Beautiful atmospheric music full of layered sounds and infectious rhythms; Ghanaian-English guitarist, composer and producer Rory Green (classical guitar/electronics) joins us following appearances at Lancaster Jazz Festival and Manchester Jazz Festival, and at venues across the UK. Rory draws inspiration from his mixed heritage background and creates wonderful complex yet meditative and subtly emotive soundscapes, artfully combining sensitively played acoustic instruments with electronic synthesis.

Joining Rory in this wonderful trio are Zac Hemming (drums/percussion) and Rachael Green (soprano saxophone). With his dynamic, conversational approach to the guitar and improvisation Rory has been sharing stages with artists such as Laura Misch, Kessoncoda, Marysia Osu and Kessoncoda. Deeply personal yet expansive music, from a musician making an impact.

"Rory's music is immersive and heartfelt and I have found solace listening to his live performances and to his recorded songs. His compositions are thoughtfully and intricately structured, they really journey and flow with use of different instrumentation. The melodies in his songs are so strong and emotive" - Caoilfhionn Rose

Doors 6.30pm, music 7pm.

A double bill of mysterious, beautiful music from two line-ups, and five wonderful and innovative improvising musicians; towering new sounds to fill the majestic and reverberant surroundings of the Samuel Worth Chapel.

With an emotional rollercoaster of folk-inspired songs and heavy improvisations played by three truly distinctive musicians, acclaimed bass player and vocalist Ruth Goller (Acoustic Ladyland, Laura Jurd, Let Spin, Shabaka Hutchings) brings her new collaboration with British electronic artist and drummer Will Glaser (Liam Noble, Soweto Kinch, Stan Sulzmann, Kit Downes). and Irish Viola player Ultan O'Brien (Martin Green (Lau), Laura Jurd).

Continuing a musical journey initiated on two incredible albums 'Skylla' and 'Skyllumina' (released on Chicago's International Anthem label), siren-like vocals and viola melodies meet heavy electronic improvisations and grooves from a musician and trio who are treading an utterly unique path.

"...an entwining of bass and voice that feels like pure science fiction." - The Quietus

https://youtu.be/4xlE6bRdPto?si=6MqPFz3N57RyezeB

Electronics/sound artist Manon McCoy (balo, Amirtha Kidambi, Emergence Collective, Stuart McCallum) and vocalist/composer Alice Brookes released their debut album 'objects aligned out of time' on Elektramusic Berlin in 2025; a project that combines voice, electronics, found sounds and objects.

With kaleidoscopic performances that are nothing less than mesmerising, immersive and vast improvisations continuously evolve from their self-built rig. A project founded on DIY values, they use live signal processing to layer, channel and warp sounds with their own voices. It's music that is both haunting and entirely original.

"tendrils of voice weave their way around every obstacle and frequently rise above"

"quiet rattles and tentative vocal tones, a tuning akin to an orchestra"

https://youtu.be/-e3EPyz8j_o?si=Ts4O5GHB2M3Iy431

Balladeste

Rich and contemplative, serenely beautiful music from an extraordinary duo, London-based Balladeste are violinist Preetha Narayanan and cellist Tara Franks. Together they merge contemporary classical, Indian classical, baroque influences and folk traditions into a rich, contemplative blend of texture and melody - ancient yet contemporary, devotional yet boldly experimental. Their live performances mix improvisation and collaborative composition, and influences from Hildegard of Bingham, Arvo Pärt, and Purcell via Philip Glass, and they join us ahead of their fourth album 'Imprints' due for release in November.

"…haunting compositions that transcend the limitations of two instruments…at heart it is a dialogue between string players who trained in the Western classical tradition, but they draw on Indian raga, folk songs, modal minimalism, early music and more." Songlines 2026

"an extraordinary and beautiful listening experience" KLOF

"Absolutely stunning" BBC Radio 4 - Anita Rani (Woman's Hour)

"defies easy definition…very very special indeed" BBC Radio 3 - Katie Derham (In Tune)

"Cinematographers looking for music that can radiate suspense but at the same time is warm and intimate…then look no further (Beyond Breath) Songlines 4★★★★

Balladeste have performed nationally and internationally at festivals and venues including, El Chopo Mexico City, Isole Che Parlano Sardinia, CCB Lisbon, Barbican, Art Night UK, Brighton Festival, Cafe Oto to Wilderness & Medicine Festivals. We can't wait to welcome them to The Lescar.

