Primary Instrument: Band/ensemble/orchestra
Ray Dickaty - tenor sax
Ray's musical career has included playing with:- Spiritualized - 5 years, 3 albums & several world tours, Dr. John - played sax & flute and wrote horn arrangements on “Anutha Zone”, Moonshake - 2 albums with guests including PJ Harvey and Stereolab + tours including Lollapalooza, recording sessions and gigs with Cornershop, Gallon Drunk, Durutti Column, AMP, Lush, The Duke Spirit & Six By Seven, workshops and gigs in London and Liverpool with improv legend Eddie Prevost, performances with free improvisors Carlos Zingaro, Phillip Marks, Chris Corsano, Brigitte Kuepper, Tom Chant and Liverpool's Frakture Big Band, gigs and a Giles Peterson session with Ninja Tune artists Loka and plenty more including working with Super Numeri, Terry Edwards, Zukanican, Damo Suzuki, Michael J Sheehy, the N.O.W. Sextet, Core Trio and legendary noise rock band Skree.
These days he rarely suffers from sticky pads, but can't find strong enough reeds.
Dave Jackson - alto sax
Having spent many years as a free improv guitarist, noise artist and sound manipulator, Dave swapped to saxophone as a more directly expressive (and portable) alternative.
He's played with various Manchester bands including squat grunge band Paralysis and hypnotic kraut-rockers Withoutlaw, released several noise cassettes under the name Kali Yug on the “Hiss Factory” label and worked on various sound installation projects with Hulme Arts Collective. When not promoting improvised music gigs, he's managed to perform with Chris Corsano, Assif Tsahar, Eddie Prevost, Phillip Marks, Warrington Improvised Music Collective, Psychiatric Challenge, Evan Parker, Lol Coxhill, John Russell, Rhodri Davies, Paul Rutherford, Graham Clark, Carlos Zingaro, the Frakture Big Band, Sonic Pleasure & THF Drenching, WMD Sax Trio and Nepali dub jazz outfit Mara Bhaja.
Steve Belger - drums & percussion
Born to play the drums, Steve is rarely to be seen without a pair of sticks within reach. He's played in almost every musical context imaginable, from backing famous cabaret artists (he won't let us say who) and playing at Heavy Metal festivals, to New Orleans-style brass band The Brasshoppers and Zappa covers band The Muffin Men (2 albums & DVD plus european tours). He studied drums in Holland with Pierre Van Der Linden and Han Bennink, played in free improv band Marvin Suggs, gigged with The Grandmothers (featuring Don Preston, Jimmy Carl Black & Bunk Gardner), co-wrote and performed music for the play ‘The Dreaming’ by Clive Hopwood and recorded with ex-Spooky Tooth/Mott The Hoople guitarist Luther Grosvenor in The Ariel Bender Band. When he’s not teaching drums, he’s busy playing sessions for a variety of Liverpool artists. Described by Jimmy Carl Black as “my favourite english drummer” he's the only rhythm section we need.
