Fergus Quill "Let's Break Things" EP Launch + Yoshizawa / Hyde Park Book Club Leeds

UK award winning jazz composer/arranger/bandleader Fergus Quill, releases his new EP "Let's Break Things" (Trash City Records) on Wednesday 5th November. The EP launch will be on that night, which is Bonfire Night, and Fergus has assembled a quality crew of jazz musicians and fiery improvisers to bring the rowdy musical fireworks at Hyde Park Book Club. To warm up the crowd, he's invited punky prog alt-jazzers Yoshizawa (led by drummer Amelie Yoshizawa), to open the night.

The EP was written over a couple of months and recorded in true DIY punk style - a one day session, no rehearsal, one take all songs, totally analogue, fully mixed and mastered. This is a totally new project that's very different from Fergus's previous releases by the Fergus Quill Trio, Ferg's Imaginary Big Band and the Fergus Quill/Xero Slingsby project. The digital only release brings together two strands of music much loved by Fergus....spiritual jazz and punk. Fergus says musicians who have influenced this recording are New York experimental saxophonist John Zorn, post-punk jazz band The Lounge Lizards, free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman, and Leeds' legendary jazz maverick saxophonist/bandleader Xero Slingsby. Plus Shirley Bassey....yes, Dame Shirley has become a favourite artist of Fergus's in recent years.

The band on the EP and the launch party gig are all A-list musicians Fergus has worked with in various line-ups over the years :

Dan Coulthurst - trumpet (National Youth Jazz Orchestra)
Harvey Parkin-Christie - saxophones (Kawaiiyasu)
Benji Arnold - trombone (Away From Home)
Will Lakin - guitar (Skwid Ink/Tight Lines)
Theo Goss - drums (KOG/Slow Loris/Fergus Quill Trio)
Fergus Quill - electric bass (Fergus Quill Trio/Ferg's Imaginary Big Band/Fergus Quill's Electric Noise Trio/The Bagatelles)

Support act is Yoshizawa, led by drummer Amelie Yoshizawa. It's hard to pin down their sound so here's how they describe it :

"Yoshizawa is an eerie proggy band who create refreshing musical landscapes to connect and communicate with their audiences. Through their playing they bring a new conversation to a wide range of music. Their performances deliver a whole truckload of energy, with driving drums and synth bass underpinning soaring flutes and guitars".

When asked who he'd like as a support act, Fergus Quill replied straight away "Yoshizawa...Amelie is a badass drummer and one of my favourite musicians in the Leeds scene today". Can't get a better big-up than that. Get down at 8pm for their set.

Doors 7.30pm. Yoshizawa 8pm. Fergus Quill band 9pm. Curfew 10.30pm.

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