Martin Speake/Kit Downes / James Maddren / Calum Gourlay / Douglas Finch

Event information

This evening's concert features two new collaborations from alto saxophonist Martin Speake.

The first set will be a completely improvised duo performance from Martin and classical pianist Canadian Douglas Finch.
They met whilst teaching together at Trinity Laban in a project called Corridor's Of Improvisation. Douglas was head of keyboard from 1999-2007 and continues to teach piano and composition there. He has composed many works including piano pieces, string quartets and other chamber music. Alongside his composing he has collaborated with improvisors such as Naji Hakim, Eddie Prévost, Cindy Oswin and Peter Sheppard-Skaerved.

The second set will feature Martin's compositions performed by a new quartet with pianist Kit Downes, Calum Gourlay, James Maddren.
Although they have played together many times individually in different projects this will be the first performance of the four of them together and will feature music from Martin's recent cd release Always A First Time (Pumpkin).


Speake is a strikingly talented improviser with a seemingly bottomless well of inspiration. - Encyclopedia of Popular Music

Douglas Finch...one of the most amazing talents I've heard in years. Stuart Hamilton, Toronto Globe and Mail

Kit Downes is the most impressive jazz pianist from England since John Taylor. - Hamburger Abendblatt