Oxley-Meier guitar project
Traditional Easter Saturday Concert at Worton Organic Garden
£25.00 per person, to include entry, a drink and snacks.
“This album is a wonderful example of the high level of music that can be made by combining two great guitarists/composers/improvisers such as Pete and Nicolas. They have put together a feast of virtuosity, delivered with depth, wit and joy” ~ Ralph Towner (Oregon etc.)
The above was pertaining to the duo’s double-CD, ‘The Colours of Time’ (MGPrecords CD019). Released in February 2017, this is their most ambitious project to date, in that it is a ‘double’: one disc in duo format, the second in quartet with bass and drums. The release of the album coincided with a major UK tour of 35 dates, which was followed by further touring in the UK and Europe in autumn 2017.
This album follows Oxley – Meier’s second release in 2015, ‘Chasing Tales’, which was supported by three tours, totaling 90 dates. Pete and Nick are now preparing further tours to support The Colours of Time in March/April 2018, covering both the UK and Europe. They are also booked to play at several major jazz festivals during the summer of 2018.
Since the spring ’17 tour, the duo has been offering venues the option to perform as a quartet: as per the second disc of the new album, the quartet for live gigs features the incredible rhythm section of Raph Mizraki (acoustic & electric basses) and Paul Cavaciuti (drums).
Oxley & Meier were invited by Jazzwise to be the first ever featured artists to have a covermount CD attached to the magazine (December/January 2015/16 edition).
Expect a dazzling display of contemporary fare, ranging from Turkish panache to soundscapes of latin America to English pastoralism. Hear this played on nylon string, steel string, electric and acoustic 12 strings, fretless, slide, guitar-synth, glissentar guitars and more!
Headline quotes about ‘The Colours of Time’:
“When it comes to empathy, this duet of guitar virtuosi comes close to perfection” - The Observer ★★★★
"Not just a guitar album to love, a jazz album to savour but a joyous album of music that reaches toward a goal beyond” – Jazzwise ★★★★
“these two resourceful maestros reach out to a wide audience” – The Guardian ★★★★
Pete Oxley ~ Guitar
Pete began his musical career in Paris in the mid ‘80s before relocating to the UK in 1997. Shortly afterwards he opened The Spin jazz club in Oxford which in 2012 won the Parliamentary jazz award as ‘The Best Jazz Venue In The UK’. Pete regularly performs with some of the world’s leading jazz artists including Chris Garrick, Gilad Atzmon, Tim Whitehead, Dave O’Higgins, Bobby Wellins, John Etheridge and his own band Curious Paradise. He has now released 14 critically acclaimed CDs featuring his original compositions.
As a composer, Pete was recently selected as one of only a handful of British jazz musicians to have his compositions included in the definitive ‘European Real Book’ (Sher Music). www.peteoxley.com
Nicolas Meier ~ Guitar
With his unique style that is a blend of Metheny-esque jazz and Turkish inspired world music, Nick has toured extensively around the world with his band the Meier Group, sharing the bill with some of the biggest names in jazz including Bill Evans and Brad Mehldau. This wonderful band (featuring sax maestro Gilad Atzmon) won the overall prize for ‘best band’ at the Juan-les-Pins jazz festival!
His recent album Kismet is a wonderful heady mixture of Flamenco, jazz, Latin and Middle Eastern music. His prodigious jazz talent is matched by his other great passion: playing heavy metal guitar in his scorching group ‘Seven7’. Nick was, for the last three years, guitarist in guitar supremo, Jeff Beck’s band, with whom he toured all over the world, performing at major venues and festivals. He has recently recorded a stunning album with the A-lister rhythm section of Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets) and Vinnie Coliauta (Sting, Frank Zappa etc.). www.meiergroup.com/oxley-meier
~ for the quartet concerts ~
Raph Mizraki ~ Acoustic & electric basses
Raph has a hugely varied musical career behind him, ranging from high-level Medieval music (a former member of the Dufay Collective) to the funkiest of felonious funk! Although a genuine multi-instrumentalist, he is now specialising in bass and as such has credits with all sorts, but relevant to jazz, has worked with, among many others: Jamie Culham, Ross Stanley, John Etheridge, Mornington Lockett, Dave O’Higins etc. etc. A world-class player on both electric and acoustic basses.
Paul Cavaciuti ~ Drums
Paul is an internationally renowned performer, composer and music educator. He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and of the Institute for Music and Health in New York. As a performer, he has played, toured and recorded with some of the top names in British and American music, including Jim Mullen, David Gordon, Tony Woods, Theo Travis, Mornington Lockett, Nigel Price, Chris Garrick, Chris Allard, Tim Whitehead, Jacqui Dankworth, The Hot Orange Big Band, Sheryl Bailey, The New York Festival of Song (NYFOS), and the London Chamber Orchestra. His playing has been described as “inspired” (Jazz Journal International) and “outstanding and virtuosic” (Musician Magazine).
Oxley-Meier guitar project
Selected ‘headline’ quotes from reviews of Chasing Tales
“Exemplary” - John Etheridge, February 2015
‘A fascinating fusion opulent with evocative splendour’ MOJO, August 2015 ★★★★
[Chasing Tales]..."turns out to be one of the best guitar albums you will hear all year" - London Evening Standard, February 2015. ★★★★ (CD of the week)
"These are two masterly guitarists... If you love music of any kind you’ll probably fall for this." - The Observer, March 2015.★★★★
"Two masterly guitarists creating an array of changing moods." - Daily Telegraph (Best Jazz Albums Of 2015), March 2015 ★★★★
"...virtuosity across a range of guitars and guitar-related instruments...creating a sense of calm serenity." All About Jazz, March 2015. ★★★★
"This album captures the lightning in a bottle effect created by the union of two perfectly matched artists and is already the front runner for my album of the year." - Jazz Views, March 2015
"Oxley and Meier, two outstanding players...a worthy addition to the guitar duo Hall of Fame." - Bebop Spoken Here, March 2015
"the playing empathy levels are set sky high...Nothing is impossible in terms of the advanced harmonic intuitive flair" - Marlbank, March 2015.
"...The music always communicates with a feeling of spontaneity, passion and enjoyment." - Herald Scotsman, March 2015.
"Pete Oxley and Nicolas Meier are two outstanding guitarists...The quality of the two guitarists shines through on the recording" - UK Vibe, March 2015.
"Chasing Tales has a very spontaneous, largely optimistic feel to it. It is very enjoyable." - London Jazz News, March 2015.
“Here’s a fret fest that shouldn’t be allowed to slip under the radar.” - Jazzwise, April 2015