therefore request that you register interest in attending this event and we will provide regular updates by email. We will also provide updates through this event webpage, our mailing list and all our social media channels.
Music Spoken Here Club Members will be given priority if spaces become limited. You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Steve Taylor's Fusion Phew!
2024-05-16 20:00 - 23:00
Jazz-funk and fusion from world-class drummer featuring phenomenal guitarist and singer/songwriter Rosie Frater-Taylor.
Following the wonderful Music Spoken Here show from Rosie Frater-Taylor in December 2022, I was delighted to discover her parents have an outfit that includes Rosie in the line-up! I absolutely had to get them on our program and am totally stoked to finally be welcoming them to Worcester for the first time, following on from the release of Rosie’s new album Featherweight in February this year.
As premiered at EFG London Jazz Festival 2021, Steve Taylor’s Fusion Phew is the jazz / funk / fusion inspired line up from drummer Steve Taylor, described by Rhythm Magazine as “World class…a technician who grooves”. The band has collaborated with Omar and Ian Shaw to name a few. Prodigiously gifted singer-songwriter and virtuoso guitarist, Rosie Frater-Taylor features alongside the luscious vocals of Josie Frater, sax maestro and Parliamentary Jazz Award winner Phil Meadows, keyboard virtuoso Neil Angilley and bassist Jonny Wickham (who appeared for us with Robert Castelli back in March 2023).
Expect homage to the likes of Gil Scott Heron, Al Jarreau plus Steve & Josie’s “sparkling” (Janey Lee Grace, BBC Radio 2) self-penned originals.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here prides itself in offering exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Guido Spannocchi Quartet
2024-05-02 20:00 - 23:00
Exotica, Calypso, West African Grooves, Japanese Folk and a sprinkling of Jazz from this sought-after London quartet.
Following sold out shows at esteemed clubs across Europe, including Ronnie Scott’s and The Vortex in London, Porgy & Bess in Vienna and B-Flat in Berlin, we are delighted to welcome Vienna-born, London-based saxophonist Guido Spannocchi to Worcester for the first stop outside London of his 2024 tour.
Spannocchi studied jazz saxophone and classical flute at the prestigious Conservatoire in Vienna before further studies at the University of Vienna and Université Paris. He moved to London in 2011, developing his unique sound and repertoire influenced by the multicultural London scene and extensive touring in Japan, Brazil, Africa and across Europe. He has worked alongside greats such as Joe Zawinul, Bobby McFerrin and Orphy Robinson and, just as comfortably, with more contemporary artists including Rosie Turton, Nubya Garcia and Tony Kofi.
His own compositions have resulted in four studio albums released on his AudioGuido Records label, the most recent being Perihelion in 2021, which featured Jay Phelps on trumpet, Robert Mitchell on Wurlitzer and piano, Sylvie Leys on tenor sax, Michelangelo Scandroglio on bass and Tristan Banks (whose quartet played for us in April last year) on drums. In 2022, the live recording of his quartet’s performance at Porgy & Bess in Vienna was released, also on the AudioGuido label, to the following reactions:
“This is so fantastic I keep re-playing it” – Andy Hamilton, The Wire
“Buy it, play it, turn it up, sit back, and enjoy good jazz music played by an ensemble who know exactly what they are doing, led by a talented musician with generous arrangements. What, I ask is not to enjoy?” – Sammy Stein, Something Else
“Firmly embedded in the tradition of Jazz yet with a strong grip onto the present and a glimpse into the future” – Emily Saunders, Connects Music
The lineup on that 2022 recording has remained largely unchanged for this rare appearance in Worcester for Music Spoken Here that will introduce brand new compositions being played live for the first time outside of London! Spannocchi will be accompanied by pianist Danny Keane (Mulatu Astatke, Jason Singh, Nitin Sahwney and MD for Anoushka Shankar) and Pete Hill (Alfa Mist, Ashley Henry, Jo Harrop) on drums, with bassist Jason Simpson (John Etheridge, Tony Coe, John Horler) being the only change to the Vienna line-up.
Expect provocative, contemporary compositions that encompass classical music, grooves, tradition and avant-garde.

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here prides itself in offering exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach

Sam Leak's 'Looking Glass'
2024-04-18 20:00 - 23:00
Four heavyweights from the London jazz scene playing jazz fusion influenced by Holdsworth, Weather Report and John McLaughlin.
We’re excited to announce the return of Sam Leak to the Marr’s Bar stage, this time around with his own band ‘Looking Glass’. You may remember Sam from his performance with Francesco LoCastro back in May last year. (You’ve probably seen the back of his head in the photo of LoCastro’s band that we use a lot for Music Spoken Here promo!). When I discovered he has his own fusion band with Nick Linnik and Laurie Lowe (who have also appeared for us at The Marr’s Bar in Yolanda Charles’ Project PH), along with bassist Flo Moore, it was a no-brainer to get them on the Music Spoken Here program!
London-based jazz pianist Leak’s eponymous 2011 debut album was listed in MOJO Magazine as one of the ‘Top Ten International Releases of the Year.‘ The 2013 follow up, “Places,” was described by the Guardian’s John Fordham as ‘surefooted creativity… way beyond respectful expertise,’ and by BBC Music Magazine’s Daniel Spicer as ‘assured and sophisticated acoustic jazz with deep roots in the tradition, that knows exactly what it’s trying to do – and succeeds.’
In 2018 Leak released “Adrift”, a duet with New York’s Dan Tepfer, a long-time collaborator of legendary veteran saxophonist Lee Konitz. Of this album, The Wire’s Marcus O’Dair has said: “Sam Leak and Dan Tepfer are two of the best pianists of their generation, and their convergence on this recording is astonishing.” The New York City Jazz Record have described it as “magical” and “constantly evolving and engaging.”
Expect space-age textures, intense interaction, and virtuosic improvising. From contemporary soundscapes to infectious grooves, this lineup brings something fresh to the music while maintaining a deep connection with its roots.
‘One of the brightest stars in the Jazz piano galaxy, a heavenly improviser, and a brilliant prospect for the future.‘ – Helen Mayhew, Jazz FM
“Heavyweights of the British Jazz scene” – Jamie Callum, BBC Radio 2
“Multi-faceted and smart as a pin …of a very high order” – MOJO ★★★★
“the music is magical… constantly evolving and engaging…” – The New York City Jazz Record
“The Royal Academy of Music’s jazz programme has produced a remarkable crop of newcomers in recent times: notably the Mercury-nominated pianists Gwilym Simcock and Kit Downes. Now comes Sam Leak, an artist of comparable promise…Leak is a subtle storyteller who keeps the grooves and colours changing.” – John Fordham, The Guardian
Doors 8pm, show starts 8:30pm

TICKETS
Music Spoken Here prides itself in offering exceptional live music experiences in Worcester at a price affordable to you. Our fortnightly events at The Marr’s Bar are ticketless, just show up on the night and pay what you can afford on the door.
The suggested contribution for this event is £10-15.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach
