Mercury Prize nominees Fergus McCreadie and corto.alto join a stellar cast of musician-composers in the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra’s Nu-Age Sounds ll – Planet World at the Old Fruitmarket on Sunday 2 February.
Following the resounding success of the inaugural Nu-Age Sounds tour in March last year, the SNJO has again commissioned new music from eight of Scottish jazz’s most exciting young representatives, as part of this year’s Celtic Connections festival.
Pianist McCreadie and corto.alto (aka multi-instrumentalist-producer Liam Shortall), along with singer kitti, saxophonists Helena Kay and Matt Carmichael, trombonist Anoushka Nanguy, bassist Ewan Hastie and grooving powerhouse KARMA, will combine thrilling new jazz sounds with science fiction to highlight the transformative power of live orchestral jazz.
Award-winners
“The artists in our line-up are all award-winners,” says SNJO founder-director, saxophonist Tommy Smith, who has played a major role in creating Scotland’s currently thriving, internationally admired young jazz scene through the jazz course he established at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
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“Planet World allows them to be super-creative as composers and to trigger their own creativity and that of the orchestra’s players in the heat of a live performance.”
In addition to McCreadie and corto.alto’s Mercury Prize recognition, Ewan Hastie is a BBC Young Jazz Musician winner, Helena Kay is a former Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year and Matt Carmichael won the Best Band title with his quintet at the Scottish Jazz Awards 2024.
Anoushka Nanguy has won the Rising Star title at the Scottish Jazz Awards, kitti has twice won the Best Singer title at the same awards, and pianist Peter Johnstone, who features in KARMA, is also a former Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year.
What makes this second Nu-Age Sounds tour particularly exciting is the way our composers have responded to a specific brief - Tommy Smith
As with Nu-Age Sounds 2024, this latest edition combines orchestral jazz with live videos in a stunning sound and light spectacle that will make a special live gig experience.
“What makes this second Nu-Age Sounds tour particularly exciting is the way our composers have responded to a specific brief,” says Smith.
“The narrative of Planet World calls for each composer to convey the character of a planet and its inhabitants as the universe becomes in danger of imploding. Jazz musicians are renowned for applying their imaginations in spontaneous situations.
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“Planet World allows them to be super-creative as composers and to trigger their own creativity and that of the orchestra’s players in the heat of a live performance.”
Nu-Age Sounds ll: Planet World is one of two appearances the SNJO will be making at Celtic Connections 2025. They also collaborate with Highland folk band Breabach at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Thursday 23rd January
For tickets, go to https://www.celticconnections.com/event/1/breabach-with-scottish-national-jazz-orchestra/
And https://www.celticconnections.com/event/1/nu-age-sounds-planet-world/
