Listen! presents...
Iain Ballamy & Huw Warren
Photo: Tim Dickerson
Although saxophonist Iain Ballamy and pianist Huw Warren have been at the forefront of the UK jazz scene since the late 1980's, they are equally at home when transcending stereotypes of musical genre and style.
Their duo performances are characterised by a near telepathic sense of interaction and a shared love of melodic and harmonic beauty. As well as original compositions by both musicians, their repertoire includes music by Hermeto Pascoal, Frédéric Chopin, JS Bach and John Taylor.
As Quercus, they have recorded two exquisite albums for ECM with celebrated folk singer June Tabor, and have both won the BBC Jazz Award for Innovation.
Huw Warren
The Welsh pianist and composer has achieved an international reputation for innovative and eclectic music making over a thirty-year career. His writing style combines quirky rhythmic grooves with simple melodic beauty, and manages to be both complex and approachable.
Huw was a founder member of the influential quartet Perfect Houseplants (with Mark Lockheart, Dudley Philips and Martin France), and has recorded a string of highly individual albums, including A Barrel Organ Far From Home, Hundreds of Things a Boy Can Make and Infinite Riches in a Little Room.
Explore Huw's varied back catalogue at: https://huwwarren.bandcamp.com/
As a composer Huw has written for many ensembles, including Welsh Chamber Orchestra, The Orlando Consort and the RSC. He is jazz tutor at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and Head of Jazz Ensembles at Cardiff University.
Iain Ballamy
ECM recording artist, saxophonist and composer, Iain has been described variously as urbane, original, melodic, freethinking and uncompromising. His work is contemporary with both strong jazz and classical references, and yet is unencumbered by formality and tradition.
Iain has produced a raft of recordings under his own name, including Balloon Man, All Men Amen and Anorak and has recorded a large body of work with Food, the groundbreaking group he co-formed with drummer and electronics wizard Tomas Stronen.
Career highlights, Iain says, include performing with Loose Tubes, Bill Bruford's Earthworks, Gil Evans, Britten Sinfonia, Carla Bley, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and many more. He has been commissioned to compose new music for London Sinfonietta, Apollo Saxophone Quartet and Joanna MacGregor, and has written two film soundtracks.
Iain is a visiting professor at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Academy of Music, and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and received the Paul Hamlyn Composer's Award in 2007.
Saturday 12th April 2025
Unitarian Church, 5 Emmanuel Road, Cambridge CB1 1JW
Doors 7.30pm / music 8pm
£19.80 (including booking fee) in advance
www.wegottickets.com/listencambridge
£20 on the door (if available)