View from the Tower

27 Sunday, Vortex Jazz Club 3.30 pm 
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/199137

View from the Tower is a monthly residency at the Vortex Jazz Club exploring the work of British composers while bringing together artists on Babel Label. It is curated by guitarist/composer Dan Messore who got the idea while working on his own album. New compositions and the reinvention of older ones play a huge part in this exploration by some very fine musicians. Performing this month are: Trish Clowes (saxophone), Elliott Galvin (piano), Dave Hamblett (Drums), Gareth Lockrane (flutes), Dave Manington (Bass), Rory Simmons (trumpet).

The works for this month include:

Bath time - Julian Arguelles

The Eskaton - Phil Robson (Partisans) 

Hermetology - Iain Ballamy

Time and Tide - Gwilym Simcock

A.S.B.O - Dave Manington

The Master and Margerita - Trish Clowes

Sheep - Huw Warren

In Messore's words: 

'This months selection comes from an on-going collection of music from British composers. Each month I'll be adding new arrangements (from myself and other band members). This months pieces are chosen to cross a broad range and showcase the beginnings of a growing pad. In the future months we have compositions from Kit Downes, Gareth Lockrane and Keith Tippett, to name a few. As the collection grows we will theme the events to look at different eras, instrumentalists, concepts and so on. 
Hermetology is  Iain's ode to the legend Hemeto Pascoal. I have been fortunate in turn to work Iain on my Indigo Kid project. Its a great tune, and I like it in the set as part of the jazz heritage of inspiration from both artistic output and direct contact and well versed. In terms of composers associations to their work, Trish Clowes' The Master and Margarita is inspired by, and in response to, the book by the same name by Mikhail Bulgakov. Again, I enjoy this passing on of inspiration.  Both of these musicians have been pivotal and inspiring in my musical growth.

Huw Warren's piece Sheep is a great little tune to show the depth of Huw's musicality. It's testament to making the complicated simple, rather than the reverse. This is the first of several of his pieces that I hope to include in the collection. All his compositions have this deep musicality which are brilliant vehicles for improvisation and group interaction'.

Check out the Babel Label website http://babel-label.bandcamp.com/