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Matt Ridley, Vortex, London: Monday

Whirlwind Recordings, bassist Michael Janisch’s label, has shown consistent growth in terms of output and quality in the last two years and ahead of releasing a new live album by Lee Konitz soon, a landmark release for Whirlwind, the label has now signed the Matt Ridley Trio for an autumn release with the bassist’s debut album Thymos (Greek for ‘spiritedness’) set to appear in the autumn. With alto saxophone star Jason Yarde guesting, bassist Ridley, a Trinity college of music graduate in 2005, will preview tunes from the album at this Vortex club show. The bassist’s trio features John Turville, whose Parliamentary award-winning album Midas, first put the pianist on the map, along with relative unknown George Hart on drums. Pretty much a complete unknown himself still, Ridley has, though, worked extensively as a member of the popular Darius Brubeck Quartet touring widely, and has appeared with the MJQ Celebration band featuring Jim Hart, Barry Green, and Steve Brown, as well as the Lyric Ensemble. A SE London Collective scenester Ridley has also collaborated with celebrated oudist Attab Haddad, who is an additional guest on Thymos. His trip to east London is just the start for a player whose name we might well have to more acquainted with before too long.
Matt Ridley above
Tickets, and more details, at www.vortexjazz.co.uk