EVAN PARKER MIGHT I SUGGEST 2012 FESTIVAL: NORMA WINSTONE / NIKKI ILES / MARK LOCKHEART

Event information

Norma Winstone / Nikki Iles / Mark Lockheart

Although Norma began her career singing standards she became involved in the avant-garde movement exploring the use of the voice in an experimental way and evolving her own wordless approach to improvisation. She joined groups led by Mike Westbrook and Michael Garrick and also sang with John Surman, Mike Gibbs and, most significantly, John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler as a member of Azimuth.
    Her own legendary album “Somewhere Called Home” (on the ECM label) is widely considered to be a classic. In recent years she has become known as a very fine lyricist, writing words to compositions by Steve Swallow, Ralph Towner, Egberto Gismonti and Ivan Lins. Norma has also recorded with great American pianists Jimmy Rowles and Fred Hersch and more recently with British pianist Stan Tracey.

Nikki Iles, pianist and composer, was a founder-member of the innovative Creative Jazz Orchestra – working with Anthony Braxton, Mike Gibbs, Vince Mendoza and Mark-Anthony Turnage. Her busy freelance career has found her playing with Peter Erskine (CJO), Kenny Wheeler, Art Farmer, Julian Arguelles, Stan Sulzmann, Norma Winstone, Tony Coe, Tina May and Rufus Reid. Her music has been commissioned and performed by influential ensembles such as The London Sinfionetta, The Creative Jazz Orchestra, the London Philharmonic’s ‘Renga’ ensemble and Tim Garland’s Underground Orchestra.

Mark came to prominence in the mid 1980s with the influential and radical big band Loose Tubes. The formation of the cooperatively-led Perfect Houseplants in 1992 saw the emergence of one of Mark’s most important projects. Following the release of six albums, including crossover projects with the Orlando Consort, baroque violinist Andrew Manze and more recently with recorder virtuoso Pamela Thorby, the group is continually developing and looking ahead.
    In the mid 90s Mark toured with Django Bates’ Delightful Precipice and recorded with June Tabor, Anya Garbarek, Robert Wyatt and Radiohead.