Quartet

The Jonathan Bratoëff Quartet came to life after Bratoëff and founding members Seb Rochford and Pete Wareham studied at The School for Improvisational Music in New York with musicians Ralph Alessi, Ravi Coltrane and Jason Moran in 2003. With the arrival of Tom Mason on bass the band developed a unique sound and recorded the acclaimed album Between Lines in 2004 after a successful French tour of the same year.

Since 2007 the line up has consisted of Jonathan Bratoëff on guitar and compositions, Tom Mason on bass, Mark Hanslip on sax and James Maddren on drums. Each musician brings with him great musical variety and adaptability to a band that looks for a truly contemporary sound with a strong emphasis on melody and energy while paying great attention to textures and sounds as well as forms and structures.

It results in a music swaying between architecturally quite complex compositions to more free and open improvisations. The Jonathan Bratoëff Quartet draws influences from many sides of the jazz world, from Coltrane to Ornette Coleman to Jason Moran via the New York downtown scene. The key ingredients are simple, with powerful melodies, energetic and vibrant rhythms, rich colorful textures and a mixture of the jazz tradition blended with other musical idioms such as African, Rock and Latin music the listener experiences an honest sound that pushes boundaries and evokes raw emotions. The new album entitled Mindscapes was recorded in 2009.(read what the press says about the band)

Selected gig history in chronological order

Jamboree-Barcelona ´Spain

Mandala-Toulouse-France

IMFP-Salon de provence-France

Le Jam-Montpellier-France

Le Pelle Melle-Marseille-France

Spitz-London-UK

Old Vortex-London-UK

Ealing Jazz Festival-London-UK

Broomhill art hotel-Devon-UK

Jazz en Touraine-Mont louis-France

Spice of Life-London-UK

New Vortex-London-UK

Kings Place-London-UK

Charlie Wright-London-UK

London Jazz Festival-London-UK

Thames Festival- London-Uk

Pizza Express Dean Street-London-UK

James Maddren

James Maddren was born and brought up in Christ’s Hospital School in Horsham, Sussex. When 11 he started school at Christ’s Hospital and throughout his time there played in many contrasting bands and orchestras. In 2004, whilst still at school, he traveled up to London every fortnight for drum lessons with Jim Hart, who was a huge influence and inspiration. Having left CH in summer 2005, he is now currently studying jazz percussion at the Royal Academy of Music, with Martin France as his drum tutor. James enjoys listening to and playing all kinds of music. He has played/plays with Gwilym Simcock Trio, Kit Downes Trio, Marc Copland/Stan Sulzman quartet, Phil Donkin, Will Vinson, Martin Speake quartet, Phronesis, Jonathan Bratoeff quartet, Tangent, Andrea Vicari quintet, Quentin Collins, Claire Martin and lots of other fantastic musicians and bands across London and the U.K.

Tom Mason

Tom began his musical career as a classical violinist, switching to bass in 1998 at the age of 18. In the same year he was accepted to study jazz bass at the Royal Academy of Music. Since then, he has performed, recorded and toured in the UK and internationally with an eclectic array of artists including Robin Eubanks, Robert Mitchell, Micheal Cain, Marty Ehrlich, Gerard Presencer, Famadou Don Moye and James Newton to name but a few.

Mark Hanslip

After background playing alto in funk, classical and free improvised contexts in North West England Mark studied Jazz at Birmingham Conservatoire and gigged around Birmingham before settling in London in 2002. Since moving to London Mark has become a member of various projects, including Alcyona Mick Quintet, Outhouse, Dave Manington Quartet, Steve Tromans HOWL Band, Hans Koller New Memories, Barry Green Quartet and Nostalgia 77. He has also recently played with Henry Lowther’s Stillwaters, James Morrison Sextet, Brazilian star Ed Motta, and Mark Sanders. Recent recordings include Hans Kollers “New Memories” and “London Ear” (featuring Steve Lacy), Alcyona Mick’s “Towards The Sun” and Steve Tromans “Howl and Other Poems”. Favourite saxophonists include Coltrane, Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Gary Thomas, Lee Konitz as well as older players like Don Byas and Coleman Hawkins.

Click on the photo to see some videos of the band

“Subtle, spontaneous, informed contemporary jazz.”

Time Out, London

John Fordham, The Guardian

Buy the albums by the Jonathan Bratoëff Quartet

“Downtown NYC edge; cut through with percolating African and Latin rhythms”

Time Out, London

“Thoughtful, delicate, yet powerful”