EMMA RAWICZ QUARTET

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Emma Rawicz - Saxophone

Ivo Neame - Piano

Freddie Jensen - Bass

Asaf Sirkis - Drums

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“An astonishing new talent” Jamie Cullum – BBC Radio 2

 

‘a force to be reckoned with’ Jazzwise

 

‘a fast-rising star‘ London Jazz News

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Cambridge Jazz Festival are proud to welcome multi-award winning saxophonist and composer, Emma Rawicz as our Artist-in-Residence (Music).

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Emma Rawicz is a multi-award winning young saxophonist and composer,  making waves on the UK music scene and beyond. At the age of 21 she has already recorded and released an eagerly awaited debut album ‘Incantation’ featuring Ant Law, made up entirely of her original compositions. In April 2023 Emma signed to major European Jazz label ACT and Emma’s second album, Chroma, recorded in summer 2022 will be released by ACT in August 2023.  Chroma features an all-star band of Ivo Neame, Ant Law, Conor Chaplin and Asaf Sirkis with Immy Churchill providing vocals for three tracks.

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Emma has created a name for herself both as a bandleader and a sideman. A relatively new arrival on the scene, she has already made an impact, regularly playing at major London jazz venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, The Jazz Café and Pizza Express both as a band leader and as a sideman with a wide range of established musicians. In November 2022 Emma performed as a featured soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Marcin Wasilewski Trio in their tribute to Tomasz Stańko. 2022 also saw Emma and her band invited to perform at some high profile international jazz festivals.

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Emma is a recipient of the 2021 Drake Yolanda Award, winner of ‘Best Newcomer’ at the 2022 Parliamentary Jazz Awards and nominee for the 2022 Jazz FM ‘Instrumentalist of the year and finalist in BBC Young Jazz Musician 2022.

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Growing up in rural North Devon, Emma didn’t discover jazz until the age of 15, and didn’t pick up a tenor saxophone until a year later, but had spent her childhood otherwise immersed in largely folk and classical music.

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Emma is a natural performer. Her music has a unique sound, fusing all her many influences, and her compositions range from lilting Afro Cuban inspired grooves to hard hitting modern jazz and funk numbers.

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ALICE ZAWADZKI TRIO

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Alice Zawadzki - vocals, violin, piano 

Misha Mullov - Abbado -double bass 

Fred Thomas - piano, drums, strings

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“A ‘supergroup’ trio...of mesmerising intensity" - London Jazz News 

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“Her lustrous vocal range is the real live deal… a commanding and intense performer” - Jazzwise Magazine

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Inhabiting their own stylistic realm encompassing mediterranean folk song, chamber music, improvisation and the world of acoustic jazz, this trio comprises the award-winning singer, multi-instrumentalist and song-writer Alice Zawadzki, joined by two of London’s most distinguished musicians, Fred Thomas and Misha Mullov-Abbado. The clear synergy harnessed by these three musicians is the result of almost a decade’s work together, drawing upon the successes and singular abilities of its members: multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer Fred Thomas, whose recent exceptional album for ECM Records received 5 stars from Gramophone Magazine, Misha Mullov-Abbado, whose stature as bassist and composer has garnered commissions from the BBC Concert Orchestra, and Alice Zawadzki, described by The Guardian as “a genuine original”. The group plays acoustic chamber music, guided by a special emphasis on intimacy, delicacy of sound, space and subtle interaction, qualities which have led them to ECM Records, whose founder Manfred Eicher produced their debut album in Lugano in 2023. 

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