The Jazz re:freshed 5ive’s are a series of five track mini-album releases, showcasing the quality, influence and diversity of jazz, whilst celebrating the music’s unsung heroes and emerging unsigned talent. It was devised to offer musicians an opportunity to stretch themselves and their music, in essence giving an outlet to artists that Jazz re:freshed believe need to be heard.
To kick-off the 5ive’s series, Jazz re:freshed turned to ubiquitous brokenbeated, hip hop, jazz and anything-he-puts-his-hand-to-drummer, Richard Spaven – an artist that wholly embodies the Jazz re:freshed philosophy of transcending genre boundaries in the spirit of jazz.
Spaven’s unquestionable pedigree has earned him high praise from every quarter and made him a drummer in high demand. Drumming for the likes of the Robert Mitchell 3io, Hall of Fame Hip Hop emcee (the late) GURU, Mark de Clive Lowe, 4Hero, José James band, Legends of the Underground, The Cinematic Orchestra, to name just a few. Spaven is one of a trend of drummers, who in recent times have broken out from behind the band set-up, to establish themselves as solo artists in their own right.
Spaven’s 5ive, features musicians held in equally high esteem, such as:
Vincent Helbers, Grant Windsor, Benet McClean, José James, Neil Charles,
Robin Mullarkey, Marc James, Jonas Lonna and DJ DooWop.
For a debut album, Spaven’s 5ive has a fresh and distinctive, yet mature feel. His musical influences are reassuringly evident throughout each track, however his unique sound equally makes its mark – all connected in a spirit of Jazz.
A Jazz album? Yes… but not as we know it.
