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Two of Scotland's outstanding musical innovators combine on saxophines and guitar. Saxophonist Phil Bancroft has been a major force on the Scottish and UK jazz scenes since he emerged in the late 1980s as part of the generation that included saxophonist Tommy Smith, pianist Brian Kellock, drummer John Rae trumpeter Colin Steele and guitarist Kevin Mackenzie.
Phil has a history of interesting collaborations. He played with Sun Ra during one of Ra’s Scottish visits and he has worked with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and saxophonists Joe Lovano and Oliver Lake, and his partnership with the outstanding guitarist Graeme Stephen is one of the most stimulating and rewarding of these.
Recorded with Reid Anderson (from The Bad Plus on bass), leading Norwegian drummer Thomas Strønen and the Impossible Gentlemen's Mike Walker on guitar, Phil’s long-lost 2004 album, Headlong has recently been reissued to excellent reviews and a new recording with Graeme Stephen (and Indian tabla master Gyan Singh) is due later this year.
In duo, Phil and Graeme draw on their shared love of various traditions, including jazz, Indian, Celtic and Eastern European music, and play original compositions characterised by genuine creativity, a sense of adventure and a love of melody.
“As good as anything coming out of New York” - Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings
"Exciting and rewarding" - Jazz Views