This group formed in London in 2011. Their fourth offering ‘The Sleeper Wakes’ was released on July 24th 2020. It is the culmination of the last decade of extensive touring and growth as an ensemble.

Prior to this, they have released 3 albums:

in 2018 ‘Life I Know’ on Edition Records,

in 2015 ‘Zero Sum World’ on Whirlwind Recordings,

and in 2013 ‘Entanglement’ on 33 Jazz.

With the exception of infrequent, heavily disguised arrangements of standards and songbook classics, the group performs Ant’s compositions exclusively. His compositional voice continues to develop, drawing together and entwining a number of musical traditions. The instrumentation is an acoustic jazz quartet: alto sax, piano, acoustic bass & drums with the addition of Ant’s electric guitar. Through this sonic prism they explore harmonies from jazz/western classical music, rhythms from South India, grooves from contemporary music and even rock/folk influences. All five musicians are at the forefront of the contemporary jazz scene in London. And all are equally devoted to jazz history and traditional forms as they are driving jazz forwards and thinking freely about creative music making.

Reedsman Michael Chillingworth plays alto saxophone, and on earlier recordings with this group he also played soprano saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet. Originally from Watford in north London, Mike graduated from the Guildhall and has become a passionate educator and a busy sideman. Recently he has appeared with Kit Downes, Stan Sulzmann, Gareth Lockrane and John Taylor. He can be heard on several notable albums including Richard Turner’s Round Trip, Andrea DiBiase’s Oltremare Quartet and large ensemble Troykestra’s album. He is feared by most of London’s reed places for his fluent technique and rhythm. For more info you can visit Mike’s website.

Bassist Tom Farmer is another Guildhall graduate, known mostly as a member of long standing British ensemble Empirical. which formed in 2007. They have been presenting projects, performances and recordings continuously since 2007, their eponymous debut album came out in 2009. In 2016 they won the Parliamentary Jazz Awards for Best Ensemble. Tom is from Maldon in Essex and since moving to London he has become an incredibly versatile sideman. His schooled deeply in the jazz tradition, allowing him to perform with a great range of artists. Tom does not have his own website but his band Empirical does.

Pianist Ivo Neame is a vital cog in several of European jazz’s most forward-looking groups including Phronesis and the Marius Neset Quintet. He has in recent years collaborated with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band and the London Sinfonietta. Originally from Kent, Ivo discovered music at an early age by playing his parents' piano, albeit with drum sticks. Ivo graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2003. Since then he has performed/recorded with highly esteemed musicians at home and abroad such as Kenny Wheeler and Hermeto Pascoal. His fifth album ‘Moksha’ was released on Edition in 2018. He can often be heard alongside one of Europe’s top multi-instrumentalists Jim Hart, with whom he collaborates extensively. For more info you can visit Ivo’s website.

Drummer James Maddren hails from Horsham, Sussex. While still at school he traveled to London to study with Jim Hart, who Maddren cites as a significant early influence and inspiration. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Martin France, graduating with a 1st class degree. He received the ‘Principal’s Award For Outstanding Studentship’. James is one of the UK’s/Germany’s (and increasingly Mainland Europe’s) first-call drummers, and he enjoys listening to and performing all kinds of music. He has shared the stage with Gwilym Simcock, Jacob Collier, Marc Copland, Seamus Blake, Will Vinson, Nikkie Iles & Norma Winstone. James does not have his own website but has contributed to a number of albums for Whirlwind Recordings, where he has a profile page.