Fronted by Venezuelan pianist Joseph Costi and English guitarist Tal Janes, BAHLA sonically paints a picture of the past, present and future of Jewish identity, channeled through the rich traditions of jazz. The writing process is fed by tracing the history of the well-traveled, wandering Jew. Inspiration is not only drawn from recordings and music scores, but also through research and the understanding of social circumstance. Although the pieces are delicately crafted, often with a classical Hebraic approach, they embrace the tradition of jazz composition and allow space for interpretation and innovation. The band draws inspiration from giants of jazz such as John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock and Bill Frisell, but also explores Middle Eastern traditions of improvisation.
Still in its early stages, Bahla was selected to perform at the BBC Proms in 2015 as a promising emerging band. The band is working towards recording an album and future tours, whilst constantly searching for new material. The band embraces a modern society of different cultures and the juxtaposition of tradition and contemporary values, in the hope of presenting something exciting, meaningful and moving.
Tal Janes – guitar
Joseph Costi – piano
Greg Gottlieb – bass
Ben Brown – drums
BIG BAD WOLF is a London-based band featuring washy guitars, ambient vocals, brassy hooks and deep grooves. Their distinctive sound arises largely from the band’s consistently egalitarian process of group composition, where all four members are present from conception to completion of each song. Starting each writing session by recording an open-ended group improvisation, they then listen back, pick out the best ideas and then develop them into intricate and concise pieces of music. Big Bad Wolf have developed a unique way to bridge the gap between improvised music and contemporary pop/rock styles. The band strives to constantly push the boundaries and blur the edges of the genre through a wealth of influences, from Bjork to Derek Bailey, brought to the table by each member to the group.
‘I really like the kind of combination of lazy trombone and darting guitar riffs’ – Jez Nelson, BBC Jazz on 3
Owen Dawson – electric trombone/vocals
Rob Luft – guitar/vocals
Michael de Souza – bass VI/vocals
Jay Davis – drums
