Mike & Kate Westbrook and The Granite Band
Sunday 24 July 2022 7.30pm
South Devon local, pianist and composer Mike Westbrook, one of our British jazz ‘greats’ has been offering, elegant, rich and intelligent music since the early 1970’s, always with his wife Kate by his side.
For this concert they both are together with The Granite Band, ‘the south-west supergroup, hard, granular, crystalline and totally rock solid’ (London Jazz) playing live at Exeter Phoenix. The Granite Band, hailing from south Devon, is fronted by vocalist Kate Westbrook. Her strikingly original lyrics, conjuring up labour, love and death in the vast Dartmoor landscape, are matched by Mike Westbrook’s genre-busting score, setting free the inventive playing of the band.
Kate Westbrook acknowledges no musical boundaries. Her distinctive, theatrically charged vocal style has won her an international reputation, ‘a voice for winter, exile, anger; but also for love and prophesy’ (Jazzwise). Earth Felt The Wound, its title a quote from Milton’s Paradise Lost, explores contemporary themes with irony and passion. ‘An apocalyptic vision, reflecting the effects of climate change and humankind’s disregard and stupidity’ (Jazz Journal). Kate’s strikingly original lyrics are matched by the genre-busting score of Mike Westbrook and by the ‘empathetic contributions’ of The Granite Band.
The Granite Band line-up is Kate Westbrook – vocals, Roz Harding – saxophones, Jesse Molins – guitar, Matthew North – guitar, Billie Bottle – bass guitar, Coach York – drums, Mike Westbrook – piano/keyboards.