6th March 2012: Saxophonist on the rise George Crowley announces Launch dates for his debut album, ‘Paper Universe’ May – July
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Mark your calendars for the live launch dates of George Crowley, one of the most talented young saxophonist/composers working in Europe today…..
George Crowley Quartet
UK Launch dates in celebration of his debut album ‘Paper Universe‘
featuring….
George Crowley Saxophones, Compositions
Kit Downes, Piano
Calum Gourlay, Bass
James Maddren, Drums
Releases UK Stores/Worldwide Digital May 7th 2012
DATES:
Tuesday May 15th, 8:30 @ The Vortex, London N16 8AZ www.vortexjazz.co.uk/
Tuesday May 29th; 8:30 @ The Cori Tap, Bristol, BS8 4AX www.thecoronationtap.com/ £5
Monday June 11th, 8:30 @ The Oxford, 256 Kentish Town, London NW5 2AA theoxfordjazz.com £5
Friday 6th July, 8:30 @ The Con Cellar Bar, Camden Town, London,NW1 0QT concellarjazz.co.uk/ £5
Tuesday 17th July, 8:30 @ The Amersham Arms, New Cross, London, SE14 6TY secollective.blogspot.com/ £5
Wednesday July 18th, 8:30 @ Dempseys, Cardiff. CF10 1BZ jazzatdempseys.org.uk/ £5
About ‘Paper Universe’
In a market flooded with new releases by young artists from every corner of the world, it is a welcomed rarity when an album bursts out amongst the crowd and is glistening with maturity of concept, sound, emotion and true empathy within the group. George Crowley has accomplished this and more on his debut album ‘Paper Universe.’ This is not some casual outing, but rather a true artistic statement of depth by a group of twenty somethings with highly accomplished resumes, who have been developing their musical cohesion and concept since their teenage years.
‘Paper Universe’ finds Saxophonist and Composer George Crowley playing his colorful, characterful and melodic originals in the impressive company with peers and long-standing collaborators. Crowley and Kit Downes (piano) in particular have been playing together and making music regularly since the age of sixteen and have enjoyed a long musical friendship, on which the music of the quartet draws heavily. The remaining band members, Calum Gourlay (bass) and James Maddren (drums) are musical associates made at music college at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music, where all four studied, while racking up countless hours honing their collective craft. The result of this history, therefore, is a high level of near telepathic communication and empathy in the music, as if they have been performing for decades, and one cannot stress enough how rare this is in debut albums.
The musical world of ‘Paper Universe’ is playful and unpretentious, but the songs themselves take the listener on a journey from gentle and lyrical plains through to the tempestuous and fiery realms of freer improvisation, to more straight ahead jazz playing, referencing an impressive range of influences, all maturely and fondly treated by this engaging quartet.
Each member of the group plays flawlessly, yet it is Crowley’s emotionally charged improvisations executed with the precision and wit one would equate to a saxophonist twice his age which lead the way on ‘Paper Universe.’ Crowley has certainly arrived as an instrumentalist, composer, and musical conceptualist, and ‘Paper Universe’ succeeds greatly in its sincerity and ability to capture the imaginations of both novices and the most learned audiences in jazz and improvising music.