bio
About the individuals:
Martin Pyne’s solo album “Spirits Of Absent Dancers” featured in The Guardian’s Best albums of 2020 list.
“In terms of percussion improvisation, try to imagine something that runs from the Zen sound-painting of Frank Perry to the light swing of Billy Higgins. There’s nothing loud, nothing showy, nothing esoteric. Just a delight in the deft touch of a stick, a mallet, a finger or a wire brush on metal, skin or wood, and in the process of transforming sound into a sense of movement.” – Richard Williams – The Blue Moment
Charlotte is inspired by the way painters explore colours and shapes. She refers to her trumpet and flugelhorn as her ‘sound brushes’. Her music has been featured on Jazz FM, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 6 where she’s been described as a ‘prolific’, ‘dynamic’ and ‘excellent improviser!’ by the likes of Corey Mwamba, Stuart Maconie and Jez Nelson.
‘Charlotte Keeffe’s blood-red, rasping flugelhorn and trumpet blew breathy cadences and messages as if her lungs were burning with an electricity all of her own.’ – Chris Searle – Morning Star
‘Fresh on the scene, trumpeter Charlotte Keeffe is a whirlwind of extended techniques and tactile puzzles, removing the mouthpiece to elicit a windy howl, using her left hand as a mute in the bell of the horn and revelling in restless possibilities.’ – Daniel Spicer – Jazzwise
Martin Archer is a composer / improviser who is equally at home on stage or in the studio. His own distinctive saxophone playing is rooted in AACM jazz. Through his use of keyboards and electronics, and as a studio producer, he extends this interest into extended song form and leftfield rock music. An eclectic combination of sources and highly individual applications makes Archer a unique inhabitant of the school of English maverick composer / improvisers.
“Archer’s aesthetic is an intriguing and transformative one—whatever enters his world comes out changed, if not utterly, then beautifully.” – Duncan Heining – All About Jazz
“This is some deep listening…. Martin Archer has a real voice on his instrument….. he deserves your full attention.” – Dereck Higgins – online video blog