More tour news and new reviews!

The trio are mid tour and there’ve been some great gigs and rave reviews! They’ve appeared all over the UK including Bristol St George’s and a run of concerts in Suffolk and Norfolk and they’ve also appeared overseas in Hamburg where the ‘Wanderer above a Sea of Fog’ by Caspar David Friedrich is based which is the idea behind the album artwork.

There’ve already been some great album reviews including a lovely piece by John Fordham in the Guardian receiving Jazz album of the month (see above), a glowing four star review in ‘All about Jazz’ and abroad in ‘Culture Jazz’ in France plus radio play in the UK and Canada. Watch this space for further updates.

The next leg of the tour sees them in Sheffield, Newcastle (also featuring a lunchtime concert with the Tori Freestone/Alcyona Mick duo), Clun Jazz and the album launch at the Vortex on 18 June. See the dates page for more info.

Thanks again are due to Arts Council England and Whirlwind recordings for their help and support.

More on the rest of the tour and some exciting dates abroad coming soon!

NEW TRIO ALBUM 'EL MAR DE NUBES' OFFICIALLY RELEASED TODAY!

The new trio album is officially out! See the promotional video here for snippets of the music and the scenery of the Canary Islands which inspired much of the writing. The trio will continue touring the music with concerts in Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Southampton, Newcastle, Sheffield and Herefordshire this month culminating in an album launch at the Vortex Jazz Club in Dalston on the 18 June. Check out the dates page for further info and buy the album here!

New video, album coming very soon and tour has started!

Tori and the trio have commenced their arts council sponsored tour of the UK (and one date in Germany) and the new album ‘El Mar de Nubes’ will be officially released on ‘Whirlwind Recordings’ very soon and available from 24 April at concerts on the tour dates. The first gig where the CD is available is at Halle 424 in Hamburg which coincidentally is the city that is home to the painting ‘Wanderer above a Sea of Fog’ by Caspar David Friedrich which is the inspiration behind the album artwork and title track.

As well as the trio tour check in for updates on news on the recent London Jazz Orchestra recording, duo concerts in the UK and abroad and an upcoming recording with the duo alongside Alcyona Mick featuring Brigitte Beraha and Andre Canniere’s Sextet. Check in for more updates very soon.

New album, video and tour coming soon!

Tori has been busy getting everything ready for the release of her third trio album ‘El Mar de Nubes’ on ‘Whirlwind recordings’ due in the Spring 2019. After some warm up gigs and two days in the studio in February, the album’s nearly there. There’ll also be a new video to coincide with the release featuring some of the beautiful places in the Canary Islands including La Palma and Tenerife where the material was written (picture above is from Teide in Tenerife overlooking the sea of clouds). A big thank you to Arts Council England for supporting the coinciding tour of the UK and Germany. See the dates page for more.

There are also some exciting gigs on the horizon with other projects during 2019. The duo with Alcyona Mick recently performed in Luxembourg with special guest Brigitte Beraha and the three musicians will perform at many venues and festivals in the UK and abroad during 2019 including the Manchester Jazz Festival, a concert in Hamburg and various performances in Spain later in the year. The London Jazz Orchestra continue their monthly Vortex residency and are set to record in April, plus a tour with the Nikki Isles Big Band and a project with the Jensen sisters and the Whirlwind Big Band are on the horizon as well as the release of Andre' Canniere’s second album.

Lots to look forward to in 2019. More updates coming very soon!

