Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM – 2 set(s) of music
Line-up:
Loz Speyer – Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Dee Byrne – Alto Sax
Xhosa Cole – Tenor Sax, Flute
Larry Bartley – Double Bass
Gary Willcox – Drums
+ special guests:
Marcina Arnold – vocals *
Jason Yarde – baritone sax, soprano sax *
About
Loz Speyer’s Inner Space takes on the music of Outer Space, as composed by the mighty intergalactic bandleader Sun Ra – and arranged from the original piano scores for a new collaboration with two very special guests, Jason Yarde and Marcina Arnold.
Speyer first encountered Sun Ra in the 80s, both in concert and in person, and has stayed somewhat connected ever since. Working with Arkestra drummer Clifford Jarvis (resident in Dalston through the 90s), led by a circuitous route to obtaining copies of Sun Ra’s original handwritten piano scores. From these, Loz then arranged some pieces initially for a Merseyside Improvisers Orchestra project in 2016 – even reintroducing some elements from the scores that didn’t appear in the Sun Ra recordings.
Back in the 90s, Speyer and Jason Yarde co-founded the innovative 12-piece Rare Mix, a collective composing project bringing together improvisers from diverse and distinct areas of the London Jazz scene. And later both Jason and bassist Larry Bartley began to delve deep into Sun Ra’s music as members of Gerry Dammers’ Spatial AKA.
Lately Inner Space has been touring with the new album Live in Leipzig and a full programme of Speyer’s original music including a set of Jazz portraits. One of these, “Sun the One, Ra the Far”, becomes the ideal springboard from which to launch the Sun Ra project. Meanwhile, the newly-released album Evolution by kindred spirit Marcina Arnold shines a contemporary light on similarly planetary themes.
In this debut performance by the extended seven-piece Inner Space, we will find out where this extraordinary band can take these very special compositions. The night promises to be a truly celebratory one, exploring many and various routes between Inner and Outer Space.
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Live in Leipzig by Inner Space:
“The energetic chemistry that emerges on this album is often breathtakingly sure-footed – were they really making this up? A gloriously unified collaboration.” – **** Tony Benjamin, Jazzwise
“The band members demonstrate a deep understanding of each other’s musical language, allowing them to shift between composed sections and free-form explorations seamlessly. The result is a thrilling and unpredictable listening experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering where the music will take you next.” – Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz
Evolution by Marcina Arnold:
“This album is a testament to the fact that Arnold has her finger on the pulse of our times. In conveying the deep feelings of her observations of life she injects true meaning into the word soul” – Eugene Skeef