Feature in Bandcamp "Guide to UK Jazz 2017"

Blessed to be a part of Bandcamp's 10 selected artists in their article "Guide to UK Jazz 2017", alongside some of my great contemporaries who i highly recommend checking out. https://daily.bandcamp.com/2017/09/29/uk-jazz-guide/ "During the dark years of Thatcherism in the early- to mid-‘80s, the U.K.’s jazz musicians responded with an outpouring of creativity. From the post-punk uproar of Rip Rig & Panic, to the black arts of The Jazz Warriors and the big band experiment

A quick game before bed

With board games playing a big part of our family tradition, the only thing I realise I CAN rise to, is to play a quick game of 'Shopping List' with mum. (It's a highly taxing game for age 3-7 year olds, that she had just won at her local school raffle, after playing for the children's concert). Whilst enjoying a fine, midnight feast of the left overs from the army style amount of food for the recording!

Home

Too tired to drive back to my gaff, I go back at the Hotel de Handsley with the family, Completely bushed. In and collapsing. Never played so hard physically and with such emotion. Can't quite explain, but exhausted in every sense of the word, and so many lessons and inspiration for the next part of the road ahead.

Pushed to the limit

Leading and pushing myself musically and emotionally to such a high level took its toll. Nobody noticed but I burst into tears playing one of the intros for a very sentimental tune written for a friend of mine. One of the deepest challenges more than I ever thought, however I managed to find a channel through to complete dedication and conviction and grateful for that. An amazing learning experience, and the band came out buzzing. As Moses said, it was quite a feat to rise to

Boogie-ing into the night

After packing and loading, ready to go, the sound engineer's young daughter came in to see dad. Curious to know what we had been doing all day, had a listen and started boogie-ing away to one of our tunes! Yeah! Seal of approval complete!...

It's a wrap! ....

And I think our faces say it all!!.... its been a truly mad few days!!!!!!................. lots of fun and sillyness too!!.... and now sleep.

one of my favourite moments

Photo credits - Stephen Cropper One of my favourite moments of the whole recording, playing Polar with the 2 great legends, and my partners in crime for this record, Ruth Goller and Moses Boyd. Two musicians I originally hand picked for their unique sound and approach, and for what they bring to the musical melding pot. Polar is a particularly deep song for me, inspired by the wild-awe-inspiring barren, natural landscape of Iceland. We played it out with a variety of takes, l

Moses Boyd

Moses Boyd – always deep in the music, no matter the odd time signatures, or other technical demands; something I realised early on rehearsing with him, he always wants to get underneath the music, playing it until he gets the feel and meaning of the music. And he's always listening, always with you. He's a deep, caring old soul in a young body, and always with the bigger cause in mind, never one to try to be showing and wow to impress – its all about the vibe and the music.

Persistance pays off

The band got a break as Sahra and I went in to record an intimate duo. Having recently rehearsed the song, with great results and nominal effort, we felt confident this would be the easy one, The red light was on. 2 or 3 takes later however, after making an official rule in my head that after 3 takes we would move on, we both realised that something just wasn't sitting right between us, although we couldn't pin point or verbalise what it was. The more we forced it and analyse

The amazing Ruth Goller.

Ruth, as always, on it like a car bonnet, solid as a rock. Never misses a beat. Photo credits - Stephen Cropper

"A great musician!" Cerys Matthews BBC Radio6Music

"Relentless" CLASH

"A really beautiful debut album." Gilles Peterson

"A major force on the UK scene...The music itself is the message. On 'Polar Retreat,' you literally hear fragile polar ice caps melting." Downbeat USA

"Tori Handsley emerges as a leader" The Guardian

"Gutsy" Debra Richards

"Handsley has forged a reputation for fearless music making"Jazzwise

"So irreverant and intense, yet with a punk sense of humour!" Ric Moore Bandcamp

"A great album, an unexpected beauty in this distopic world.

Best wishes from Brazil."

Pedro Marques Cancello

"I am blown away... because every track is so unique and reflects your depth, your passion for life and people... and of course your passion to communicate these attributes through your music, composing and performing.

Favourite track? Well I danced to Rivers of Mind and What's in a Tune. But I loved them all."

Pauline Kirtley

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"This is the first Jazz recording I have ever purchased and it might be the last (maybe). This artist has opened my eyes to this genre. The musicianship on display from the drums to the bass ,keys and the vocals on a few tracks, oh yeah and the harp are all outstanding This recording really rocks. A pleasure to add to my collection just to change things up." Favourite track: Rivers of Mind

Lloyd

"I am blown away... because every track is so unique and reflects your depth, your passion for life and people... and of course your passion to communicate these attributes.

Favourite track? Well I danced to Rivers of Mind and What's in a Tune. But I loved them all."

Pauline Kirtley

"This recording really rocks.

A pleasure to add to my collection just to change things up." Favourite track: Rivers of Mind

Lloyd

"To quote the Pythons, "and now for something completely different"...

I can hear rock, I can hear prog, and I can float among the many moods, textures and colours flowing - sometimes calmly, sometimes frantically - song after song. I don't know what kind of jazz fills this wonderful album, but I know that I love it. Favourite track: What's In A Tune.."

Muschiosauro

Photo by Steven Cropper http://www.transientlife.uk/

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"A great musician!" Cerys Matthews BBC Radio6Music

"Relentless" CLASH

"A really beautiful debut album... a bit of a Chick Corea feeling" Gilles Peterson

"A major force on the UK scene" Downbeat USA

"Tori Handsley emerges as a leader"
The Guardian

"Gutsy" Debra Richards

"Handsley has forged a reputation for fearless music making"
Jazzwise

"So irreverant and intense, yet with a punk sense of humour!"
Ric Moore Bandcamp