Feliz año nuevo

2018 has been a great year with the release of ‘Criss Cross’ (Alcyona Mick/Tori Freestone Duo) and tours of the UK and Germany with the duo and trio. The end of 2018 was a busy time for Tori with a London Jazz Orchestra performance featuring Norma Winstone, gigs in the London Jazz Festival including Nikki Isles’ new Big Band, a project with Noel Langley, a tour and recording with Andre Canniere’s ‘Darkening Blue’ Project and performances with her trio as well as the duo with Alcyona Mick featuring in the Teignmouth Jazz Festival. The trio will be recording their 3rd album early in 2019 and there’s a 17 date tour scheduled during 2019 including dates in Germany. The new album will be entitled ‘El Mar de Nubes’ which is about a viewpoint just below the summit of the spectacular ‘Teide’ (pictured) on the island of Tenerife as most of the album was composed in The Canary Islands, Tori’s beloved second home. The first gig of 2019 will be in the Timfanaya Theatre in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife as Tori is busy composing over there for the Xmas and New Year period.

2019 will be just as exciting. Check out the dates page for more info on the trio tour as well as some festival dates with the duo with Alcyona Mick in the UK and abroad, further London Jazz Orchestra dates including a recording, a new project with pianist Rick Simpson and another new project with a big band comprised of Whirlwind artists lead by Ingrid and Christine Jensen. Exciting times ahead. More updates to come! Feliz año nuevo/Happy New Year!

Upcoming trio recording and dates

Since the release of ‘El Barranco’ on ‘Whirlwind recordings’ in 2016, the trio have been busy touring the UK, Italy, Austria and Germany with some memorable gigs including the one pictured above this time last year at the Leibnitz Jazz Festival (a wonderful jazz and wine festival in the beautiful surroundings of Schloss Segau which is a castle housing Europe’s largest wine cellar so Tori was in her element). The concert was recorded live on the Austrian national radio station ‘ORF’. Despite having her suitcase and laptop stolen at the airport en route from Italy, Tori looks pretty happy so it must have been a good gig :-) Photo courtesy of Peter Purgar.

They’re now ready to go back into the studio in December to record an album of new material that Tori’s been busy composing. They’ll be performing some of the new material at some UK venues in the Autumn including the Crypt in Camberwell this Friday and the 606 Jazz Club in October, so check out the dates page if you fancy coming along and hearing an album preview.

The trio will be commencing an album launch tour with many dates already in the diary from Jan onwards in 2019 including further dates in Germany and an album release as part of a whirlwind festival double bill with her duo at Kings Place in the spring.

The Autumn will also see a tour with Andre Canniere, festival dates with the Tori Freestone/Alcyona Mick Duo, the London Jazz Orchestra Vortex monthly residency including a London Jazz Festival Special and another featuring the incredible Norma Winstone plus Tori will be part of the Nikki Isles Big Band premiere at the Vortex as part of the London Jazz Festival. An exciting Autumn ahead. Watch this space for further details as there’s plenty more news coming this way.

Update - it's been a while

It's been a busy period of touring during 2018, hence the lack of an update until now. The album launch tour with the duo with Alcyona Mick (featuring Brigitte Beraha on vocals on a few tracks) took the project all over the UK and also dates in Germany (Hamburg and Bremen) with concerts including the Symphony Hall in Birmingham and a live recording (plus interview with Tori) for Radio Bremen.  The CD and concerts received rave reviews (see some of the UK ones above) as well as features/reviews/interviews/radio play in Germany, Austria and France including a feature in the main Austrian Jazz Magazine 'Concerto' and radio play on NDR radio. There are still concerts in the pipeline including Teignmouth Jazz Festival in November and more Germany and UK dates next year.

The trio have also been busy with dates in Germany and the UK during 2018  They'll be going into the studio again in a few months to record the new material that Tori's been busy writing and developing.  There are dates throughout the Autumn in the run up to the new recording  which will feature the new material and an album launch tour (including more dates abroad) is due in 2019.  

Other projects will also be keeping Tori very busy.  The LJO Vortex residency kicks off again  featuring the work of Kenny Wheeler in September and then featuring Norma Winstone for a special concert in October.  Andre Canniere's 'Darkening Blue' project will be touring this Autumn and is also due to record before the end of the year.  More news coming very very soon on all this so watch this space!  

New duo album imminent and tour underway!!!

