It's now for Never

Following on from sold out shows at Porgy & Bess in Vienna and Ronnie Scotts in London, Russian alto saxophonist Zhenya Strigalev embarks on a UK and Ireland tour throughout July with his Never Group Trio. Strigalev is joined on the tour by US bassist Michael Janisch (Joe Lovano, Miguel Zenon, Gary Husband) and Spanish drummer Marc Ayza (Jason Lindner, Greg Osby) blurring the lines between jazz, funk, rock, electronica and improv. 

Strigalev’s genre defying album ‘Never Group’ was released through Janisch’s Whirlwind Recordings in April this year, recorded over two days in Berlin with the U.S. rhythm section of electric bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Eric Harland. ‘Never Group’ features guest performances from keyboardist John Escreet, double bassist Matt Penman, vocalist Charles Armstrong and trumpeter Alex Bonney. 

Strigalev set out to fashion the unexpected and the fleeting (alluded to in the project name) both from his own original compositions and the contributions of respected Austrian electronics composer/musician Bruno Liberda (who also appears on this recording).

• 1st July - Ray's Jazz, London
• 5th July - Spotted Dog, Birmingham
• 6th July - Dempsey's, Cardiff
• 7th July - Soundcellar, Poole (& daytime workshop)
• 8th July - Burdall's Yard, Bath
• 9th July - Billinghurst Arts, Billinghurst
• 12th July - 606 Club, London (featuring Heidi Vogel on vocals)
• 13th & 14th July - The Jazz Bar, Edinburgh
• 15th July - The Jazz Co-Op, Newcastle
• 17th July - Jazz at the Albert, Bristol
• 22nd July - Bennigan's, Derry, Ireland
• 23rd July - Sligo Jazz Festival, Ireland (day time)
• 23rd & 24th July - JJ Smyth's, Dublin, Ireland
• 26th July - The Phoenix, York
• 29th July - Hot Numbers, Cambridge