February 2025
We are very pleased to announce the launch of the new Alister Spence Trio album Gather (ASM016) on February 24. It’s our first trio album in more than seven years and we are thrilled with the results! The launch will be at Church Street Studios for Monday Night Confessions, alongside the wonderful duo Spill (Magda Mayas and Tony Buck). Please visit the recordings page for more information and links. Tony and I played a terrific piano/drums duo concert for Jetsets on February 18.
In other news Kira Kira Live (ASM015) continues to receive strong positive reviews. Glenn Astarita gave it 4.5 stars in AllAboutJazz and voted the album in his list of the Ten Best Albums of 2024. It was also listed in AvantMusic News’ list of Honorable Mentions 2024.
’Kira Kira, a Japanese avant-garde ensemble has been at the forefront of improvisational music since 2017. … The mixture of free improvisation and the occasional tuneful theme is nothing short of superb.’ Glenn Astarita, AllAboutJazz.com
And in April Asteroid Ekosystem (Alister Spence, Ed Kuepper, Lloyd Swanton, Toby Hall) will go into the studio to record a new album, slated for release in late 2025.
october 2024
Reviewed as ‘Legendary’ (Bad Alchemy), Kira Kira’s new album Kira Kira Live (ASM015) was released on 1st October. Recorded live in concert in Japan in January 2024, the album features Satoko Fujii (piano), Natsuki Tamura (trumpet), Tatsuya Yoshida (drums) and myself (fender rhodes electric piano).
‘A band that pairs a Fender Rhodes player with a pianist and no bass perhaps shouldn’t work, but…Kira Kira utterly thrives in it.’ Something Else.
In mid-October, I toured Europe with good friend and brilliant drummer, Tony Buck promoting our album Mythographer, with performances at Blow Out in Oslo, Sowieso in Berlin and the Vilnius Jazz Festival in Lithuania. I also re-connected with another great friend and saxophonist Raymond MacDonald, performing at The Old Hairdressers in Glasgow.
At the end of October, Kira Kira toured in Australia promoting the new album with performances at Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Sydney Women's International Jazz Festival and Perth International Jazz Festival..
Next up is a solo gig in Sydney for Jetsets in Rockdale on 12 November and a pre-launch concert by the Alister Spence Trio on 11 December at The Gladstone Hotel, Dulwich Hill playing music from our new album Gather, which is currently being mixed and due for release in 2025.
July 2024
Lloyd (Swanton), Toby (Hall), and I are fresh out of the studio having recorded our eighth Alister Spence Trio album. The music sounds great! It’s been seven years since Not Everything But Enough.
On 5 September, we will join with Ed Kuepper as Asteroid Ekosystem to make our debut at Phoenix Central Park, Chippendale as part of the Season XIII concerts. Entry is free by ballot. I’m really looking forward to playing with this brilliant band in the beautiful, sculptural, Phoenix space.
“Forget the sky; the cosmos is the limit!”
October is shaping up to be a busy month. Firstly, I will be playing concerts in Europe with Tony Buck, promoting our album Mythographer. Concerts include the Vilnius Jazz Festival, Oslo, Berlin and in Glasgow with Scottish saxophonist, Raymond MacDonald. Then, Kira Kira featuring Satoko Fujii (piano), Natsuki Tamura (trumpet), myself (fender rhodes electric piano) and Tatsuya Yoshida (drums) will tour in Australia.
February 2024
This year is off to a flying start! I’ve just returned from performing in Japan with Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura. We played eight concerts in Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and in Aichi prefecture. Five of these were Kira Kira performances showcasing new material and featuring extraordinary drummer Tatsuya Yoshida. We will be touring in Australia in late October. More on that soon.
I also played concerts with Satoko (piano duo), and with Satoko Fujii Orchestra Nagoya premiering new large ensemble pieces written by Satoko, Natsuki, Yasuhiro Usui (SFO Nagoya director), and myself. It was very special to re-connect with Satoko and Natsuki, and dive into our music together again.
In other news, the Alister Spence Trio plan to record a new album in the middle of the year. I also have a solo fender rhodes album in the works. It was recorded during the pandemic and is finally seeing the light of day. Tim Whitten is currently mixing the tracks. It sounds really great I think!. The album is planned for release in the next 4-6 months.
I acknowledge the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, the traditional owners and pay my respects to the elders past, present and emerging, on whose lands I live, work and play. Sovereignty was never ceded. It always was, always is, always will be Aboriginal land.