The Squid's Ear Magazine


Mwamba, Corey : Nth (Discus)

A sophisticated and lyrical album of modern jazz led by UK vibraphonist Corey Mwamba, also on glockenspiel & beak flute, in a quartet with Laura Cole on piano, Andy Champion on double bass, and Johnny Hunter on drums & small percussion, with all pieces "devised and scored" by Mwamba alongside one collective improvisation; powerfully refined modern jazz.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Corey Mwamba-vibraphone, glockenspiel, beak flute

Laura Cole-piano

Andy Champion-double bass

Johnny Hunter-drums, small percussion


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UPC: 5051078971322

Label: Discus
Catalog ID: 86CD
Squidco Product Code: 28237

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2018
Country: UK
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded at Blank Studios, in Newcastle, UK, on June 15th and 16th, 2019, by John Martindale.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"The idea for putting together this group, at the time I did, represents a slow movement. This is a group of people that I had wanted to put together for a while; some of the music was written almost fifteen years ago. But then, as it began, we accelerated; we played live four times, the final time coinciding with my last time.

Andy, Johnny, and Laura have given so much in performing and dealing with the material. What these musicians and friends have done, to me, reflects a core tradition in jazz -- to deal and commit to the material and make new things, present new ways of listening and expressing: to move beyond the limits of the marks on the page, towards feeling."-Corey Mwamba



"Corey Mwamba lives and works in Derby. Above all, he is player of the vibraphone, but also dulcimer and electronics. As a performer and composer, he works in contexts of jazz and contemporary music. He was a member of Nat BirchallÕs Quintet and Engine Room Favourites, a large ensemble led by Martin Archer. This cd documents music performed by his quartet. Music that Corey wrote over a period of fifteen years, performed by Laura Cole (piano), Andy Champion (double bass) and Johnny Hunter (drums, small percussion). Mwamba plays vibraphone, glockenspiel and beak flute. After several gigs, this quartet became a tight unit and ready for some recordings. There is not much work by Mwamba out on cd. Two releases by his main group Yana with Dave Kane and Joshua Blackmore. In 2016 ÔPaperstone SuiteÕ a trio recording with Champion and Ntshuks Bonga appeared on FMR. Together with Champion he also participates in the Anglo- French quartet Sonsale. And in 2015 Slam Productions released an album by The Spirit Farm that had Corey, Johnny Hunter among others as members. I guess ÔNthÕ is his most personal release, reflecting his compositional work. Even more, while this release marks the end of CoreyÕs career as a performing musician. ÒWhat these musicians and friends have done, to me, reflects a core tradition in jazz -- to deal and commit to the material and make new things, present new ways of listening and expressing: to move beyond the limits of the marks on the page, towards feeling.Ó Opening track ÔAgainst all known ThingsÕ opens with a great intro by bass and drums, before the vibraphone joins in with a melodic theme. ÔNever a stateÕ starts as very open collective improvised. Gradually they develop a focused and dynamic interplay. ÔEntwined ReveriesÕ is a dreamy ballad, followed by the complex rhythm-based ÔOver LeaguesÕ. I like them most in their up-tempo excursions, like ÔSituationsÕ that has a great piano playing by Cole. In all they offer a varied bunch of strongly jazzy compositions that are more complex than they may sound at first hearing."-DM, Vital Weekly


Get additional information at Vital Weekly

Artist Biographies

"Born and based in Derby, Corey Mwamba's commitment to jazz and improvised music in Britain and Ireland drives all aspects of his work, whether through composition, playing, or promoting new music. Corey predominantly plays vibraphone; he also plays dulcimer and uses audio processing software. He is recognised as a highly creative improviser and composer working across a wide range of jazz and contemporary music. Mwamba's distinctive approach and tone is instantly recognisable in any context: a potent blend of pure sound, highly melodic phrases and ethereal textures; barely whispered chords and ear-piercing robotic screams. Corey won a PRSF/Jerwood Foundation Take Five artist development award in 2007; was short-listed for the Innovation category in the BBC Jazz Awards in 2008; and was nominated for "Rising Star on Vibraphone" in the 62nd, 63rd, and 64th DownBeat Annual Critics' Polls.

Mwamba's main group is the critically acclaimed Yana with Dave Kane (bass) and Joshua Blackmore (drums). This group exemplifies a core ideal of creating an "open, living music"; listening and responding spontaneously as a unit to make music that has love, language and a groove. Their first studio release don't overthink it was hailed as "engaging and evocative" (All About Jazz) and described as "the sound of three minds working together in a utopian zone, way beyond the individual ego - and producing something quite beautiful in the process" (Jazzwise). Dave and Corey are also in an improvising sextet called The Spirit Farm, formed out of research by pianist Adam Fairhall. Mwamba and Fairhall also form a trio with drummer Johnny Hunter called Backyard Chassis.

