Video of the Day: Empirical share 'The Naitoku, the Newcomer' from new album Wonder Is The Beginning

Mike Flynn
Friday, January 19, 2024

The acclaimed UK four-piece expand to a sextet with pianist Jason Rebello and saxophonist Alex Hitchcock for their expansive first recording for Whirlwind Recordings

Empirical L-R: Tom Farmer, Nathaniel Facey, Shaney Forbes and Lewis Wright
Empirical L-R: Tom Farmer, Nathaniel Facey, Shaney Forbes and Lewis Wright

Sharp-suited and highly-regarded Brit jazz band Empirical return in March with their latest album Wonder Is The Beginning, which is their debut for UK-based imprint Whirlwind Recordings. Now in their fifteenth year as one of the UK’s most consistently creative groups, the line-up continues to feature Nathaniel Facey (alto sax), Tom Farmer (double bass), Lewis Wright (vibraphone) and Shaney Forbes (drums) with the new album expanding to a sextet with special guests in the form of former Sting/Jeff Beck pianist Jason Rebello and young virtuoso saxophonist Alex Hitchcock. Empirical launch the album at World Heart Beat, London on 15 March 2024 – for more info visit worldheartbeat.org/events/empirical/

Further early 2024 releases on Whirlwind include a reissue of a 1990 duo recording of US jazz masters Dave Liebman and Jeff Williams, In Duo (26 Jan); Ictus’ The Music of Carla Bley - Selected works from 1958-1974 (9 Feb); popular French vocalist Cyrille Aimée’s forthcoming album, à Fleur de Peau (8 Mar); Tom Barford and Alex Hitchcock’s band AuB’s Folk Devils (12 Apr) and top Brit bassist Orlando le Fleming’s Wandering Taelk (19 Apr).

For more info visit www.whirlwindrecordings.com

Watch

Subscribe from only £5.83

Never miss an issue of the UK's biggest selling jazz magazine.

Subscribe

View the Current
Issue

Take a peek inside the latest issue of Jazzwise magazine.

Find out more