| The
Homemade Orchestra
The Homemade Orchestra was
founded by Tim Whitehead and Colin Riley and features some of the
UK's finest jazz and classical musicians.
Their debut album TIDES was described as
"Some of the most beautiful music you will hear"
- Peter Bacon, The Birmingham Post
Their most recent album INSIDE COVERS was released
to critical acclaim in 2004
THE HOMEMADE ORCHESTRA'S
LATEST PROJECT "NONSENSE" with MICHAEL ROSEN BOOKING NOW
Known for shaking up the way new music is conceived and presented,
the Homemade Orchestra’s latest (and third) album project
continues to forge a new musical language. By turns tantalising,
mischievous, anarchic and exquisite, their music has recently been
described in the Guardian simply as, “intelligent, confident
and accessible”.
Colin Riley and Tim Whitehead, along with their
family of versatile musicians (Denys Baptiste, Tony Woods
(reeds), Liam Noble (piano), Rob Millett (tuned percussion and vibes),
Mike Outram (guitar), Kathleen Willison (vocals), Zoe Martlew (cello),
Joanna Lawrence (violin), Oli Hayhurst (bass), Milo Fell (drums))
search out fresh starting and ending points for new music. The creative
process for the music is by turns rational and irrational as the
group pull together and spin out musical ingredients.
In their live performances composed layers blend
and collide with improvised parts. Beguilling soundscapes combine
electronic tintinnabulation with live percussive grooves, and the
acoustic richness of fine playing shines within unexpected electronic
sound treatments.
“… treasure troves of harmonic and rhythmical
possibilities … moon-bright clarity … an intricate web
of ‘cello, vibraphone and trip-hop inflected drum machine
… intimations of chaos … mischievously dissonant attack
… intriguing sound collisions …a fearless lucky dip
of a concert.”
The Guardian, April 2004
‘Modern pop is now a legitimate source for jazz.
The trend reaches a peak with the album Inside Covers by the Homemade
Orchestra. The devilishly inventive arrangements bring unsuspecting
depths to familiar songs. This attempt to expand the range of jazz
is an unreservedly good thing”
The Metro, April 2004
“Deftly interweaving scored and improvised music,
Inside Covers is an affectionate and at times overtly tongue in
cheek homage to popular song in the twentieth century. Mining a
characteristically British seam of surrealist humour, it prompted
me to ask when the last time a CD had made me laugh out loud.”
Jazzwise April 2004
“The textural inventions are fascinating –
classical singing and quietly swaying string parts, humming drones
and chiming vibes. A brave enterprise.”
The Guardian, March 2004
“An audacious venture … tantalising new
territory …”
Times April 2004
Websites:
www.timwhitehead.co.uk
| www.homemademusic.org
| www.colinriley.co.uk |