MAY NEWS!!!
May has been a great month so far, touring with three wonderful ensembles - as part of the incredible Nikki Iles Jazz Orchestra featuring some wonderful gigs at the Manchester and Clitheroe Jazz Festivals and Pizza Express in Dean Street with more to come soon (check out the dates page), Zoe Rahman octet including a lovely gig at Bray Jazz Festival in Ireland and with Huw Warren playing up and down the UK. Next gigs with Huw playing joyful chord from Brazil are detailed above and check the dates page for upcoming Nikki and Zoe gigs including Swanage Jazz Festival.
In June the duo will be back on the road with dates at Pizza Express featuring the duo, the quartet and the voices of Natacha Atlas and Brigitte Beraha (3 different line ups for the price of one) and an intimate duo concert @ Anvil arts in Basingstoke. Tori and Alcy will also feature with Natacha’s band @ Pizza Express on 19 June.
More news on all that soon!!!!
Post tour news!
Tori and Alcyona had a great time touring the UK and Germany over the last few months - from UK jazz clubs to concert halls, transport museums and cabaret venues in Soho! Thanks to all the great audiences came out and the lovely venues that hosted them. They were also joined by Tim Giles on drums and Dave Whitford on double bass on some of the gigs. Click on the video above to watch some snippets.
It’s not over yet though! They just performed with Natacha Atlas in Nantes, France and they’ll be joined by Natacha as well as Brigitte Beraha and the rhythm section for a gig at Pizza Express, Soho in June. More news on the dates page. They’ll also be back in Bremen, Germany at Jazzahead in April and will perform at a UK club night at Tor40.
Further news coming soon on Tori’s May dates with Huw Warren’s Choro project, Nikki Iles’ large orchestra and Zoe Rahman, including the Manchester Jazz Festival and Bray Jazz Festival (Ireland). Check back in soon!
Thank you to Help Musicians!
The Tori Freestone/Alcyona Mick duo/quartet tour of the UK/Germany tour has started and a huge thanks has to go out to Help Muscians who have awarded them financial assistance to support the tour. They started the tour with a wonderful concert in the amazing Sendesaal Concert Hall in Bremen and are back in the UK touring throughout February with another visit to Germany later in the month.
In other news, Tori has been touring with pianist Huw Warren on flute and alto flute in his fantastic Choro quartet project playing the music of Brazilian composers such as Hermeto Pascoal and the amazing Huw Warren himself. There will be more dates from May onwards. Check out the dates page for further info on this and the duo dates.
The next concert in the diary though is back playing with her good friends and long time associates Tim Giles on drums and Dave Manington on bass playing at the Mildmay Club in East London on the 8 February. See the home page on where to buy tickets. Lots more news coming soon or keep up to date on the tour activities on our instagram page!
November news!!! New duo album makes the Europe Jazz Media Chart!!
It’s been a great month this November with some really great reviews for the new duo album ‘Make One Little Room an Everywhere’ (more news on all that coming soon) and the album making November’s Europe Jazz Media Chart. It took a while to get to the release after writing for the album and recording during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 but we got there in the end and are so happy with the feedback. It' can be purchased HERE
We’ve already had some lovely gigs at UK festivals including Scarborough Jazz Festival and more recently Cambridge Jazz Festival in the beautiful St Catherine’s Chapel, and we’re soon to embark on a UK and Germany tour. More details on all that coming soon but check out the DATES page in the meantime.
New Tori Freestone and Alcyona Mick album out and album launch coming soon!!!
Finally the duo album Tori and Alcy wrote in lockdown is out and the album release is at the Vortex on the 26 October after playing the night before with the incredible world music vocalist Natacha Atlas at the Forge in Camden. Natacha also features on the album. Brigitte Beraha will be guesting and there’ll also be a few surprises. Click here for more info on how to book. If you can’t make it, then no excuses - there’ll be a UK and Germany tour to follow.
New album out now!!!
Finally!!! The new new duo album by Tori Freestone and Alcyona Mick ’Make One Little Room an Everywhere’ is out! It’s been a journey which all began in lockdown, cooped up staring out of windows imagining being back in the real world, being inspired by a John Donne poem, the birdsong of Wood Green and the Canary Islands and the amazing musicians we were missing working with.
