Perfect Stranger @ The Old Church
".. vivacious... jostling with startling ideas... the most complex musical ideas reinvented both accurately and freely by improv-savvy performers"
~ John Fordham, UK Jazz News
"Contemporary writing for a jazz ensemble at its finest"
~ Nick Lea, Jazz Views
Blurring the boundaries between jazz, rock, funk and classical music, Perfect Stranger is an adventurous ensemble led by guitarist and composer Chris Sansom, bringing together some of the finest musicians on the London jazz scene. Their music combines intricate ensemble writing, infectious rhythms and improvisation with the structural ambition of classical composition, creating a distinctive and often witty musical experience.
The band's story began in 1973, when Sansom assembled a nine-piece group to explore a new approach to jazz-rock, drawing inspiration from the extended compositions of progressive rock, the rhythmic inventiveness of Frank Zappa and the rich musical language of jazz and funk. Although the original project was short-lived, its ambitious music remained largely unheard for nearly half a century.
Now revived with an exceptional line-up of musicians, Perfect Stranger has finally brought these compositions to life. Their acclaimed debut album, Unfinished Business (2024), features the four-movement Life & Times (of a Perfect Stranger), conceived on the scale of a classical symphony, alongside Lugubrious Boots and Ludwig's Van, a bold reimagining of Beethoven's notoriously challenging Große Fuge.
The band's repertoire also embraces music by Charles Mingus and Frank Zappa, alongside newer compositions by Sansom, reflecting an eclectic musical vision that defies easy categorisation.
Expect a captivating live performance full of unexpected twists, shifting textures, rhythmic complexity and moments of humour, delivered with virtuosity, energy and a genuine spirit of musical adventure.
Lineup:
Martin Hathaway (alto & soprano saxes, bass clarinet, flute)
Mick Foster (tenor, baritone & soprano saxes, flute)
Mike Soper (trumpet & flugelhorn)
Tom Green (trombone)
Will Inscoe (piano, keys)
Rob Millett (vibraphone, congas, misc. percussion)
Eddy White (guitars)
Paul Michael (bass guitar)
Jonas Golland (drums)
Chris Sansom (composer/arranger, conductor, some fretless bass guitar)
Location
The Old Church, Stoke Newington, N16 9ES