The duo have started their 2018 touring dates and there are still many more to come including venues and festivals all over the UK and Germany.  For more info check out the duo page and the dates page. The new album is due for release on Whirlwind recordings in early 2018.  You can buy it HERE and also it'll be available at the concerts.  The next date will be a special one off double bill with the duo featuring Brigitte Beraha on this occasion plus the trio with Dave Manington and Tim Giles at Pizza Express, Dean Street on 13 Feb - Tori's birthday, so hopefully there'll also be lots of wine and cake involved in the proceedings too :-) 

For more information about the duo and the upcoming album click on the brand new promotional video above.  

Happy New Year!!

2017 was a great year for Tori with shortlistings including the parliamentary jazz awards jazz instrumentalist of the year and the Arts Foundation Award for Jazz Composition as well as tours of the Uk and abroad with her own projects (the trio, duo and 'Solstice') as well as the many other projects she's involved with.  Highlights ranged from performing with Hermeto Pascoal and the UK All Star Big Band to the trio performing at Leibnitz Jazz Festival, Austria recorded live on Austrian National Radio.  You can listen here for the next few days

2018 should prove to be just as exciting with the debut album for the duo with pianist Alcyona Mick imminent on the 'Whirlwind Recording's' Label coinciding with a UK tour (involving lots of train travel as pictured above).  The duo album also features the incredible vocalist Brigitte Beraha with whom Tori performs in the co lead sextet 'Solstice' who are also due to release an album this year.  Other projects Tori is part of will be recording in 2018 too, and Tori will be busy touring with her trio and duo in Germany, Austria and Italy later in the year, plus continuing her work with the London Jazz Orchestra holding the tenor one chair.  

More news on all this in the pipeline, so check in for more updates soon!  Happy New Year!

London Jazz Festival dates

The London Jazz Festival starts on the 10th November, but the night before the fun commences Tori and Alcyona have a performance in a lovely venue in Wanstead, East London.  Yet again it's another concert where the jazz will be accompanied by fine wine as 'The Larder' in Wanstead  is an establishment that opens it's doors for a special live music event once a month along with the opportunity to try some of their fine wines in the process.  So if you'd like to whet your appetite with a festival precursor gig, you can book tickets here - https://larderlondon.co.uk/whats-on/late-night-larder-wanstead-presents-evening-jazz-duo-tori-freestone-alcyona-mick-9th-november-2017/ 

Tori will be playing in the Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall with the 'Interchange' dectet featuring a piece that she was commissioned to write and later in the festival at the Vortex with the London Jazz Orchestra (also featuring her duo partner pianist Alcyona Mick pictured above).  Tori now proudly holds the first tenor chair in the London Jazz Orchestra so the London Jazz Festival gig at the Vortex will be the first of many more.  

The duo recording (which also features a surprise special guest) and another with the co led group 'Solstice' are in the processes of being mixed and mastered.   More news on these up and coming releases very soon!

Autumn touring commences!

Tori just arrived home from recording in Italy with her duo with Alcyona Mick for their upcoming album which will feature special guest Brigitte Beraha. The album was recorded in the amazing Artesuono studios in Italy.  The duo have a gig coming up at Marsden Jazz Festival this Sunday (pictured above next to one of Grand Central's trains who are supporting the festival).  The duo travelling for the whole tour by train, so it's very apt that they're posing for the festival poster here :-).  

In the same week, Tori's trio performed at the Leibnitz Jazz Festival in Austria. Despite having her luggage stolen en route (which included most of the clothing pictured above sadly), it's been an amazing experience for herself and the bands she's involved with driving around Europe playing, recording and hanging out with some great friends and musicians.  Who needs luggage!

More news on the upcoming album and duo tour very soon, plus the outcome of the parliamentary jazz awards on the 10th October for which Tori has been shortlisted for jazz instrumentalist of 2017. All In a all a good year apart from various items going missing along the way :-)  

Stay tuned for more news very soon!

