Sun Swells

21st October 2022

CD, Digital & Vinyl Formats / UBU0108

Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the signing of the exceedingly versatile drummer, Corrie Dick, for the release of his new album, Sun Swells, on 21st October 2022.

Corrie, a musician and composer specialising in euphoric, sonically-inventive drumming, is at the rhythmic epicentre of a new era of innovative British jazz. He is lauded for his dynamism, his melodic slant and for his playfully subversive take on style and genre. An artist of prolific and varied output, Corrie has long been an essential component of Laura Jurd’s music including Mercury Prize shortlisted Dinosaur; is a crucial co-pilot in Elliot Galvin Trio and Rob Luft Group; and co-writes music with an abundance of artists including alternative Indie band Ink Line. His 2015 release Impossible Things which skilfully fused Celtic folk and contemporary jazz with new takes on African rhythms culminated in sold out touring and concerts across the UK. Now Corrie resets for an album which further embraces the eclectic whims of a child of the iPod shuffle generation - finding cohesion among disparate elements.

As a multi-instrumentalist who has recorded on piano, vocals, synth, guitar and trumpet, Corrie’s writing is uniquely colourful and his playing shaped by many perspectives. The new album Sun Swells showcases all of this. Anchored by a rock guitar trio but with layers of fruity surprises, surging vocal melodies are counterpointed by mercurial horn playing. There is captivating prose written by guest vocalists Dave Malkin of the English folk tradition and Greek-Norwegian Marianna Sangita.

Now an active participant in South East London’s evergreen arts scene, Deptford, the young master of contemporary drumming has studied traditional music in Ghana and Morocco where the grooves are rich and layered, and in his home land, Scotland, where rhythm and melody have melded for centuries.

Alongside his ensemble work, Corrie has been exploring solo drum and percussion, most recently performing at King’s Place and Newcastle Festival of Improvised Music. Here he demonstrates fresh perspectives of an instrument that glows with possibility, embracing the full gamut of dynamics and textures with slanted nods to music traditions of the world.

Left to right: Joe Wright (sax), Laura Jurd (trumpet), Rob Luft (guitar).

Corrie has been mentored by the likes of Mark Guiliana and Kendrick Scott, as well as kpanlogo master Saddiq Addy, nephew of the legendary Mustapha Tettey Addy. He has studied the traditional and modern music of Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Benin and DR Congo alongside his prodigious creative companion, guitarist Rob Luft.

Left to right: Matt Robinson (piano/synth), Tom McCredie (bass), Joe Webb (organ).

In short, Corrie is an original, open-minded, questing talent who is extending the parameters of what it means to be a drummer.

Concerning the idea behind Sun Swells, his latest project, Corrie explains: “I wanted to write a jazz album that had rock instrumentation at its core: guitar-bass-drums. Rob Luft (guitar), Tom McCredie (bass) and I have been improvising and writing together for years and years and we’ve forged a sound that is uniquely crunchy yet summery, so I wanted that sound at the centre but decorated with all sorts of elements. I basically wanted to make folk-rock-jazz but treat it how electronic music producer Mura Masa treats his tracks--chucking the whole damn fruit bowl at the thing but somehow keeping space and air in the arrangement and the mix.”

The music on Sun Swells is highly unique in a way that is becoming a trademark for the highly gifted artist. Corrie continues: “This is outsider jazz; it’s extremely listenable music that has lots of very current, familiar ingredients but put together in a way you may not be familiar with. Some key elements include soaring folkish melodies, Scandinavian free jazz, 90s-kid grooves, a playful shunning of conventional jazz roles and form, stillness, turbulence, beautiful and ugly-pretty sounds, warmth, stunning lyrical imagery, climate change, feminism, and eclectic guests. It’s an album that embraces contrasts and spectra and that can be listened to in so many ways. It finds cohesion in the disparate.”

Left to right: Dave Malkin (vocals), Alice Zawadzki (vocals), Tom Moore (viola), Marianna Sangita (vocals).

The cast on the album comprises a venerable A-list of musicians in the young, dynamic segment of the always-morphing London jazz scene. Corrie explains: “The band is packed with prolific, special artists. The core of this group are musicians with whom I have loads of history in other groups - Laura Jurd (Dinosaur), Rob Luft, Tom McCredie (Elliot Galvin Trio), Joe Wright, Alice Zawadzki, Matt Robinson, Joe Webb. It’s unusual to have such pure synergy between so many musicians at the same time.”

Concerning his newly established relationship with Ubuntu Music, Corrie gives his view: “As far as I’m concerned Ubuntu is the perfect home for this music--it’s got that special balance between supportive guidance and allowing for artistic freedom and integrity. I feel very privileged to be working alongside Martin Hummel and his team for this album.”

Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, concludes: “Wow, where do you begin with this one? Corrie is a ferociously independent breed of artist who forges his own musical path which renders his music exceedingly unique while being shamelessly accessible to all. When Corrie’s talent is combined with an exceptional array of gifted musicians--a number of whom can be found on Ubuntu recordings--the end result is a sonic cocktail for the senses. It's just what the doctor ordered. We’re ecstatic that Corrie has joined the Ubuntu Music Family.”

For further information, please contact:

Corrie Dick (Artist): corrie@corriedick.com

Rupert Burley/Dynamic Agency (UK Publicity) rupert@dynamicagency.co.uk

Martin Hummel/Ubuntu Music (Worldwide): martin@ubuntumanagementgroup.com

First Quartet

28th January 2022

UBU0097 / CD & Digital Formats

James Kitchman (Photographer Tom Stankey)

Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the signing of composer/guitarist James Kitchman for his debut album release, First Quartet, on 28th January 2022.

