Glasgow’s music and art have long been at the cutting edge in terms of innovation and creativity. Now, at the forefront of the city’s up-and-coming jazz scene is drummer Graham Costello with his six-piece band Strata. Their music is grounded in improvisation, but draws influences from jazz, minimalist composers such as Steve Reich, and post-rock/noise. Their DIY, hard-working ethos and improvisational talents combined with the creative powerhouse that is Graham Costello makes them a rare find.
Last Friday, Strata’s debut album Obelisk was longlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year Award, a highly prestigious award for Scottish musicians. The same album was also nominated for both “Best Band” and “Best Album” at this year’s Scottish Jazz Awards. The group shows no sign of stopping, and will be releasing more music via London-based independent label Gearbox Records as a new signing.
All music is composed and arranged by Costello, who himself was also nominated for Scottish Jazz Instrumentalist 2019. His band is completed by rising star Fergus McCreadie on piano, Harry Weir on tenor saxophone, Liam Shortall on trombone, Joe Williamson on guitar, and Mark Hendry on electric bass. Together, the band stretch the boundaries of the jazz genre with their DIY ethos, forging a much needed connection between jazz and the independent/underground music scene.
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