2018 marks Beats & Pieces' 10th anniversary and their
busiest year to date. Following a major European tour in November 2017
(including a sold-out show at Amsterdam's legendary Bimhuis), the band kicked
off 2018 with a completely sold-out three night residency at Ronnie Scott's and
a January UK tour. They have just performed a prestigious showcase at
Jazzahead! in Bremen, and will embark on
their debut North American tour in June before a hometown 10th birthday party
at the Manchester Jazz Festival in July.
The Manchester gig will also mark the
release of an anniversary live CD/DVD package, ten (release date is July 20,
2018-UK & August 3, 2018-U.S.), recorded in January 2018 in the same
rehearsal space at the Royal Northern College of Music where the band had first
played together, 10 years to the day. Further UK dates for October 2018 will be
announced in due course.
Beats & Pieces Big Band take the big band sound to
places it's never been before, with a distinctive blend of rocking energy and
precise dynamics, infectious floor-filling rhythms and widescreen arrangements,
and generous individual freedom and tight collective interplay. Embracing
modern textures and techniques while acknowledging and celebrating their big
band lineage, they've earned a reputation for a joyful interaction between
audience and band, with songs to make you think, dance, laugh and cry.
This exciting ensemble led by composer/conductor Ben
Cottrell boasts 14 musicians, many of them bandleaders in their own right, with
each player's distinct musical background and individual voice being key to the
collective band identity. Now in their 10th year, Beats & Pieces are a
rarity in keeping a fairly consistent lineup for so long - especially
remarkable for a group this size. Such is the level of trust and friendship
across the group that they perform entirely from memory, effortlessly switching
between super-tight ensemble playing and generous soloistic expression in the
same way as a trio or quartet.
A driving force of the vibrant Manchester music scene and
one of the most striking ensembles of its kind, the group continues to win new
fans and friends across Europe and beyond. Beats & Pieces is not an average
'big band' - rather a band that's big.
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