Recordings/festivals/tours - and that's just September!

September's proving to be a busy month.  Tori has just finished recording in London with her co led project 'Solstice' (featuring Brigitte Beraha and John Turville) after their 21 date summer tour, and the tour of her co led duo with Alcyona Mick commences on Thursday 14 September at the Karamel Club.  Check out more info and the tour dates on the duo page.  They'll also be recording at the famous Artesuono studios in Udine, Italy in early October just after Tori's trio perform in Austria at the Leibnitz Jazz Festival

Other festivals in September/Oct include the premiere of a piece Tori was commissioned to write for the 'Interchange' dectet project (alongside Brigitte Beraha, Nikki Isles and Yazz Ahmed to name a few) which will take place at the Scarborough Jazz Festival on 22 September, and the Marsden Jazz Festival with Alcyona.  The duo are pictured above looking very pleased about their upcoming tour (many thanks to the Arts Council England for their support).   Photo is courtesy of Alex Bonny taken outside the Vortex where the upcoming album on Whirlwind recordings will be released in early 2018.  

More updates coming soon!  

Summer/Autumn news 2017

June was an extremely busy month for Tori touring with Solstice all over the UK from the South West to the north (picture above is from the beautiful venue at Colchester Arts with bass player Dave Manington).  The band developed new material whilst on tour which will be recorded in London.  

Tori and Dave will soon be playing together again as there are some lovely trio dates coming up in September at the Karamel Club in London as a double bill with Tori's duo and then a concert at the Leibnitz Jazz Festival which will be recorded for the Austria National Radio station ORF.  It's a jazz and wine festival, so Tori will be in her element :-)

The duo with Alcyona commence a 14 date tour from November onwards and are both Tori and Alcy are extremely excited to be recording in a fantastic studio in Udine, Italy early in October for release early in 2018.  They're proud to announce that this will be on 'Whirlwind Recordings'.

Other projects are still keeping busy: Andre Canniere's 'Darkening Blue' project will be performing at the Mancheseter Jazz Festival 30th July and further dates in 2018, plus Tori has written a commission for a Dectet project which will be premiered at the Scarborough and London Jazz Festivals this year.  More info on all that to come soon.  

Check out the dates page to keep up with all these activities or check in soon on this page for further updates!  

Solstice on tour!

The past few months have been busy for Tori with a commission for a Dectet project (more news on that soon) and 'Solstice' (the co led sextet alongside Brigitte Beraha and John Turville to name a few) being on tour.  The final leg of the tour commences in June wih a chunk of dates in the South West and the rest in the midlands, culminating in the band going into the studio to record a second album.  Check out more on the dates page.  

The rest of 2017 brings more touring with the trio, this time in Austria including the Leibnitz Jazz Festival, and recording and touring with the duo with Alcyona Mick.  More on all that to come soon!

Tours at home and abroad for early 2017!

2017 has got off to a great start.  The trio tour came to and end with some lovely gigs in the UK before heading off to Germany on the 26th for a concert in a festival in Nuremberg.  There'll be more dates in Austria and Germany for the trio later this year.

Tori will also feature in the Julian Siegel Jazz Orchestra UK tour (pictured above) alongside Stan Sulzmann, Henry Lowther, Jason Yarde and Liam Noble to name a few. There are dates all over the UK including Ronnie Scotts, Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby and Birmingham.  Julian has written new music for the occasion and it should prove to be an exciting musical experience!  For more info, check out the dates page.

Tori will be back on the road yet again at the end of March as the extensive tour with 'Solstice' (a co lead project featuring Brigitte Beraha and John Turville) begins.  More on that very soon!

2017 Arts Foundation Shortlist!

2017 has got off to a great start and the Arts Foundation Awards Ceremony was a great night.  As a shortlisted artist in the PRS for Music Jazz Composition category, Tori was awarded a prize on the night by the presenter for the evening Will Self, alongside fellow shortlisted artists Percy Pursglove and Chris Montague (pictured above). 

