Music Spoken Here presents Abacus
The Marr’s Bar, 12 Pierpoint Street, Worcester WR1 1TA
Thursday 26th February, 7:30pm doors for 8pm start
Admission £15 on the door
A four-horn jazz sextet featuring musicians from the Birmingham scene is set to perform in Worcester for the first time, on the popular “Kind of Jazz” programme at The Marr’s Bar, curated by Worcestershire promoter Music Spoken Here. The event, on Thursday 26th February is the second in a short series of performances featuring young musicians from different cities. The first event saw the venue packed earlier this month for the eight-piece, all female band Ankora from London.
The band Abacus was formed in 2022 by saxophonist and composer Liam Brennan, studying at the Birmingham Conservatoire at the time but currently studying in Oslo for a masters in composition and improvisation. The ‘chordless’ lineup, influenced by Omer Avital’s “Asking No Permission”, features two alto saxophones, trumpet, tenor saxophone alternating occasionally with bass clarinet and a rhythm section of double bass and drums.
Their original music aims to combine concepts from both the small group jazz tradition as well as the Big Band lineage. Their debut album featuring a live recording of a 2023 performance in Birmingham is due to be released soon.
While this will be the first time the band have performed in Worcester, bassist Josh Vadiveloo appeared on the Music Spoken Here programme in 2023 with the Dan Lockheart Quintet, performing music developed through the Birmingham-based Jazz Central Mentoring Scheme. Brennan was a mentee in that scheme the same year with his other project ‘Collidescope’ and Abacus trumpeter James Borland participated the following year. Saxophonist Simeon May is also returning to The Marr’s Bar, following his first appearance with the Jakub Klimiuk Quintet in October 2024. Doors open at 7:30pm with DJ Moore Fe Jazz playing before the band start around 8pm. Admission is complimentary for Music Spoken Here Club Members or £15 on the door for non-members.