Cambridge Jazz Festival: SEED Ensemble

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Pop-up FOOD available to purchase on site from REGGAE KITCHEN (5:30 - 9:30pm)

Formed in early 2016, Mercury Prize Nominees 2019,  SEED Ensemble is a ten-piece band led by alto saxophonist and composer Cassie Kinoshi.

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The project presents a stellar line-up featuring some of London’s most up-and-coming young jazz musicians including tuba player Theon Cross and tenor saxophonist Chelsea Carmichael. Combining jazz with inner-city London, West African and Caribbean influenced groove, SEED explores a blend of genres through both original compositions and arrangements. Their debut release Driftglass (Jazz Re:freshed, 2019) features the track Afronaut (feat. XANA) which won the Ivors Academy Award 2018 (formerly known as BASCA, British Composer Award) for Jazz Composition for Large Ensemble.

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“…a wonderful reflection not simply of the best of London’s current improvisational music, but a strong perspective representing the city’s young Black creative class.” - Afropunk

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“Cassie Kinoshi is a striking instrumentalist, a musician able to reinterpret material on the fly, while injecting brave new elements in the process…a stunning work, full of daring musicality and spiritual depth.” - The Clash

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" A most fantastic and colourful approach to this piece. So very well done and I'm extremely  proud of you all. Big thanks "  - Greg Osby

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“…Driftglass is an untrammelled wrap-around delight.” All About Jazz

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" The richness of the band’s melody, harmony and solo is something we can attest to and that got the crowd going. Band members cut across race and gender; and original compositions are inspired by the social issues of our times. So a night of music by the people for the people about the people? We like " - www.sqwzl.com