There will be many new compositions by Tori featured during tours and recordings in 2017 including a new commissione work for large ensemble.   More news on that very soon!

2017 news!

Happy New Year!  2017 should prove to be a good year with lots of new and exciting projects on the horizon.  Tori's trio have some more UK dates early in the year and tours/festivals in Germany in Feb and October.  Stay tuned for more info on that.  The duo with pianist Alcyona Mick will be playing at the 'Bodega El Grifo' in Lanzarote on 13 Jan (see poster above for more details) and the sextet 'Solstice' that Tori co leads alongside vocalist Brigitte Beraha and pianist John Turville have a 20 date tour of the UK in the spring.  Tori will also feature in the Julian Siegel Jazz Orchestra with a tour in March with dates all over the UK including Ronnie Scotts.  

All this is going to give Tori plenty of opportunities to experiment with new compositions in various settings and Tori is delighted to announce that she has been shortlisted for an Arts Foundation Fellowship in Jazz Composition.  There will be an awards ceremony in January when the finalist will be announced, and Tori is in great company alongside guitarist Chris Montague, vocalist Laura Kinsella and multi instrumentalist Percy Pursglove.  More info here -http://www.artsfoundation.co.uk/winners-and-shortlist/2017 

Stay tuned for more 2017 news soon! 

last week of touring for 2016!

The Autumn tours with Tori's trio, the Ivo Neame Quintet and the Andre Canniere Sextet have featured some great gigs.  There's just one more week left of the busy touring period: a run of gigs with the Ivo Neame Quintet (pictured above) in the South West and one last gig with Andre Canniere on Dec 16th before an Xmas break.  Tori and the trio will be on the road again in January though and have some festivals and tours scheduled in Germany too during 2017. More news on that coming soon.  

'Solstice' (the sextet which Tori co leads alongside the likes of singer Brigitte Beraha and  pianist John Turville) will also be touring in 2017, with a 20 date UK tour.  Check the dates page for more info in the New Year.  The band's album release at the Vortex on 9 Dec has had some rave reviews, including this one on Londonjazznews.com:

http://www.londonjazznews.com/2016/12/review-solstice-album-launch-at-vortex.html

Lots of news on other exciting projects and tours for 2017 coming very soon, so stay tuned for further details.

Album launches, interviews and more touring!

'Solstice' (the quintet Tori co leads alongside Brigitte Beraha on vocals and John Turville on piano amongst others) have finally released their debut album, and the launch gig will be at the Vortex on 7 December.  Check out the promotional video for the band above.  The album is called 'Alijmentation' and with this food theme there'll be lots of tempting treats to be had alongside the music including a free slice of cake or mince pie with each album bought.  It should be a delightfully delectable evening!

You can listen to one of the tracks as well as some of those from the recent trio album on Chris Phillips' show on jazz fm 'the blueprint' here

Tori will also be continuing the heavy touring schedule with the Ivo Neame Quintet with dates in the South West and Andre Canniere's Sextet with dates in Bristol, E17 Jazz and Bradford.  

After all this a break at Xmas and New Year for some sun, sea, mountains, respite and writing in Tenerife, before more touring and recordings in the New Year.  More on that shortly, so stay tuned for regular updates,  

On the road again!

After some great gigs with the trio all over the UK, Tori will be on the road again with fellow Whirlwind artists: the Andre Canniere Sextet for the 'Darkening Blue' album release tour featuring Brigitte Beraha, Ivo Neame and Michael Janisch (pictured above), and the Ivo Neame Quintet alongside Jim Hart.  Tour dates can be found on the dates page.  Keep checking in for updates on these and the upcoming UK trio tour dates (plus some dates abroad), as the tour hopping will be continuing into 2017 for Tori!

Check out videos of the Andre Canniere Sextet here and here too!