Saxophonist’s hard driving quintet tour debut album

Surely Phil Meadows’ debut Engines of Creation should feature the smallest band in existence as it shares its title with a celebrated book that imagines a world where the contents of the biggest library on earth can fit on to the tiniest of computer chips? Instead of some cyber dream of fibre optic-jamming in the ether, Meadows, however, is joined in a quintet by actual people: trumpeter Laura Jurd, pianist Elliot Galvin, also on Rhodes; bassist Conor Chaplin (from WorldService Project); and drummer Simon Roth on their debut album released today by Boom Better records. You can listen to the album here: http://philmeadows.bandcamp.com
Seven tracks in all (‘Fin’, ‘Moving on’, ‘Runner’, ‘Engines of Creation’, ‘Flamingos’, ‘The Dragon of George’, and ‘Captain Kirk’) the tour begins on Thursday in west London at Jazz Re:Freshed in the Mau Mau bar followed by The Met, Bury (29); Seven Arts, Leeds (30); Cinnamon Club, Altrincham (1 July); Parr Jazz, Liverpool (2); Matt and Phred’s, Manchester (3); Davenham Players Theatre, Northwich (4); and the Spotted Dog, Birmingham (9). The London-based Meadows is probably best known from his days as a lead alto in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and he favours a hard blowing post-bop style, while Laura Jurd has a growing reputation based mainly on her stylish debut Landing Ground.  

Phil Meadows group above