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Laura Cole

Metamorphic are a contemporary jazz/folk sextet based in London. Their debut album, The Rock Between, is being released on the F-ire label on April 4 2011. The instrumentalists in the group all met while studying on the Jazz Degree at Middlesex University in London; vocalist Kerry Andrew became involved with the group through the promoter Moose Factory. Kerry also sings with the highly respected vocal trio Juice, who won second prize at the prestigious Tampere Vocal Festival in June 2007; alto sax player Chris Williams is also part of 2009 Mercury Prize nominated group Led Bib. Tenor/soprano sax player John Martin is a successful bandleader in his own right; his band The John Martin Quartet have a new album out on the F-ire label this May. Drummer Tom Greenhalgh also plays in the acclaimed group World Sanguine Report, led by Andrew Plummer, and double bass player Paul Sandy has worked with various groups such as Hey Negrita. BBC New Generation Artist Shabaka Hutchings guests on the title track of the album on bass clarinet. The composer and arranger of the music on the album, pianist Laura Cole, draws heavily on her experience of RSI as a musician, and the subsequent depression that she battled with as a result. Now fully recovered, The Rock Between is an attempt to chart this journey through music and words. The album is a collection of largely song-based emotional journeys, juxtaposing original material and arrangements of well-known pieces, and comprises of tightly composed writing offset by improvised passages. The background to this music also draws from an interest in textures, music in dreams and the translation of transformative emotional experiences through composition and performance.

Ron Caines / Martin Archer Axis: Practical Dreamers

Read "Practical Dreamers" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe
October 11, 2024

Practical Dreamers is the fifth collaboration between Discus label boss multi-instrumentalist Martin Archer and veteran saxophonist Ron Caines, and like the others, situates the latter's largely introspective reeds within varied electro-acoustic soundscapes. Caines was a founding member of progressive British rock band East Of Eden back in 1967, but after leaving to pursue jazzier endeavors, he performed with the likes of Evan Parker, Steve Lacy and Keith Tippett. While the pair's previous release, the excellent Blutopia (Discus, ...

On the album:

'Metamorphic's The Rock Between is a brave, honest yet beguiling record. Buy it and you'll see why it's brave. A couple of standards are bracketed by pianist Laura Cole's distinctive, original songs. Impressively executed. Keep your eyes and ears on Laura Cole' - Jazz UK, April 2011

'A fascinating record that shows considerable promise' - Ian Mann, thejazzmann.com, April 2011

‘To metamorphose is to change in form. However, unlike metamorphic rock, formed over thousands of years, pianist Laura Cole’s compositions and arrangements often turn on the spot, introducing new textures, melodies and dense harmonies that whet the palate. [...] You have to take your hat off to Laura Cole and her band, who’ve done an excellent job in creating this record’ - JJ Wheeler, The Jazz Breakfast