baleine

Performing a short set, baleine are Manon McCoy on pedal harp/electronics and Will Shaw on drums/electronics, Hannah Brady on tenor sax and clarinet/alto clarinet and Jez Matthews on piano/electronics. Improvised electronic and acoustic textures are the starting point for baleine's sound, with an increasingly intense exploration of melody, rhythms and group improvisation; loops emerge, morph and reverse, and ambient and glitchy soundscapes meet fiery tenor saxophone and percussion explorations. The musicians in baleine have performed at Lancaster Jazz Festival, Refujazz, Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music, BBC Introducing, Jazz at The Lescar, as well as in line-ups including with John Pope, Juliana Day, Assembly Trio, Mishra, Emergence, Pocket, Life Aquatic Band, Pete Lyons, Nicola Farnon, Seth Bennett and Johnny Hunter.

Will's first solo album 'chain-error' has just been released on the Dutch Esc.rec. label, and Manon McCoy's duo album with Alice Brookes 'objects aligned out of time' was released on Electramusic Berlin in 2025. As balo, Manon and Will released their first album in 2021. As whale detective, Hannah Brady and Jez Matthews have released a series of albums including a collaboration with cellist Nicola Farnon. Together baleine released their first album as a quartet in 2023.

"…a sonic palette more prismatic than their understated setup would suggest. obvious musical affinity." - Now Then Magazine, about balo

"their improvisations mesmerise" - Now Then Magazine, about whale detective

An all-star trio drawn from the London jazz scene, drummer Sam Jesson (Joe Webb Trio), bassist Tom Farmer (Empirical) and saxophonist George Crowley (Yazz Ahmed) bring new light and a shared joy to celebrated tunes from across the jazz repertoire, inspired by and featuring compositions and arrangements by Ahmad Jamal, Sonny Rollins, Duke Ellington, simultaneously respectful of the original classic material, and alert to the new possibilities that it can present. Vivid and alive, three musicians making dynamic and exciting links between the past and the future of the music.

"Contemporary & spontaneous interpretations of old material, with the trio approaching their sources in a spirit of genuine affection, but still determined to leave their own stamp on the music." JazzMann

Here's some of their music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbHM72rcr0Y

George Crowley is one of the finest UK sax players, mixing expressive energy with melodicism and a beautiful sound, you may have caught him at The Lescar many times, including with Vula Viel, Corrie Dick, Olie Brice, Brigitte Beraha, and his own trio, he also plays with Melt Yourself Down, Julian Argüelles' Septet, Yazz Ahmed and Red Snapper.

One of the finest and most in-demand bass players around, a wonderful energising presence, you may have caught Tom Farmer playing with the multi-award winning Empirical (twice winners of MOJO awards), or with Andre Canniere, and Ant Law. He also tours internationally with Anoushka Shankar.

Sam Jesson is an exciting, subtle, inventive and interactive drummer, described by London Jazz News as 'one of the young UK jazz scenes best-kept secrets', and as a Rising Star in Jazzwise magazine's annual review of 2020.

Intoxicating, thoughtful and intimate music featuring Martin Pyne (Hi Res Heart, Espial). on vibraphone / balafon, Michael Bardon (Shatner's Bassoon, Ancient Affinity Orchestra) on double bass, and special guest, pianist Laura Cole. Music focused on subtle tones and textures, full of space and sonic detail, layered with richly lyrical melody, counterpoint, and earthy grooves. They're joined in the second set by brilliant pianist / composer / improviser Laura Cole (Metamorphic, Anemone Quartet), to form a beautifully poised trio of three of the most acclaimed improvisers around.

A fluid and creative improviser, Martin Pyne's solo album 'Spirits Of Absent Dancers' was named in the Guardian as one of the best albums of 2020. His work is wide-ranging, covering jazz, free improvisation, contemporary dance, and as a silent film accompanist. You may have caught him at The Lescar previously with the wonderful Hi Res Heart quartet and with Espial. His brand new album, TRIOS, is just out on Discus Music, and features Michael Bardon, Johnny Hunter, David Beebee and Angus Bishop.

