The Squid's Ear Magazine


Bonga / Champion / Mwamba: Paperstone Suite (FMR)

Since 2012 the improvising trio of saxophonist Ntshuks Bonga, bassist Andy Champion and Corey Mwamba have met to perform at concerts and festivals, here captured in the studio in a dynamic dialog balancing fervent and contemplative playing with commanding skill.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Ntshuks Bonga-alto saxophone, Soprano saxophone

Andy Champion-bass

Corey Mwamba-vibes, percussion


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UPC: 0642415163026

Label: FMR
Catalog ID: FMRCD422-0616
Squidco Product Code: 22590

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2016
Country: Great Britain
Packaging: Digipack
Recorded at Paperstone Studios, Nottingham, England, on November 14th, 2013, by Huw Jones.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"The Bonga/Champion/Mwamba Trio was formed in the summer of 2012. At the time Ntshuks was in Newcastle on tour with the RSC and approached Paul Bream of Jazz North East about the possibility of playing whilst in town. Ntshuks suggested asking Corey to play and Paul suggested Andy Champion as the third member of the group.

Corey & Andy have a long and varied musical history, and Ntshuks and Corey played as part of Orphy Robinson's Spontaneous Cosmic Raw Xtra, as well as in Corey's own group, Heralds. Paul programmed the trio to appear at the Very Long Splinter end of season concert at the Bridge Hotel. The musical rapport was instantaneous and each subsequent meeting has been explosive. The trio appeared at the Gateshead International Festival in 2013, supporting the Louis Moholo-Moholo / Alexander Hawkins Duo.

The music on this CD was recorded at the Paperstone Studios in Nottingham in Nov 2013. The trio spent a day playing in a beautiful room performing a series of improvisations that form the Paperstone Suite parts I-VII."-FMR


Artist Biographies

"Ntshuks Bonga was born in Johannesburg, 1st October 1963. He moved to London with family in 1970. He took lessons on guitar & violin at school, and is mostly self taught on saxophones and clarinets. His past projects & collaborations include: various wonderful Maggie Nicols groups circa 1991-1993; Louis MoholoÕs Exiles [Louis Moholo, Gibo Pheto, Pule Pheto, Claude Deppa] circa 1992; Silapha [with Gibo Pheto & Pule Pheto]; Ntshuks BongaÕs Tshisa [with Marcio Mattos & Ken Hyder]; Robyn Hitchcock; Claude DeppaÕs fabulous Horns Unlimited [12 horns, 3 percussion CMN tour in 1998); Ntshuks BongaÕs Tokolosho [with Veryan Weston, John Grieve, Winston Rollins, Brian Abrahams, Mark Sanders, Julia Doyle]; Lucky RankuÕs African Jazz All Stars; FJQ [with Robin Musgrove, Jerry Bird and Alfredo Genovesi] recorded FJQ in 1998; Lydia Lunch (fabulous winter tour in 2004; still receovering!); Dave Draper/Jim LeBaigue/Ntshuks Bonga trio"

-Ntshuks Bonga Website (http://www.ntshuksbonga.com/background/)
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.

"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.


Track Listing:



1. I - Satori (Awakening) 6:27

2. II - Zanshin (Awareness) 11:00

3. III - Shintai (Movement) 7:40

4. IV - JInsei No Rizmu (Rhythm Of Life) 8:06

5. V - Furukawa (Old River) 10:14

6. VI - Yume (Dreams) 6:27

7. VII - Kowareta Dansu (Broken Dance) 15:50

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
London & UK Improv & Related Scenes
Trio Recordings
FMR Records

Search for other titles on the label:
FMR.


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