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Ant Law

British guitarist Ant lives in London and is “a game changer” according to The Guardian. His 5th album ‘Same Moon in the Same World’ (Outside in Music) was released on 4th November 2022. Touring commenced and booking is now underway for 2024.

Same Moon is a collaboration between Ant and the brilliant saxophonist & composer Alex Hitchcock. Recorded in 2020/2021 across multiple continents, bridging the gap between London and Tel-Aviv, and Amsterdam and New York, it brings together a stellar cast of guest musicians performing new compositions: vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassists Linda May Han Oh, Ben Williams and Jasper Høiby, and drummers Jeff Ballard, Kendrick Scott, Sun-Mi Hong and Eric Harland.

The Same Moon quartet is on tour in Europe in December: Ant, Alex Hitchcock (saxophone), Conor Chaplin (bass) and Jeff Ballard (drums) who appears on the album. In February & March 2023 Ant and Alex are touring with Jasper Høiby (bass) and Sun-Mi Hong (drums), both of whom also feature on the album.

The pandemic hit in the middle of The Sleeper Wakes European tour. London was locked-down and Ant began collaborating on a series of remote recordings with a range of artists across the globe. This evolved into weekly livestreams in which he broadcast the collaborative music videos and interviewed the guests. It is entitled “QZ” - which stands for Quarantine Zone. These streams are ongoing on the last Thursday of every month on YouTube, facebook & Twitch simultaneously.

In 2013 his debut 'Entanglement' (33Jazz) was released, followed by 'Zero Sum World' (Whirlwind Recordings) in 2015 and then 'Life I Know' (Edition Records) in 2018. This release was described as “career-defining”. It achieved 5 star reviews, made numerous “best of 2018" lists, received airplay in the UK, Europe, Australia, and was added to numerous editorial playlists on Spotify. 2020 saw the release of Ant’s 4th album - the critically acclaimed ‘The Sleeper Wakes’ (Edition).

In addition to leading his own projects, Ant plays in Tim Garland's band with Jason Rebello & Asaf Sirkis, featuring on albums 'Songs To The North Sky', 'Return To The Fire' & 'ONE' which was shortlisted for a Grammy and won the Jazzwise Best Album award. 

Ant is also the “L” in Trio HLK who record/tour with Dame Evelyn Glennie. He has worked with other notables Cory Henry, Thomas Gould and is featured in “Total Guitar", “Guitar Techniques" & “Guitarist” magazines. In the latter he was included in a list of “10 Astounding Virtuosos”, and the May 2021 issue of Guitar Techniques features a 2-page spread on Ant, and a 9/10 review of The Sleeper Wakes.

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8
Album Review

Alex Hitchcock: Dream Band: Live in London

Read "Dream Band: Live in London" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


This is a bold expedition into the heart of progressive jazz, rendered across a vast canvas of three enthralling nights at the Vortex Jazz Club in London. This three-CD collection is not just a mere album, but a grand, audacious gathering of talents which blurs the line between a larger ensemble setup and a more intimate, modern band experience. Hitchcock's nifty approach to ensemble creation is at the core of this live recording. Rather than sticking ...

10
Album Review

Henry Spencer: The Defector

Read "The Defector" reviewed by Neil Duggan


In 2011, trumpeter Henry Spencer won the Best Newcomer Award at the jazz festival in the Wiltshire town of Marlborough; he went on to win the Emerging Excellence Award from Help Musicians UK in 2014. Sometimes these awards add extra pressure or, as is the case here, propel the musician to new heights. He climbs very close to the summit here with The Defector. The nine compositions on the album were inspired by those who defect -soldiers, politicians or partners ...

2
Album Review

Emma Rawicz: Chroma

Read "Chroma" reviewed by Tom Spargo


There are only so many times that one can use phrases such as “emerging talent" or “upcoming star" before one must concede that the artist in question has in fact made it into the major league of jazz. With the August 2023 release of her second full-length album Chroma on the label ACT, this is precisely the point that tenor saxophonist Emma Rawicz has reached in her career. Building upon her successes from 2022, which involved featuring as a finalist ...

8
Album Review

Scott Flanigan: Clouded Lines

Read "Clouded Lines" reviewed by Ian Patterson


A hefty eight years separate Scott Flanigan's debut, Point of Departure (Self Produced, 2015), and Clouded Lines (SF Sounds, 2023). Not that Flanigan has been idle. In the intervening years the Belfast pianist has completed a Ph.D in jazz performance, recorded a duo album with French vocalist Fabrice Mourlon, co-founded a thriving Friday-night jazz club and, in his day to day life, juggles gigging and teaching schedules in Belfast, Dublin and Cork. Clouded Lines, the fruit of a joint commission ...

6
Album Review

Emma Rawicz: Incantation

Read "Incantation" reviewed by Chris May


Incantation is the debut album from British tenor saxophonist Emma Rawicz, whose playing has a degree of poise that is not often found in a teenager (she is nineteen years old) on their inaugural outing. It is not unprecedented, however, as we are reminded by the case of drummer Tony Williams, seventeen years old and brimming with confidence when he joined Miles Davis' band. Anyway, Rawicz, like Williams, shows every sign of knowing where she wants to ...

3
Album Review

Ant Law: Life I Know

Read "Life I Know" reviewed by Roger Farbey


Ant Law's third album and the follow-up to Zero Sum World (Whirlwind, 2015), is an impressive affair. The eight compositions reflect some of the guitarist's influences and experiences, real or imaginary. Since moving to London in the 2000s, Law has acted as sideman to various leading musicians including Tim Garland and recorded on Partikel's third album, the critically acclaimed Counteraction (Whirlwind, 2017). “Movies" opens the set with Law insinuating a coruscating solo which, at its apex, is redolent ...

45
Extended Analysis

Ant Law: Zero Sum World

Read "Ant Law: Zero Sum World" reviewed by Phil Barnes


The idea of the “Zero Sum Game" originates in economic game theory--in essence a situation in which gains or losses made by one participant when combined with those of all other participants sum to nil. So the cake is finite and if one person takes more, less is available to others. Guitarist and composer Ant Law has structured this album to fit the concept, citing the balance the pieces strike between the dense and dissonant improvisations of tracks like “Parallel ...

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"Ant Law is an innovator" The Guardian

“Scarily proficient. A voice to heed” Jazzwise

“Lean, purposeful… Ambitious, engrossing guitar jazz.” Guitarist Magazine

“Bustling power, judiciously harnessed with elegance and poise… Bright, punchy and memorable.” London Jazz News

“Terrific and highly accomplished.” The Jazz Breakfast

“…guitarist Ant Law, whose fretboard manoeuvres effected an almost uniform raising of audience eyebrows” The Herald

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Anthropometricks

Ubuntu Music
2024

buy

Clouded Lines

SF Sounds
2023

buy

Chroma

ACT Music
2023

buy

The Defector

AMP Music & Records
2023

buy

Dream Band: Live in...

Whirlwind Recordings
2023

buy

Incantation

Self Produced
2022

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