"In terms of percussion improvisation, try to imagine something that runs from the Zen sound-painting of Frank Perry to the light swing of Billy Higgins. There's nothing loud, nothing showy, nothing esoteric. Just a delight in the deft touch of a stick, a mallet, a finger or a wire brush on metal, skin or wood, and in the process of transforming sound into a sense of movement." Richard Williams - The Blue Moment

Michael Bardon (cello, voice) has a unique approach to bass and cello, as evidenced on his remarkable solo album 'The Gift Of Silence'. He has worked with a variety of musicians including Shatner's Bassoon, Matthew Bourne, Ancient Infinity Orchestra, as well as performing across the UK and Europe including at Experimenta Festival, (Bari, Italy) Locomotive Jazz Fest (Italy), Jazz Od Nowa Fest (Poland), Manchester Jazz Festival, The Vortex, Club Integral (London).

A thoughtful and creative presence on the UK improvised music scene, Laura has visited The Lescar previously with her wonderful dynamic octet Metamorphic, with whom she recorded three albums, as well as in bands led by Corey Mwamba, Martin Archer, and Johnny Hunter. Her other collaborations include with Martin Archer/Julie Tippetts, Faye MacCalman, Lara Jones, Keith Jafrate's group Orfeo 5, and Seth Bennett.

Guitarist Harry Christelis brings an acclaimed quartet of musicians from the London jazz scene and utterly entrancing music; a hypnotic fusion of jazz and folk traditions with ambient electronics and immersive sonic landscapes, drones and textures.

Harry Christelis (guitar / electronics), George Crowley (saxophone /electronics), Andrea Di Biase (double bass), and Dave Storey (drums) bring a deeply communal approach to improvisation, colouring, shaping, and delineating every moment of each piece together, through dreamy psychedelic trips, expansive soundscapes, delicate moments of intimacy, and furious bursts of energy. It's an exceptional quartet and music of real beauty, quietly cathartic with a real sense of equilibrium.

Here's some music: https://youtu.be/uPTHgYNGugs?si=b3Xh-q45teP46cGo

"With shades of ECM, Jon Hassell and late-'60s Miles Davis, these meditative, minimalist creations are imbued with offbeat beauty" MOJO ★★★★

"Compelling ambient music pitched somewhere between In A Silent Way-era Miles Davis and late-era Talk Talk" The Guardian

"Exemplifies the very notion of innovative and progressive contemporary jazz" UK Vibe ★★★★

"Breathy and textural tones that perfectly create a sense of space and memory" Soweto Kinch, BBC Radio 3

"Music with a serene beauty" Kevin Le Gendre, BBC Radio 3

Guitarist Harry Christelis' five albums as a leader ('Moostak Trio' (2020) and 'Scribbling' (Ubuntu, 2022), 'Nurture The Child / Challenge The Adult', 'Half Truths' and the latest quartet album 'Preserving Fictions' have met with acclaim internationally and rightly so. You may also have caught his beautiful and meditative duo with guitarist Pedro Velasco at The Lescar, or heard their magical album 'Scribbling'. He's performed at venues including Ronnie Scott's, The Vortex, Wilton's Music Hall, Nell's Jazz and Blues Club, Hootananny's, and Glastonbury festival.

George Crowley (saxophone /electronics) is one of the finest UK sax players, mixing expressive energy with melodicism and a beautiful sound, you may have caught him at The Lescar many times, including with Vula Viel, Corrie Dick, Olie Brice, Brigitte Beraha, and his own trio, he also plays with Melt Yourself Down, Julian Argüelles' Septet, Yazz Ahmed and Red Snapper.

You may have seen Andrea Di Biase at The Lescar or at Sheffield Jazz with Bruno Heinen's The W. Active on the London jazz scene since 2009, he was part of Kenny Wheeler's trio with Liam Noble, as well as co-leading the recording of Escape Hatch's album Roots of Unity alongside Ivo Neame with Julian Arguelles and Dave Hamblett. A lyrical, thoughtful and sophisticated bass player.

On drums, Dave Storey is in-demand on the London jazz scene, a dynamic presence appearing at Ronnie Scotts', Kansas Smitty's, The Vortex, as well as in the bands of Sam Leak, as part of Moostak Trio with Harry Christelis, and with his own trio, which features James Allsopp and Conor Chaplin.