Wednesday 23 April 2008

Seb Rochford

This is my one of my favourite musicians. He has many projects and many styles, the ones I've found are Acoustic Ladyland, Polar Bear, Fulborn Teversham, Room of Katinas and Basquiat Strings. There could be many more he seems prolific. Seb Rochford plays drums, percusion and writes pretty much any style with a Jazz edge. Depending on what project you catch him doing it can range from frantic rock drums in Accoustic Ladyland to more subtle complicated drum work outs on Polar Bear. Each project is outstanding here is a little over veiw of them:

Acoustic Ladyland - Started as a Jimi Hendrix tribute act played on acoustic instruments, re-interpreting his songs in a jazz style. This soon evolved into a beast of its very own, they got them selves electric instruments and decided to make there own rock jazz hybrid Hendrix would be proud of. I recomend the last two albums; Last Chance Disco & Skinny Grin.


Polar Bear - Have two albums only one of which I've herd; Held In Finger Tips, it was nominated for a Murcury Music Prize one year. It is a more organic sounding jazz group with complicated rhythems battling sax, solid bass and truley amazing electronics from Leafcutter John, which is th only electronics in the group. This in some ways is as intense as Acoustic Ladyland, brilliant stuff. New album maybe on the way?


Fulborn Teversham - Are on Pickled Egg Records and have an album called Count Herbert II. This is a pretty funky and punky lot, and as with Acoustic Ladyland they pull it off in a unique and inventive style. Not your generic Punk Funk or Jazz Rock which could make so many run for the hills. This group has awsome sythn work with a truley quirky vibe to it and also beautiful vocals from Alice Grant that range from brutal to sweet often in the same song. The tunes are very wide ranging its a truley great album.


Room of Katinas - I have just stumbled apon myself, from the samples on the website its a project in the making. It seems to be just Seb Rochford in his room with minimal instrumentation, mostly just drums and accoustic guitar. This could be one to watch.


Basquiat Strings Feat. Seb Rochford - As far as I am aware this Murcury nominated album just has Seb on drums and not wrting much, I could be wrong. His beats set a beautiful bed for the Jazz string section to work over. The styles go from jazz to classical and even some salsa style funk.


Live these groups are really special and I will be suporting them any time I can with going to gigs and buying records. Check them out my words can't do this justice.

No comments:

Related Posts with Thumbnails