JOHN POPE: Double Bass, Compositions
JAMIE STOCKBRIDGE: Alto Saxophone
FAYE MACCALMAN: Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet
GRAHAM HARDY: Trumpet
JOHNNY HUNTER: Drums
An all-star lineup of dynamic Northern musicians, my all-acoustic Quintet is my primary working band. Drawing on the history of 60s free jazz and hard bop, but with a modern sensibility grounded in the sounds of today’s European scene, we play hard-grooving, anything-goes energy music that seeks to bring people together in a joyous racket.
"Irresistible joie de vivre"
- Kevin Le Gendre (Jazzwise)
Formed in 2016 to perform a tribute concert for the late Ornette Coleman for Jazz North East, this group quickly grew to become my main project as a composer and bandleader. Taking inspiration from giants like Ornette, Mingus, Misha Mengelberg and the Art Ensemble of Chicago, plus a dash of DIY alternative rock attitude, our music has grown into a creative space all of its own; dynamic, off-kilter, celebratory and full of rewards for the adventurous listener. The quintet has performed across the nation, including sets at Gateshead International Jazz Festival at The Sage and Lancaster Jazz Festival, plus a successful tour across the North of England in 2019.
We were selected by Jazz North in 2019 as Northern Line ambassador artists, presenting us with a supportive platform to bring our music to audiences all over the North and beyond. Well received gigs at legendary venues such as Matt & Phreds (Manchester) and The Lescar (Sheffield) are testament to the awesome effect of hearing the Quintet in action.
"...this is a British jazz of international quality."
- Andrew Hamilton (Jazz Journal)
2020 saw the band overcoming adversity to pull together for a whirlwind recording session at Blank Studios in Newcastle upon Tyne, to commit our debut album to tape. 'Mixed with Glass' was released January 2021, on the New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings label. The album features an entirely original set of compositions, spanning the full range of sounds and emotional spaces the band have explored after years of playing and learning together. I couldn't be more proud of my musicians for what we've achieved and I look forward to seeing what the next phase of our time together produces, and to sharing it with our wonderful audience.
