The "Vilnius Mama Jazz" festival continues the tradition of presenting the brightest modern British jazz talents to the Lithuanian audience. In the late evening of May 24 (22.00:XNUMX p.m.) on the festival stage, the duo of saxophonist Binker Golding and drummer Moses Boyd will breathe musical freedom and surprise with unique genre solutions.
The two music nuggets, who introduce themselves as a duo simply by name, are called "London's friendliest jazz revolutionaries". And this is a completely justified description - the duo "Binker & Moses" breaks new barriers of creativity with each of their albums and is highly respected by both other musicians and music lovers far beyond the borders of the British Isles.
"Considering that over the past dozen years, British musicians have been increasingly dictating the fashion and direction of jazz in Europe, this concert seems particularly relevant in our festival program. This year, the duo of Binker and Moses, celebrating the tenth anniversary of their joint career, can boast of many achievements. There has never been such a joyful intrigue while waiting for the performance in the history of "Vilnius Mama Jazz". And the intrigue will be revealed only in the evening of the concert", said festival organizer Judita Bartoševičienė.
Saxophonist Binker Golding and drummer Moses Boyd reflect today's musical philosophy. They are not firmly tied to one genre - the work of both musicians dives in wide waters, from jazz to rap and electronic sounds. They are like travelers who have a map and a plan, but are never afraid to turn to look around if the view from the car window turns out to be intriguing enough.
Both musicians of the duo are successful together and separately
Binker's and Moses' musical experiences are somewhat similar. Both of them played (at different times) in the band Tomorrow's Warriors, considered a forge and incubator of new British musical talent.
Binker Golding, who won the Jazz FM Instrumentalist of the Year award in 2020, stands out for his characteristic, energetic and evocative tenor sound, which has become his calling card. "Is Binker Golding the New Sonny Rollins?" The new Coltrane? Or both?", British music magazine MOJO eloquently asks. The saxophonist has released two solo albums, leads his own quartet and collaborated with such famous names as British jazz and soul singer Zara McFarlane, Bombay Bicycle Club frontman Mr. Jukes and many others.
Moses Boyd is the frontman of Exodus, record label, DJ, producer, radio host, who has collaborated with an impressive constellation of not only jazz, but also other genres, from singer Beyonce and rapper Little Simz to electronic music visionaries Floating Points and Four Tet. The musician's album Dark Matter has been nominated for the prestigious 2020 Mercury Prize for British and Irish album of the year, alongside stars such as Dua Lipa, Stormzy and Michael Kiwanuka.
The leaders of British jazz today
The four albums released by these musicians have earned glowing reviews from critics, the duo's collection includes MOBO and Jazz FM awards (as well as the title of the best British jazz artists, which these musicians won back in 2016).
Great achievements for a duo who met in rather comical circumstances during rehearsals (who already traveled to Annapolis today) JAV for the trumpeter Abram Wilson's concert, which was to take place in Bratislava, Slovakia. Moses, who was only sixteen at the time, joined this group at the last moment - when the drummer who was supposed to play ended up in prison. But in the end Mr. Boyd to a concert didn't go - someone in the tour team forgot to change the name on the plane ticket.
The acquaintance born in such a strange situation turned into a common musical impulse after a few years, which surprised even jazz listeners who had heard everything from the very first recordings. In their first album, Dem Ones (2015), the duo experimented with a fusion of jazz and grime (a British type of rap). In the second, "Journey To The Mountain Of Forever" (2017), with fairy-tale-like plots.
The band's most recent effort to date, Feeding The Machine (2022), was recorded at legendary rock singer Peter Gabriel's Real World studio with electronic music producer Max Luthert on board. Jazz, minimalism, ambient sounds, hints of oriental rhythms - the album once again established the reputation of "Binker & Moses" as one of the leaders of today's British jazz.
Their music shows the paths that jazz can take today and tomorrow, when it is not restricted by any frames and stereotypes.