Tori and Alcyona have done it all themselves including the drawings that Tori started sketching at the beginning of lockdown in the UK and later out in the Canary Islands of our various views - El Mar de Nubes, Crows, Birds of Paradise and also Alcyona has created and edited some beautiful videos (thanks to Nick Smart for the birds of paradise footage). Thank you Alcyona for being an absolute star through the whole process - her beautiful compositions and incredible playing have been an inspiration as always and thanks to #helpmusicians for their financial support as it couldn’t have been possible to create this album without them. Thanks too to Brigitte Beraha for her amazing vocals/tweeting and #natachaatlas for agreeing to add her haunting vocals to Tori’s crazy compositions. Thanks to #ivorsawards too.
Thank you Stefano Amerio at Artesuono studios for capturing everything so masterfully and Alban Low for tutoring Tori and Alcyona and helping them with the artwork design.
It will be up on all streaming platforms soon, but as as they’ve done this one all themselves there’ll be a few weeks respite so it’s only available on bandcamp right now. Click HERE to buy
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Jazzwise feature and new album!!!!
Thanks to Jazzwise and Andy Robson for our great feature about the writing and ideas behind our very soon to be released duo album ‘Make One Little Room an Everywhere’. The duo have just had a lovely concert and workshops at Scarborough Jazz Festival and are soon to be on an album launch tour of the UK plus some nice concerts abroad. More news on the dates page. The album launch will be at the Vortex Jazz Club, London on the 26 October and will feature some very special guest vocalists. More on the album release coming very soon. Watch this space!
Ivor Novello Award winning single 'Birds of Paradise' released
New single ‘Birds of Paradise’ out now! Here’s a link where you can listen on spotify - Birds of Paradise. The track also features Brigitte Beraha on vocals and won the Ivor Novello Award for Jazz Composition. Check out the dates page for the album release tour including Scarborough Jazz Festival and Cambridge Jazz Festival plus the album launch at the Vortex featuring special guests Brigitte Beraha and Natacha Atlas on vocals. More news on the album release coming soon!
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New album coming soon featuring Ivor Novello award winning tune!
The tune that won the Ivor Novello will soon be released on the new Tori Freestone/Alcyona Mick album which also features Brigitte Beraha and Natacha Atlas. There’ll be plenty of news on that soon so watch this space! For a chance to see Tori and Alcyona play, check out the dates page!
'Birds of Paradise' wins Ivors Composers Award for Jazz Ensemble 2022!
One of the pieces Tori wrote for her co led duo with Alcyona Mick has won the Ivor Novello Award for Jazz composition 2022! The piece will be part of an album due for release early in 2023 and features tracks by the two musicians written during lockdown. ‘Birds of Paradise’ was inspired by the birdsong Tori heard during lockdown and the whole album features compositions influenced by the various trials and tribulations influenced both composers during that strange time. There’ll be more on the upcoming release soon, but for a link to a little snippet of ‘Birds of Paradise’ for those that can’t wait that long click here
Shortlisted for an Ivors Composers Award!
Back in November 2021 Tori and Alcyona Mick premiered a new work ‘Birds of Paradise’ at the Royal Albert Hall Elgar rooms in collaboration with the London Jazz Festival/Steinway. The piece, inspired by birdsong during lockdown (see the previous post for more info) has been shortlisted for an Ivors Composers Award for Jazz Ensemble composition. The winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony on 15 November and will be broadcast on BBC radio 3 on 19 November.
The piece is one of a number of new compositions that Tori has written for the upcoming duo album with Alcyona Mick as a result of the Help Musicians Do it Differently Fund they were awarded during lockdown to both write and collaborate towards a release. Watch this space for more on the upcoming release and dates in the upcoming London Jazz Festival and a tour of Australia/New Zealand!
Apart from the duo project, Tori has been busy touring/appearing with Rick Simpson’s Kid A revisited/In Rainbows projects, Andre Canniere’s ‘Ghost Days’, Nikki Iles Jazz Orchestra, the London Jazz Orchestra and her own trio with recent gigs in Austria and upcoming gigs in the UK. She is soon to feature with Natacha Atlas, further gigs with the Nikki Iles and also the Julian Siegel Jazz Orchestra to name a few. See the dates page for more info.
Viewing new horizons!
Life reflects art and since Tori’s last update back in 2020 she’s had a chance to put new experiences that the pandemic facilitated into her music - living next to the botanical gardens in Puerto de La Cruz in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and achieving a diploma in ‘Salto de Pastor’ (necessary to google that one) have led to a increased fascination with birdsong and nature and this has revealed itself in her recent compositions to be featured on a new album with the amazing pianist Alcyona Mick. Some of the new tracks can be viewed on the video above.
