Jazz at Progress | Empirical Quintet | Tickets on sale soon

Friday 21 February 2025 | Progress Theatre, Reading | 7: 30pm | £19.00 (£17.00 concessions, £10 under 16) plus maximum 5% booking fee.

Empirical Quintet

The original quartet as above were: Tom Farmer bass, Nathaniel Facey alto sax, Lewis Wright vibes, Shaney Forbes drums. Lewis Wright has moved to the USA, so in his place is Jonny Mansfield. Since their start in 2007 they have played in quartet, quintet and sextet formations. For this event at Progress it will be a quintet with guest pianist Will Barry.

Empirical will be presenting a performance of their latest 2024 album Wonder is the Beginning, which is their first full length album in eight years, and is a mature musical statement that shows the band’s fire is still undimmed and their commitment to maintaining the legacy while forging their own unique path is as strong as ever.

Empirical’s trademark combination of complex, thoughtful writing and spontaneous improvisation is enabled by the absolute trust that comes from years of collective music making, and is at the heart of what makes Empirical stand out consistently on the musical landscape.

 Press quotes:

‘…far from merely embracing the tradition, [Empirical] move the music forward to a new paradigm but in a characteristically subtle and sophisticated manner.’ Jazz Journal, 2024

‘Empirical, around for an astonishing 15 years already, are one of the great British contributions to European jazz.’ Downbeat, 2022

‘Empirical is still a reliable touchstone of contemporary British jazz at its most sophisticated.’ Jazzwise, 2022

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