He is a member of the Anglo-French quartet Sonsale with bassist Andy Champion, drummer Sylvain Darrifourcq and cellist Valentin Ceccaldi. Corey also works with Andy in an improvising trio with saxophonist Ntshuks Bonga. He plays in duos with saxophonist Rachel Musson; pianist Robert Mitchell; percussionists Martin Pyne and Walt Shaw; and the multi-instrumentalist Orphy Robinson. [...]

Mwamba was granted an AHRC studentship for a Master of Research degree in Music at Keele University, for which he was awarded a distinction in 2014. Through this research, he developed new dark art, which is a notational and theoretical music system that takes early European medieval music practice as a starting point to create modern music. He is currently undertaking doctoral research in Jazz Studies at Birmingham City University on a Midlands3Cities/AHRC studentship."

-Corey Mwamba Website (http://www.coreymwamba.co.uk/who/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Laura Cole is a jazz composer/pianist who lives in Leeds but whose band (Metamorphic) is based in London. Metamorphic features, Kerry Andrew (vocals), Chris Williams (alto),John Martin (tenor/soprano), Paul Sandy (bass), Tom Greenhalgh (drums).

Metamorphic will play in Jazz in the Round at the Cockpit Theatre on Monday January 28th. They also have a gig at the Vortex on the 24th February with Frank Byng's (Slowfoot Records) quintet, Snorkel.

The group have one album out (The Rock Between, 2011, F-IRECD43 - reviewed by Chris Parker), and release their follow up (Coalescence, also on F-IRE) later this year (2013).

Laura also has a blog which discusses the issues that women face in music and holds a First Class Honours Degree in Jazz from Middlesex University."

-London Jazz News (http://www.londonjazznews.com/2013/01/artist-profile-laura-cole.html)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Versatile" is the only word for bassist Andy Champion. A much in demand bass guitarist and double bassist; Andy has done just about every gig going, from theatre shows in Dubai to radio stations in Finland to massive outdoor Jazz festivals in China. Andy first started his musical journey in the world of metal but always found that his skill demanded a higher goal and like most musicians he found his attention turn to jazz, not only because he was able to experiment and learn new techniques but also it offered up the possibility to play double bass something Andy is renowned world over. Andy's hard work in the field of jazz paid off in 2013 as he was selected by international music producers Serious (London Jazz Festival amongst other things) to take part in the prestigious artist development scheme 'Take Five', giving Andy access to some of the best musicians and producers working in UK jazz today. "

-Smoove and Turrell Website (http://smooveandturrell.com/about/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Johnny Hunter is a northern UK-based drummer who comes from a background of both the Avant-Garde and the more mainstream Jazz. He has performed or recorded with such esteemed musicians as Benn Clatworthy, Mick Beck, Nat Birchall, Jamil Sheriff, Jamie Taylor, Pete Fairclough, Walt Shaw, Corey Mwamba, Steve Beresford, Graham Clark, Adam Fairhall and Steve Berry to name a few. He is also heavily involved in the Reggae and Dub scene.

He is currently playing with Misha Gray's Prehistoric Jazz Quintet, Liverpool-based group playing heavy modal Jazz inspired by John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and the like; Nat Birchall; Engine Room Favourites, AACM inspired Free Jazz; the Blind Monk Trio, sax/bass/drums trio playing heavy rootjazz; the Dub Jazz Soundsystem, a mash-up of heavy Dub and psychedelic modal Jazz; Skamel, a Ska/Jazz/Dub ensemble inspired by the French Reggae group Raspigaous; his own "chordless" quartet set up to explore the freedom and limitations of having no chordal instrument; among several other projects. He also runs the Jazz jam night at Matt & Phred's Jazz Club."

-Johnny Hunter Website (http://www.johnnyhuntermusic.com/bio/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Against All Known Things 8:37

2. Never A State 8:43

3. Sub (Taste) 4:53

4. Orison 11:50

5. Situations 7:39

6. A Door To The Sea 4:01

7. Entwined Reveries 7:56

8. Over Leagues 10:51

9. Vertumnal 7:07

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
London & UK Improv & Related Scenes
Quartet Recordings
Melodic and Lyrical Jazz
Friends of Squid

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Discus.


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