James leads a cast of London’s finest improvisers: pianist Bruno Heinen (Denys Baptiste); bassist Tom McCredie (Elliot Galvin); and drummer Shane Forbes (Empirical). They play James' compositions which draw influences from the variety of musical worlds he traverses; from jazz, to chamber music, to contemporary folk. Improvisation and empathic listening are at the core of the group’s spirit, conjuring a sound that is equally stark and refreshing.

James describes the idea behind the album: “Having spent the best part of a decade honing my craft as a guitarist and improviser, I made it to a place where I felt my experience and imagination start to converge, so I began to compose the music for this record. There are influences from lots of places - I didn’t want to shy away from exhibiting certain aspects of myself, nor from my jazz tendencies. There are nods to my beginnings in folk and psychedelic rock, harmonies derived from the melancholy and romanticism of Astor Piazzolla and the Nuevo-Tango, melodies inspired by composers such as Chopin and Satie, the expansive textures of Scandinavian jazz and the ‘ECM’ sound, and of course the masters of jazz who continue to inspire and inform my playing style (Coltrane, Rollins, Jim Hall, Scofield, Frisell). I hope this results in a record that will be enjoyed by eclectic listeners and aficionados alike.”

Left to right: Bruno Heinen, James Kitchman, Shane Forbes, Tom McCredie (Photographer Tom Stankey)

“Huge amounts of style and panache”

--BBC Radio 3

James continues: “The quartet is completed by three very happening players (Bruno Heinen - piano, Tom McCredie - bass, & Shane Forbes - drums) each of whom I have played with for a number of years. When I formed the group I knew that they would sound great together - and it sounded that way from the first few notes. They understood what the music was about and brought the vibe in the studio. This record is as much my debut as a jazz guitarist and bandleader as it is a composer. I wanted to create environments in which things could happen musically, and for me they did.”

James Kitchman (Photographer Antonio Porcar)

“Quietly rebellious”

--Songlines Magazine

Concerning his new relationship with Ubuntu Music, James concludes: “I am thrilled to join the Ubuntu Music family alongside a roster of so many fine artists. Martin Hummel has created an exciting and dynamic label and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, shares his thoughts: “James has a style and a touch, all his own. His influences are diverse, which are reflected in his playing. He’s amassed top drawer talent. ‘First Quartet’, his debut album, captures this magic, taking the listener on a hypnotic audio journey. We welcome James and the Quartet to the Ubuntu Music family.”

For further information, please contact:

Emma Perry (UK Publicity): emmasarahperry@gmail.com

Martin Hummel/Ubuntu Music (Worldwide): martin@ubuntumanagementgroup.com

JAMES KITCHMAN BIOGRAPHY

James began playing piano at the age of six, before switching to guitar at age nine. Raised in Northumberland, he made his first concerts performing traditional folk music at Ceilidh

dances. At age ten he received his first electric guitar, and was soon learning Jimi Hendrix solos by ear and writing his own songs. Although the only musician in his family, he was captivated by his parents' diverse record collection which spanned from Bach, to Beethoven, to Billie Holiday, to The Beatles.

As a teenager he wrote songs and played in many bands, before developing an interest in jazz and improvisation upon attending Newcastle College’s Performance Academy at age sixteen. Primarily self-taught until this point, he was enrolled in the weekend programme at The Sage Gateshead where he studied ear training/solfeggio, harmony, and composition as well as performing at the Gateshead International Jazz Festival.

At age 19 he won a full scholarship to study at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. Soon after arriving in London, he performed at Ronnie Scotts and The Vortex, and was commissioned to write a score for Upsomene 277 - a short film shortlisted for Sundance Festival. Whilst primarily focusing on jazz and composition, James was also a founding member of the London Soundpainting Orchestra - a large ensemble improvising from sign-language with performance highlights including ENO London Coliseum, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, amongst others.

Since graduating from Trinity, James has become one of the most sought-after jazz guitarists of his generation, frequently appearing at London’s most prestigious venues in collaboration with UK and international artists. His projects have encompassed a broad array of influences and carry a thread of eclecticism; he co-led the Southern Cone Quintet’s chamber music take on Argentinian, Chilean, and Uruguayan folk music; performing with this group at Union Chapel, and the BBC Proms - a concert that was broadcasted on national radio, he was part of the Orpheus Sinfonia in Grammy-nominated composer Tarik O’Regan’s electro-acoustic opera ‘The Wanton Sublime’ at Grime-Born Opera Festival, and recently performed a series of sold-out concerts at Hackney Empire with Pete Doherty and Carl Barât of The Libertines.

James’ duo with German vocalist Sylvia Schmidt explores the Anglo/American folk songs of the Appalachian Mountains, creating a sound that embraces the dynamic tension between forces of preservation and transformation. They released their debut album ‘As Long As Songbirds Sing’ in 2020, which features James’ arrangement of the song ‘I Wonder As I Wander’, selected by BBC Radio 3 to be played on the Christmas eve ‘Breakfast Show’.

As a guitarist, James has performed at many major venues in the UK and Europe. These include Royal Albert Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, Kings Place, Sage Gateshead, Ronnie Scott’s, and Union Chapel. Other appearances include numerous international jazz, folk, and classical music festivals. He has toured and held residencies across Europe.

Recognised for carrying his distinctive voice across all of his work, James is in continual pursuit of artistic development.

Ubuntu Management Group News

Sun Swells

First Quartet