Monocled Man is a British trio featuring Rory Simmons (trumpet, production, keys), Chris Montague (guitars) and Jon Scott (drums, electronics). The band is the brainchild of Loop Collective trumpet-player Simmons and was formed in 2011, followed by the release of their debut album Southern Drawl on Whirlwind Recordings. Southern Drawl created a stripped down raw sound, somewhere between Tiny Bell Trio and Chicago Underground Duo. A bass-less trio of trumpet, guitar and drums, the compositions weaved propulsive through-composed melodies against the rhythms and sound worlds of downtown New York and the quirkiness of contemporary British Jazz.  The album received critical success with 4-star reviews in The Guardian, Irish Times and Financial Times. Radio play also came from BBC Radio 6 Music, Late Junction and BBC’s Jazz Line Up, along with a performance at London Jazz Festival. A UK tour of this album culminated in a performance at Jazz In The Round as part of BBC Radio 3’s Jazz on 3 series.

Their second album, We Drift Meridian features guest vocalists Emilia Martensson and Ed Begley. The album was recorded entirely at Rory’s home studio and is a departure sonically, utilising broad electronic soundscapes, overdubs and found sound samples. We Drift Meridian takes inspiration from stories of the inhabitants of remote islands from across the globe, and the ensemble have used the produced elements to create a live incarnation of the album that fully integrates the acoustic and electronic elements of this music.