Tom Barford
Reviews
"AuB are a twin tenor ensemble ready to make cataclysmic waves in the sound of UK jazz, as demonstrated tonight at The Vortex. Led by Tom Barford and Alex Hitchcock on tenor saxophones and joined by Fergus Ireland (bass) and James Maddren (drums), it is fair to say that this quartet is firing on all four cylinders." - Jazzwise Magazine
https://www.jazzwise.com/review/article/barford-and-hitchcock-s-aub-have-dual-sax-appeal
"this is adventurous, risk-taking music. With no chordal instrument to tie them down, the twin frontliners are free to roam at will, pushing hard against the shifting rhythmic and harmonic boundaries sketched out by the endlessly creative team of Fergus Ireland on bass and James Maddren on drums"
- Jazzwise Magazine
"AuB’s compositions are tight and authentic, never self-indulgent, and when the synths are deployed they add weight rather than covering up for a lack of invention. There’s freshness and originality here; an auspicious debut from the London-based ensemble." - London Jazz News
https://londonjazznews.com/2020/05/29/aub-aub/
THE BAND//
Tom Barford – tenor sax
Alex Hitchcock – tenor sax
Fergus Ireland – Bass
James Maddren – drums
ABOUT AuB//
AuB is the London based quartet, masterminded by two young saxophonists, Tom Barford and Alex Hitchcock, musicians who are making huge waves as part of the next generation of virtuosic instrumentalists intent on doing things their way. AuB refers to the meeting of two musical minds: instrumental sounds melded into one group resonance.
The twin tenors tradition has a long history but with AuB it’s the collaborative writing process and blending of individual styles that drives the group sound. Together with bassist Fergus Ireland and drummer James Maddren, AuB amalgamates contemporary Jazz sounds and an adventurous and electronic soundscape with a risk-taking spirit and a degree of unpredictability, nuance and intense improvisation.
For Tom Barford, the focus on AuB follows the release of his highly successful solo release, Bloomer, in 2018. As he explains: “I’m really excited to be developing my relationship with Edition Records with the release of AuB’s debut album. I’ve always admired Alex’s playing and writing so to join forces for this next venture is a real treat. And of course, it’s always incredibly inspiring to play with Ferg Ireland and James Maddren.”
For Alex Hitchcock, this project brings new possibilities; “I have so much fun playing in this band, continually being inspired and surprised by Tom, James, and Ferg. I’m looking forward to deepening my musical relationship with Tom under the guidance of Edition Records, and to exploring the new sounds and textures we can find through adventurous collaborative writing.”
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