Tori Freestone and Alcyona Mick Quartet [jazz]

NEW ALBUM ‘MAKE ONE LITTLE ROOM AN EVERYWHERE’ LAUNCH
 

‘In a tightly held discourse there grows this never before heard sound, full of esprit, insight, experience and joie de vivre’ – Concerto Magazine, Austria
 

‘The no-hiding-place exposure of an improvising sax/piano duo is a tough call but the British pairing of pianist Alcyona Mick and tenor saxophonist Tori Freestone make light of it’ – The Guardian, Jazz Album of the Month’ review
 

‘Make One Little Room an Everywhere’ is the much anticipated second release by Ivor Novello Award winning Tori Freestone and jazz pianist Alcyona Mick. They’re currently creating a stir on the UK jazz scene after the premiere of Tori’s new composition ‘Birds of Paradise’ at the Royal Albert Hall Elgar Room (EFG London Jazz Festival) resulted in the Ivor’s Award for Jazz Composition 2022, and Alcyona has recently been shortlisted for a Parliamentary Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year Award. Tori and Alcyona formed their duo in 2015 after being invited to perform together at the Manchester Jazz Festival. Both much in demand players on the London jazz scene, the two have been working together for years in many different ensembles including Ingrid and Christine Jensen big band, Yazz Ahmed, Natacha Atlas, Nikki Iles Jazz Orchestra, Cleo Laine/Alec Dankworth band, and are both permanent members of the London Jazz Orchestra.

They recorded their debut album ‘Criss Cross’ at the famous Artesuono Studio in Italy in 2017, released in 2018 to wide critical acclaim followed by a tour of the UK, Germany and Spain with live radio performances. The duo has a very spontaneous, interactive approach and shares a large range of musical influences that fall not only within the jazz genre, including English folk, Brazilian music, Arabic music, free improvisation, Monk and more.

Performances have included Birmingham Symphony Hall, Museo del Grifo (Spain), Emotion Festival (Bremen), Halle 242 (Hamburg), Salle Krieps auditorium (Luxembourg) and the Manchester and London Jazz Festivals. In 2020 they won the Help Musicians ‘Do it Differently’ and ‘Record and Release’ awards to write and collaborate on a second album. The new music was premiered at live and online streamed concerts including the Up and Down Festival (Spain), and the Royal Albert Hall Elgar Room in collaboration with Steinway. The latter premiere resulted in the Ivor Novello Award and featured on BBC Radio 3. The much-anticipated new album is due for release in 2023 and features the distinctive voices of award-winning jazz vocalist Brigitte Beraha and renowned world music star Natacha Atlas. ‘...an album of the year’ (Jazzwise Magazine Feature, September 2023)

Line up
Tori Freestone – saxophone, flute
Alcyona Mick – piano
Tim Giles – drums
Dave Whitford – bass