Mu Quintet (album launch) feat. Vulva Voce

Mu Quintet are the Leeds-based instrumental acoustic jazz outfit drawing inspiration from movements within the musical avant-garde. With a sound characterised by rich compositions, explosive improvisation and intricate melodies, they aim to push at the boundaries of the small jazz ensemble. Mu Quintet comprises members of Ancient Infinity Orchestra, Matthew Halsall's Band and Yard Nule.

They launched their debut album ‘Summit’ digitally in December 2022, and tracks had strong support on radio via X-FM (Germany), Jazz FM, Worldwide FM, Ness FM, 1BTN, Totally Wire Radio and a great review in Jazz Journal. 'Summit' was also released on vinyl by Jazzaggression Records in 2023, with record sales worldwide. Described as ‘absolutely incredible’ by BBC Radio 6 Music DJ/presenter Gilles Peterson, (who played tracks on his show two weeks on the trot - a sure sign he's really into a band or release), one track from the album has gone on to achieve 1.5 million streams on Spotify!

The concept of ’Mu’ is meant to be an answer beyond the question. The group aims to celebrate the act of improvisation and free expression in the modern era. Direct influences include Ornette Coleman, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Pharoah Sanders, Eric Dolphy, Sam Rivers and Andrew Hill. The compositions and playing style aim to present an alternative expression of the brilliance of jazz and improvised music, countering the mainstream trends in the jazz scene today.

"Enos" is their second album and will be released on the day of this gig, 9th February, via Finnish leftfield jazz label Jazz Aggression Records (vinyl copies available at this show). Once again, it features original compositions from the band members but with a slight difference from their debut album. They feature special guests Vulva Voce on several tracks, one of the UK's top contemporary music string ensembles. Morer about further down the page. The gig will be split into two sections - 1st set Mu Quintet, 2nd set Mu Quintet featuring Vulva Voce.

Vulva Voce puts performance at the forefront, combining movement, experimentation and improvisation to produce a truly dynamic show. They combine their musical influences of folk, contemporary classical, techno and beyond, to push the boundaries of how a string quartet can sound, perform and engage with an audience. At the heart of their performance is the empowerment of women's voices and stories. The music they play is entirely created by women and underrepresented artists from across history, including original music and specially commissioned works.

Over the past two years, their innovative approach has gained them recognition by the GRAMMYS website, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Manchester, The Strad and Slipped Disc. They have performed internationally, collaborating with artists such as Bishi, Ringdown (Caroline Shaw and Danni Lee), Ash, The Beatbox Collective, The Manatees, DJ Masa, Esther Swift, Good Habits and many more. In March 2024, Vulva Voce were invited to perform at SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, to perform on the British Music Embassy Stage, Beyond the Music and Classical Unlocked showcases. Since then, they have performed at Glastonbury Festival, plus the opening night for WOMEX 2024 at the Bridgewater Hall. Vulva Voce are committed to a more sustainable model of touring and received funding to complete their 2023 European Tour entirely by land-travel, where they played to sold out venues across Scandinavia and Germany.