In the meantime there’ve been many new releases including featuring on Andre' Canniere’s Ghost Days, Rick Simpsonn’s Kid A revisited, Julian Siegel’s Jazz orchestra ‘Tales from the Jacquard’. plus ‘Solstice’ ‘Food for Thought’. Recent appearances have included Ronnie Scotts with Rick Simpson and, tours of the UK with Andre Canniere and the Nikki Iles Jazz Orchestra.plus an upcoming performance of ‘El Mar de Nubes’ by the London Jazz Orchestra featuring Brigitte Beraha. The duo album also features the latter track, the first recording of the words (which lent itself to this blogs title).
The duo are really excited that they’ll be releasing their new album so check this space for more info soon and check out their gig in the London Jazz Orchestra at the Albert Hall on 20 Nov!
Sustaining Creativity during a pandemic
A huge thank you to the funding bodies who are helping so many musicians get through this difficult time. Their help and assistance means that musicians like Tori can continue to remain creative at a time when it would be so easy to stagnate. A big huge thank you to:
ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND - their Emergency Relief Fund has given many musicians plus artists from all genres the opportunity to remain creative and focussed at a time when they would be struggling just to make ends meet.
PRS FOUNDATION - Tori is one of only scores to receive a Sustaining Creavity Award which is supporting ‘outstanding talent in flexible ways’ during this time. The grant will be used to support a large ensemble writing project.
HELP MUSICIANS TRANSMISSION FUND (PICTURED ABOVE) - Tori is one of just 43 successful applicants for this opportunity to undergo study and be mentored. She will be studying and honing her craft with some of the finest composers and saxophonists on the International scene. Help Musicians have also helped Tori over the years with a continuing issue with her hands and some major dental work. Without their help so many in the profession would not have had the help and support to continue working due to health issues and their assistance is received by all with the utmost gratitude.
HELP MUSICIANS DO IT DIFFERENTLY AWARD - The Alcyona Mick/Tori Freestone Duo have been given this award to write and record new music for their second album. This will be an exciting album written especially for this ensemble also to feature Brigitte Beraha on a few tracks.
This help and assistance has turned a challenging year into a positive. MANY MANY THANKS!!!
Watch the 'El Mar de Nubes' album launch in the comfort of your own home!
We can’t be in the jazz clubs in person right now but we can be there in spirit! The Vortex and 606 amongst many other clubs are running a great online series giving a unique opportunity to view some gigs you may have not managed to get to first time round. Footage that would never have otherwise been seen of Tori’s album launch at the Vortex has been edited and mixed due to the Cover-19 situation and it’ll be premiered on Tuesday 26 May. The beauty is there’s no queuing at the bar or standing at the back of the venue. There are some positives to lockdown at least :-)
The Vortex are taking donations, so anything that can be contributed to keep this great venue going will be gratefully received. Tori’s albums will be sold for a discounted price too for those of you who donate.
More news on another online gig for the 606 upcoming series and other opportunities to hear podcasts/interviews/past gigs will be posted soon, so keep checking in to be updated.
Stay safe and keep well x
Happy International Jazz Day!!!
Happy International Jazz Day to you all. Hopefully you are all keeping safe and well. Sadly we’re not all out there gigging right now but the creativity is still going on behind closed doors and in the meantime recordings, radioplay, videos and live streaming can be enjoyed. Posted above is a full track from the Tori Freestone Trio ‘El Mar de Nubes’ album launch at the Vortex in London in July last year. There’ll be new posts with some gig snippets on a regular basis during the Coronavirus outbreak so it’ll still be possible to see Tori in action with the various projects she works with. Next will be a gig with Andre Canniere’s band as they were supposed to be touring right now.
With perfect timing on such a special day an hour long interview is being aired in Italy which was recorded in July when Tori was over for the Umbria Jazz Festival and to visit the Borgani factory (the make of her saxophone). You can listen here tonight and again next week.
Tori would have been busy right now touring with the amazing Nikki Isles and her jazz orchestra and Andre Canniere’s album release tour, a visit to Graz for a teaching exchange at the KUG Institute and a tour of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore that was scheduled for the summer with her duo with pianist Alcyona Mick. Things will still be busy though. Her co led sextet ‘Solstice’ featuring Brigitte Beraha and John Turville are preparing for the release of their second album and Tori is busy arranging much of her catalogue for jazz orchestra for debut with the London Jazz Orchestra residency at Morley college once it’s rescheduled. She’s the LJO featured artist this month and there’ll be podcasts about the music and the orchestra over the next 12 months, so check in for news on that soon. She’ll also be busy composing and collaborating online with Alcyona in preparation for their next duo recording and other releases this year include Andre Canniere’s ‘Ghost Days’ alongside Brigitte Beraha and Rick Simpson’s ‘Kid A’ Radiohead project alongside James Allsop, Will Glaser and Dave Whitford. Listen to a recording of the project of the vortex here. Another exciting big band release is on the cards soon as well to be announced.
