Chetham's School of Music

Generously supported by The Haworth Charitable Trust
Part of the Manchester Song Festival 2022

‘She is a genuine original with a pure, pealing voice that can darken into brooding low tones, and twist with flexibility and harmonic awareness’ – The Guardian

Loosely connected to the world of jazz but realistically inhabiting her own realm, the celebrated and award-winning singer, violinist, pianist and songwriter Alice Zawadzki, presents her trio with two of London’s most distinguished musicians, Fred Thomas (multi-instrumentalist) and Misha Mullov-Abbado (double bass). The trio sees the reunion of three musicians whose clear synergy is the result of almost a decade’s work together, drawing upon and celebrating the increasing successes and singular abilities of its members – Fred Thomas, whose recent exceptional solo album for ECM has received 5 stars from Gramophone Magazine, and Misha Mullov-Abbado, whose continuing stature as bassist extraordinaire and composer has garnered commissions from the BBC Concert Orchestra. Expect chamber jazz and folk at its most luminous, thoughtful, and quixotic.

Alice Zawadzki is a vocalist, violinist, songwriter and composer based in London. Her work as a performer, collaborator, composer and speaker, has seen her gain considerable repute as “a genuine original” (The Guardian), and a distinctive and individual presence on the creative European music scene. Her striking ability to perform across and transcend genres whilst retaining her own expressive and intelligent musical style, gives her a unique accessibility. Alice’s distinctive voice can be heard on numerous film and television scores, including Disney’s major motion picture African Cats, written by Nicholas Hooper, Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror (BBC). Alice performs extensively as both a soloist and as a collaborator, with headline performances at the major UK alternative and jazz venues and festivals, including the Royal Albert Hall, Ronnie Scott’s, the London Jazz Festival and the Vortex.

Fred Thomas is one of London’s most sought after multi-instrumentalists and composer/arranger/producers, known for his breadth of musical styles as well as for specialising in creative re-interpretations of J.S. Bach. Refusing to be labelled or constrained by genre his career has encompassed working with Brian Eno, Jarvis Cocker, Ethan Iverson, Kit Downes and Leo Abrahams, among others. He has recorded a considerable number of albums under his own name across a wide range of genres, particularly classical and jazz.

Misha Mullov-Abbado is an important new talent in the modern jazz scene. A bassist and composer, his music demonstrates an eclectic melting-pot of styles informed by extensive compositional training. Behind it all is a simple belief about the dialogue between composition and performance: no piece is better than it sounds to an audience or how it feels to play. Misha is an experienced composer and writes for various jazz groups as well as classical soloists and ensembles, and is influenced by a variety of jazz, classical and pop music.