Louis Moholo-Moholo & Alexander Hawkins at National Concert Hall (kevin Barry Room)

“In the rich jazz history of an old lion making inspired new music with a young one, ‘Keep Your Heart Straight’ deserves a very prominent place on the podium.” - John Fordham (The Guardian) liner notes, Keep Your Heart Straight

Louis Moholo-Moholo - drums, percussion
Alexander Hawkins - piano

Musical fireworks are guaranteed from an intercontinental meeting between the intense piano improvisations of young English jazz pianist Alexander Hawkins and the extraordinary dynamic range of South African percussionist Louis Moholo-Moholo in the Kevin Barry Room on Friday 31st October....

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“In the rich jazz history of an old lion making inspired new music with a young one, ‘Keep Your Heart Straight’ deserves a very prominent place on the podium.” - John Fordham (The Guardian) liner notes, Keep Your Heart Straight

Louis Moholo-Moholo - drums, percussion
Alexander Hawkins - piano

Musical fireworks are guaranteed from an intercontinental meeting between the intense piano improvisations of young English jazz pianist Alexander Hawkins and the extraordinary dynamic range of South African percussionist Louis Moholo-Moholo in the Kevin Barry Room on Friday 31st October.

Moholo formed the acclaimed free-jazz group The Blue Notes in South Africa in the early 60’s. Exiled from their apartheid riddled country in 1964, and Moholo-Moholo went on to play a pivotal role in the influential community of South African exiles who transformed the British creative music scene from the 1970s. Louis was a member of the Brotherhood of Breath, a big band comprising several South African exiles and leading musicians of the British free jazz scene.

Though representing two different generations of musician – Moholo-Moholo, an established veteran of numerous seminal recordings and bands in the history of the music; Hawkins, of a much younger generation, but whose audacious and far-reaching musical vision marks him as a major force in today’s scene.

“One of the fastest-rising stars of the UK jazz scene, pianist Alexander Hawkins is remarkable in that he shines equally in both the further reaches of free improvisation and the creation of ingeniously crafted charts.” - All About Jazz

Their duo captures an always-passionate mix of free jazz, South African melodies, Ellington and much else besides. The partnership, as heard on the album Keep Your Heart Straight – already hailed as ‘A classic in waiting' - by John Eyles - is wonderfully translated to the stage with these live dates, and represents a special opportunity to see this brilliantly creative pairing in full flow.

“Hawkins doesn’t hold back, whether soloing with explosive power or extrapolating complex compositional structures from Moholo-Moholo’s rhythm metrics, he’s on imperious form. Moholo-Moholo meanwhile carries the rhythm like a burning coal and keeps it smouldering. Between the fireworks, however, Hawkins does find time for close communion with his senior partner, in ruminations of hymn-like solemnity.” -Tim Owen, Dalston Sound

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