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Mike Reed’s Separatist PartyFEAT. BEN LAMAR GAY, MARVIN TATE, BITCHIN BAJAS THU 25 JUN | THE BLACK BOX, BELFAST | 8PM | £17.50/12.50 CONC BOOK HERE
Mike Reed’s Separatist Party first convened in early 2022. Spearheaded by Reed (drummer, bandleader, and composer), the band is a true supergroup featuring some of the most creative figures in Chicago’s booming music scene – cornetist Ben LaMar Gay, poet & spoken word artist Marvin Tate, along with the members of Bitchin Bajas (Rob Frye, Cooper Crain, and Dan Quinlivan). The Separatist Party sound draws upon a raft of influences, weaving together traditions and practices within the world of groove, to forge something entirely new. You’ll hear elements of Don Cherry’s groundbreaking Organic Music Society, the ecstatic fire of Pharoah Sanders, the cycling minimalism of Terry Riley, the motorik rhythms of Krautrock, the exploratory tones of Sun Ra, and the clipped soul of vintage Ethiopian jazz. The result is a propulsive brew that says plenty about the turbulent world we find ourselves in, while somehow remaining firmly positive. Outside of the Separatist Party, Reed has long been a community-builder, both through the making and presenting of music. He is a founder of Chicago’s Constellation venue (an integral part of the city’s cultural ecosystem) and the Pitchfork Music Festival. He is also a member of the legendary AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). We cannot wait to welcome this exceptional slice of Chicago to Belfast for the first time. It’s a special one!
“Community filtered through the spiritual jazz legacies of the Organic Music Society, Nigerian funk, and the Arkestra” Raven Sings The Blues
“In a year that featured a number of themed albums, Mike Reed’s The Separatist Party was the most compelling – running the gamut from somber to celebratory, all of it intense and heartfelt” Bandcamp – Best of 2023 |
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Kalia VandeverSAT 12 SEP | THE TALL GALLERY AT THE MAC, BELFAST | DOORS 7.30PM, SHOW 7.45PM | £13.50 BOOK HERE
We are delighted to welcome Kalia Vandever for a very special performance in the Tall Gallery at The MAC, Belfast.
The New York trombonist and composer has been praised by AllMusic as “a master musician and composer” and “a singular talent” and recognised by NPR as part of the “new class of jazz artists pushing the music forward”. Vandever’s music has quickly and widely gained traction in the last few years despite their style being difficult to pin down – so much so, bandmates and collaborators range from Mary Halvorson, Shabaka, Joel Ross, and Immanuel Wilkins, to Harry Styles, Japanese Breakfast, and Moses Sumney. In Bloom, their 2019 debut album, and its followup Regrowth (New Amsterdam, 2022) swiftly established Vandever as a compelling bandleader in jazz circles, with Another View (Northern Spy, 2025) further cementing their reputation. Vandever’s debut solo album We Fell In Turn (AKP Records, 2023) signaled a separate path being explored simultaneously. Their 2026 release Mana (International Anthem) leans into that development further: solo trombone, pedalboard, keys, sonic manipulation, limitless expanse.
We are delighted to welcome this remarkable musician to Belfast for the first time. Book early as space is limited!
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Gleaming World UnitFRI 11 SEP | THE BLACK BOX, BELFAST | DOORS 8PM | £15/£10 CONC (+ BOOKING FEE) | BOOK HERE
Belfast-based drummer and improvisor Stephen Davis is one of the most sought-after musicians and collaborators working today. He is a member of Anthony Braxton’s ‘The New Standard’ and the Alexander Hawkins Trio, and has worked with Marc Ribot, Evan Parker, Kris Davis, Paul Dunmall, Django Bates, and Van Morrison to name but a few.Davis made his name in the improvising trio Bourne, Davis, Kane, whose debut album Lost Something (Edition Records, 2008) prompted The Guardian’s John Fordham to acknowledge the trio’s “world class status.”
His new project arrived in the form of ‘Gleaming World Unit’, marking a new chapter for Davis, and a first international label release (577 Records, New York City). With a title drawing on sentiments from a letter written by Seamus Heaney, he was inspired by time spent in the Wicklow mountains, being submerged in forests for often hours at a time.
Being surrounded by offerings of the compositional power of the landscape led to a brand-new approach to tune-writing, where improvisation and composition are purposefully blurred, inviting the listener to make their own assessment. Ghosts, forests, old photographs and conversations with elders all feeds into a live show blending elements of free jazz, punk, contemporary classical, electronics, and art-music.
The star-studded ensemble for this run of shows across Dublin, Belfast, and London features Davis lining up alongside renowned pianist Alexander Hawkins, a tour-de-force horn duo with alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier and tenor saxophonist Tom Challenger, and to top it off, these shows are a first venture with double bassist Michael Formanek. A lineup which, aside from Formanek on bass, took its explosive live bow at Moving on Music’s Brilliant Corners jazz festival in Belfast in 2024. The next step for Gleaming World Unit is to present the show across Europe to new audiences, and this tour will be a taste of that. We are delighted to welcome Gleaming World Unit back to Belfast with support from PRS Foundation – Beyond Borders.
“this is a vital, frequently thrilling calling card from an explosive quintet, whose leader serves compelling notice of his credentials as a composer and bandleader of some distinction.” – All About Jazz
“Davis has a love of multi-directional drumming styles personified by the likes of Rashied Ali and it shows here in a dazzling display, lit up by ferocious saxophone playing from Angelika Niecsier and Tom Challenger” – Marlbank
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