At the Solstice recording session. Seated L-R: Tori Freestone, Brigitte Beraha Standing: Curtis Schwartz, John Turville, Jez Franks, Dave Manington, George Hart

Solstice is a new project based around members of the E17 group. Pianist JOHN TURVILLE explains the background and looks forward to their gig this Tuesday 29th March: 

As jazz musicians, it’s not always easy to define what makes a band work.

But the more experience I have performing and recording, the more I see it’s as much about personalities and shared influences as getting the next superstar involved in your project.

One of the projects I’ve been most proud of working with recently is ‘Solstice’ – a collaboration between some of my favourite players and friends, with a great front line of Brigitte Beraha, Tori Freestone and Jez Franks.

Musically, it’s hard to define – somewhere between the French pianist Pierre de Bethmann’s group, Hermeto Pascoal and a kind of downtown New York sound, but it’s one that keeps evolving as we play and rehearse. It’s kind of part band, part dinner club – we’re all into cooking (and food in general!) so it’s very much about the social thing as well as the music. I think this comes across – although everyone contributes their own, very individual compositions (ingredients if you will), there is a wonderful feeling of group synergy with a seamless flow between composed and improvised sections. We’ve also gone to town on the food titles – the album itself is called Alimentation, and the individual tracks all have wacky food titles –  Avocado Deficit, Mourning Porridge and The Ultimate Big Cheese  (sound clip below) for a start!

We just finished mixing it at Curtis Schwartz’s studio down in Sussex, and he calls it ‘delicious’. See what you think – here’s an exclusive soundcloud preview from the session:

– SOUNDS: The Ultimate Big Cheese – on Soundcloud

If you like what you hear, we’re at Pizza Express this Tuesday 29th March – come and check out what should be a really special gig.

o – o – o – o – o

– Alimentation will be released in Autumn 2016

– Solstice website 

– BAND

Tori Freestone – Saxes/flutes
Jez Franks – guitars
Brigitte Beraha– voice
John Turville -piano
Dave Manington – double bass
George Hart – Drums