THURSDAY NIGHT PRAYER MEETING w/ David Birchall / Thomas Dixon / John Pope
David Birchall (Guitar) Thomas Dixon (Saxophone) John Pope (Double Bass)
Saxophonist and bandleader Thomas Dixon, having been inspired by his time in the ICP’s Dutch Improv Academy, is now the founder and facilitator for the Thursday Night Prayer Meeting.
As well as being inspired by the radical free jazz records of the early 1960s, he’s also strongly moved by British dance club culture, and African township musics, which can be seen clearly in his other musical projects: DILUTEY JUICE, Kancho Club, and Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thursday Night Prayer Meeting is an invitation to share in the joys of improvised music. On the first Thursday of every month the night begins by bringing guest performers to the stage, and then putting together small groups from the audience to improvise together.
Free from the boundaries of genre, the Prayer Meeting encourages music makers of all styles, backgrounds, and perceived levels of ability to come play together. Everyone should have access to improvised music, either as an audience member or participant. PA, drum kit and keyboard are provided and you are encouraged to bring anything else you’d like to make noise with.
For this festival edition David Birchall will visit the Prayer Meeting to perform in a unique trio formation with Thomas Dixon and John Pope.
David Birchall is a guitarist, free improviser, composer and organiser living in Manchester, UK. He has performed in the UK, Europe, Russia, Palestine, USA & Japan. He has undertaken artist residencies at The Penthouse (2014, Manchester, UK) and Beppu Project (2017, Beppu, JP). His work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 6 Music, SWR in Germany, WFMU in the US & ABC in Australia.
David Birchall plays in the free form rock band Historically Fucked with Otto Willberg, Odie Ji Ghast & Alex Pierce, This Friend Ship Is Sailing with Maggie Nicols, Odie Ji Ghast & Sam Andreae, Spacefood with Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter and Minimum Wage Immanence Unit with Adam Fairhall & Michael Perrett, alongside many other musicians in ad hoc situations including Marshall Allen, Phil Minton, Mark Sanders, Alan Wilkinson, Toshimaru Nakamura, Hannah Marshall, Lee Patterson and Richard Harrison.
He organises the Curious Ear series for improvised music in Manchester which he co-founded with Andrew Cheetham in 2017.
He’s still convinced the practical musical experiences of free improvisation and consensus /dialogue social forms it models offer us one of the best ways through all this.
John Pope is an open-hearted improviser, bass player and composer, leader of the John Pope Quintet and one third of Archipelago.
Oct 5 – Thursday Night Prayer Meeting w/ David Birchall / Thomas Dixon / John Pope
Thursday 5 October, 7:30pm
Pay what you feel on the door.
Description
THURSDAY NIGHT PRAYER MEETING w/ David Birchall / Thomas Dixon / John Pope
David Birchall (Guitar)
Thomas Dixon (Saxophone)
John Pope (Double Bass)
Saxophonist and bandleader Thomas Dixon, having been inspired by his time in the ICP’s Dutch Improv Academy, is now the founder and facilitator for the Thursday Night Prayer Meeting.
As well as being inspired by the radical free jazz records of the early 1960s, he’s also strongly moved by British dance club culture, and African township musics, which can be seen clearly in his other musical projects: DILUTEY JUICE, Kancho Club, and Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thursday Night Prayer Meeting is an invitation to share in the joys of improvised music. On the first Thursday of every month the night begins by bringing guest performers to the stage, and then putting together small groups from the audience to improvise together.
Free from the boundaries of genre, the Prayer Meeting encourages music makers of all styles, backgrounds, and perceived levels of ability to come play together. Everyone should have access to improvised music, either as an audience member or participant. PA, drum kit and keyboard are provided and you are encouraged to bring anything else you’d like to make noise with.
For this festival edition David Birchall will visit the Prayer Meeting to perform in a unique trio formation with Thomas Dixon and John Pope.
David Birchall is a guitarist, free improviser, composer and organiser living in Manchester, UK. He has performed in the UK, Europe, Russia, Palestine, USA & Japan. He has undertaken artist residencies at The Penthouse (2014, Manchester, UK) and Beppu Project (2017, Beppu, JP). His work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 6 Music, SWR in Germany, WFMU in the US & ABC in Australia.
David Birchall plays in the free form rock band Historically Fucked with Otto Willberg, Odie Ji Ghast & Alex Pierce, This Friend Ship Is Sailing with Maggie Nicols, Odie Ji Ghast & Sam Andreae, Spacefood with Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter and Minimum Wage Immanence Unit with Adam Fairhall & Michael Perrett, alongside many other musicians in ad hoc situations including Marshall Allen, Phil Minton, Mark Sanders, Alan Wilkinson, Toshimaru Nakamura, Hannah Marshall, Lee Patterson and Richard Harrison.
He organises the Curious Ear series for improvised music in Manchester which he co-founded with Andrew Cheetham in 2017.
He’s still convinced the practical musical experiences of free improvisation and consensus /dialogue social forms it models offer us one of the best ways through all this.
John Pope is an open-hearted improviser, bass player and composer, leader of the John Pope Quintet and one third of Archipelago.
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