Steve Reid InNOVAtion Award artists
About each supported artist:
Drummer Femi Koleoso is bandleader of award winning band Ezra Collective and MD for internationally acclaimed rapper Pharoahe Monch. He also plays with former Art Blakey messenger Jean Toussaint and many other names in jazz, hip hop and afrobeat.
Femi received support for producing his debut album.
http://ezracollective.com/
After being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder at the end of a year of ongoing personal trauma, John Elliott, the multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter behind The Little Unsaid, gradually returned to songwriting as a means of recovery. One year on, after a return to a relentless touring schedule, he was back in the studio with his band, working on songs that distilled this search for meaning in trauma into a new album. Recorded with Radiohead engineer Graeme Stewart and funded by fans using Pledge Music, Imagined Hymns & Chaingang Mantras is due for release in 2017.
The Little Unsaid received support for video production
http://www.thelittleunsaid.com/
Nubya Garcia, 24, a saxophonist, has just graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. London born and raised, she began playing with the local Camden Music Service, before moving to the Royal Academy Junior Jazz course. Recently she has performed with Sister Sledge as part of the Women of the World Festival 2016, and is currently in the midst of writing for various ensembles whilst performing alongside a range of diverse bands.
Nubya received support for live performance development
https://www.nubyagarcia.com/
Ola Szmidt is a singer-songwriter, musician, flautist and producer based in York. As a multi-faceted musician her work combines vocal and instrumental improvisations with live looping techniques, and self-produced electronics with sound art and song-writing. Ola’s music shifts between Scandinavian and Eastern folk traditions, whilst including soul, jazz, contemporary classical and ambient practices. She writes and sings in both English and her mother tongue, Polish.
Ola Szmidt received support for a UK tour
https://olaszmidt.bandcamp.com/
Moses Boyd
Moses Boyd is a drummer, composer, producer and electronic musician from Catford, South London. He won a MOBO in 2015 for his project ‘Binker & Moses’, plus the Parliamentary Jazz Award in 2016. Moses Began playing the drums at 14 and was playing professionally by age 17. Largely self-taught, Moses has worked the likes of Lonnie Liston Smith, Gilles Peterson, Kwabs and many more. Winner of the Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2014 Moses leads his own ensemble, The Exodus as well as performing his solo project, ‘Solo Exodus’ which fuses electronic sounds and improvised jazz elements from just electronics and drums. Moses recently self-released 12” single, ‘Rye Lane Shuffle’
Moses received support to record and soon release his debut album
http://www.mosesboyd.co.uk/about
Sarathy Korwar
Sarathy Korwar is a percussionist/composer born in the US, raised in India and now based in London. Trained as a classical tabla player and drummer, Sarathy composes and performs music that builds on intuition and spontaneity. His latest project ‘Day To Day’ features the music of the Sidi community in India and uses their music as a point of departure to further improvisations. The album ‘Day To Day’ will be released on Ninja Tune/Steve Reid Foundation on 8th July.
Sarathy received support to complete the recording of the ‘Day To Day’ album
http://www.sarathykorwar.com/
Wu-Lu
Wu-Lu aka Mileage is a producer / DJ from south London hailing from Brixton. He has been producing soulful intelligent music since the age of 15, and over the last 9 years has taken his music across the globe with his experimental look on music.
Miles received mentoring through the partnership
https://wu-lu.bandcamp.com/
Hector Plimmer
Hector Plimmer blends a mixture of samples, recordings & synthesisers to create organic, unpolished sounds. His music is often largely focused on different percussive & rhythmic elements combining to result in complex patterns. He recently released EP, ‘Our Space Secrets’.
Hector received support to complete the production of his concept EP
https://hector-plimmer.bandcamp.com/
Lady Vendredi
Lady Vendredi and the Vendettas, led by Afrofuturist Lady Vendredi, encompasses everything from traditional Haitian voodoo grooves through to global bass, jazz, hip hop and experimental music. Described as the ‘love child of Azealia Banks and Neneh Cherry’ and as a cross between Missy Elliott and Grace Jones, she has performed with the likes of Princess Superstar and supported Peaches, Charli XCX and A*M*E. She recently sold out a night at the Roundhouse, took over Soho Theatre for a 2-week residency and secured rave reviews in Time Out and via multiple blogs.
Lady Vendredi received support for the recording and release of her EP
http://www.nwandoebizie.com/