Keep checking in for regular updates. No gig dates for now, but plenty of listening possibilities on this post here and each post over the coming weeks. More treats including a gig from Andre Canniere’s band and another full track from the album launch to follow on the next posts so see you soon! Stay well and stay safe and see you all in the near future.
New video, new projects, new saxophone....
Autumn is proving to be an exciting season for Tori. After a great tour with the trio including performances in Hamburg and Reykjavik, the trio still have some upcoming dates in November including Rays Jazz in the London Jazz Festival. A video with snippets from the recent tour can be seen (above) as well as further new clips on the video/gallery page.
Other November dates include Yazz Ahmed (Tori is featured soloist on Yazz’s recent release ‘Polyrhymnia’) and a tour with Ingrid and Christine Jensen and the Whirlwind Big Band including dates at Turner Simms, Birmingham Symphony Hall and the Purcell Rooms.
There are also exciting projects and tours on the horizon including a tour with the fantastic Nikki Iles and her Big Band alongside Julian Siegel, Mike Walker and Henry Lowther to name a few, the Andre Canniere Sextet, Rick Simpson’s Radiohead project with dates and a recording in the New Year plus the duo that Tori co leads with Alcyona MIck. The duo will be touring the UK in the New Year with Brigitte Beraha on vocals. Tori is also now a Borgani artist and visited the factory in Macerata, Italy during the summer combined with a trip to the Umbria Jazz Festival for a radio interview. More on that and the upcoming vinyl release of ‘El Mar de Nubes’ very soon!
Reykjavik Jazz Festival kicks off Autumn trio dates!
The trio have had a great 2019 tour with dates all over the UK and Germany resulting in some fab reviews. Thanks to Arts council England for their support. Tori spent the summer touring and also visited Italy to attend radio interviews and spend time at the Borgani factory as she is now a Borgani artist (having played their saxophones for many years) alongside the likes of Joe Lovano and Will Vinson. More about Borgani to be posted soon! The end of the summer was spent tutoring some of the most talented young UK jazz musicians on this years National Youth Jazz Collective summer school alongside the likes of Mark Mondesir, Liam Noble and Laura Jurd. The chillier climes of Iceland now beckon with the trio headlining at the Reykjavik Jazz festival alongside her longstanding pals ‘Phroenesis’ early in September. Other concerts on the horizon include touring with the Jensen sisters and the ‘Whirlwind Big Band’ in November, more trio dates (including the London Jazz Festival), a stint of touring the duo with Alcyona Mick featuring Brigitte Beraha (in preparation for their second album to be recorded in Udine, Italy), the Nikki Isles Big Band, Andre Canniere’s sextet and a feature with trumpeter Yazz Ahmed.
Check out the dates page for more info and check in for more updates here soon.
More tour news and new reviews!
The trio are mid tour and there’ve been some great gigs and rave reviews! They’ve appeared all over the UK including Bristol St George’s and a run of concerts in Suffolk and Norfolk and they’ve also appeared overseas in Hamburg where the ‘Wanderer above a Sea of Fog’ by Caspar David Friedrich is based which is the idea behind the album artwork.
There’ve already been some great album reviews including a lovely piece by John Fordham in the Guardian receiving Jazz album of the month (see above), a glowing four star review in ‘All about Jazz’ and abroad in ‘Culture Jazz’ in France plus radio play in the UK and Canada. Watch this space for further updates.
The next leg of the tour sees them in Sheffield, Newcastle (also featuring a lunchtime concert with the Tori Freestone/Alcyona Mick duo), Clun Jazz and the album launch at the Vortex on 18 June. See the dates page for more info.
Thanks again are due to Arts Council England and Whirlwind recordings for their help and support.
More on the rest of the tour and some exciting dates abroad coming soon!
NEW TRIO ALBUM 'EL MAR DE NUBES' OFFICIALLY RELEASED TODAY!
The new trio album is officially out! See the promotional video here for snippets of the music and the scenery of the Canary Islands which inspired much of the writing. The trio will continue touring the music with concerts in Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Southampton, Newcastle, Sheffield and Herefordshire this month culminating in an album launch at the Vortex Jazz Club in Dalston on the 18 June. Check out the dates page for further info and buy the album here!