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Josephine Davies
Winner of the 2019 Parliamentary Award ‘Jazz Instrumentalist of the year’, Josephine Davies is a musical artist at the forefront of the UK contemporary music scene, pushing the boundaries of jazz with her current main artistic project Satori – a sax/bass/drums trio with an emphasis on extended and collaborative improvisation. It is a project that combines her seeking of freedom of expression with her interest in Japanese philosophy and lifestyle.
Now becoming equally known as a composer, her unique voice is a blend of classical, jazz and folk music, creating an intensely dynamic sound infused with the Nordic quality of her Shetland roots. Deeply influenced by the American composer Maria Schneider, Josephine was resident composer and tenor player for the London Jazz Orchestra from 2011-2016, and now has her own big band ‘The Enso Ensemble’.
As a saxophonist she is known for her melodic focus, versatility and unique style which has been described as “consistently inventive” (Jazzwise Magazine), “strong and authoritative” (The JazzMann) and “with winning immediacy” (MOJO Magazine).
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Josephine Davies, 3 Cohens, WDR Big Band, Brussels Jazz Orchestra, Naima Joris
by Ludovico Granvassu
Enjoy a set featuring three of the most exciting European large ensembles, the WDR Big Band, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra and the Ensō Ensemble, delving into compelling original music and covers of gems by Joe Jackson and Nick Drake.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 3 Cohens, WDR Big Band “Footsteps & Smiles" Interaction (Anzic) 0:16 Host talks 7:04 WDR Big Band “Elzic's Farewell / Yew Piney Mountain" Bluegrass ...
Continue ReadingJosephine Davies & The Ensō Ensemble: The Celtic Wheel Of The Year Suite
by Angelo Leonardi
Sassofonista e compositrice britannica, nota per il trio Satori, Josephine Davies debutta con un ricco e raffinato progetto orchestrale, che presenta la sua suite in otto parti ispirata alle feste stagionali celtiche delle isole Shetland. “Dopo aver composto diversi pezzi per orchestra jazz" --ha detto Josephine--"ispirata da un trasferimento in campagna durante il lockdown, ho sentito l'urgenza di approfondire il mio legame con la natura e rivisitare una mia precedente composizione. (...) Ogni movimento della suite è ispirato ...
Continue ReadingJosephine Davies: Satori: Weatherwards
by Chris May
From an international perspective, the best kept secret in British jazz could be tenor and soprano saxophonist Josephine Davies. She first recorded in 2000 as a member of Crissy Lee's Jazz Orchestra, a fifteen piece all-woman band who made one album, the self-produced ...With Body And Soul. (Actually, there was one male in the lineup, trumpeter Craig Wild, and the joke in the boys' club that British jazz pretty much still was at the time, was that he had the ...
Continue ReadingHarper Trio: Passing By
by Nenad Georgievski
In the ever-evolving realm of jazz, where experimentation and innovation are the driving forces, “Passing By" by The Harper Trio stands as a testament to the genre's unceasing evolution. This debut album introduces us to the groundbreaking artistry of Greek-born, Egyptian-rooted electric jazz harpist and composer Maria-Christina Harper. With an audacious spirit and a penchant for pushing the boundaries of her instrument, Harper presents the harp in a fresh manner, defying traditional expectations and carving a new path in jazz ...
Continue ReadingJosephine Davies: How Can We Wake?
by Friedrich Kunzmann
Straight out of Europe's hippest jazz-scene, London-based saxophonist Josephine Davie's third effort with her trio, Satori, offers a collage of melodic meditations that simultaneously defy and conform to their rhythmic and harmonic frames. As All About Jazz's Chris May very fittingly puts it in an extensive conversation with the saxophonist, unlike many of her UK-based contemporaries, Davies' brand of jazz isn't made up of dancefloor grooves or Afro-infused beats, but instead searches for innovation in the Far East, ...
Continue ReadingJosephine Davies: Way Out East: New Directions In Jazz
by Chris May
Compared to many other bands which have emerged on London's revitalized jazz scene since the mid 2010s, saxophonist and composer Josephine Davies' trio Satori has attracted relatively little noise. This may be because, unlike most of its contemporaries, Satori is not infused with dancefloor-friendly grooves. Davies instead looks to Eastern culture, particularly to Buddhist texts and meditation techniques, for part of her inspiration. In an age of instant gratification, Satori is not a quick fix. Brought up ...
Continue ReadingJosephine Davies: How Can We Wake?
by Chris May
Compared to many of the other premier-league bands on the new London jazz scene, tenor saxophonist and composer Josephine Davies' Satori has attracted relatively little noise. There has been high praise from specialist critics, but little of the social media ballyhoo that has surrounded, for instance, bands led by fellow tenors Nubya Garcia and Binker Golding (who deserve all the praise they get). This may be because, unlike many of its contemporaries, Satori's style, though rhythmically rich, is not infused ...
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