BMJ. Hi Rebecca
RN. Hello BMJ

BMJ. Hope you have had a good summer so far
RN. Thanks - its been uber busy what with Glastonbury festival, and working on a summer school in France it’s a hard old life!

BMJ. Tell us a little about the band members?
RN. just gonna insert our biog here -

m_df7fd18ef03dc49a7a23e8d91b331f04
Rebecca Nash (piano). Rebecca is professional pianist, who has just finished her BMus degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She performs with her own band (The Rebecca Nash Quartet), also plays for the Conservatoires UK Big Band, The BBC Big Band of Wales, the Dolan/Nash Project, who were short listed for the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award, have performed at Glastonbury Festival 2005 and 2007, the Isle of Wight Jazz Festival, the Invisible Circus Production, as well as many jazz clubs throughout the UK. She is also a member of the folk-jazz fusion ensemble Tamlin, who are making their name in UK. Rebecca is currently the musical director for SWAN Theatre Company.
“Her ability to combine a flair for harmony with imagination and knowledge make for the most inspired compositional ideas – she has a great future” (Julian Joseph February 2007)
1220048953_m
Matthew Fisher (drums). Matt also recently graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. While there he studied under Peter Fairclough, Martin France, Clark Tracey, and John Marshall. He currently freelances as a performer, playing regularly on the Cardiff jazz scene, mainly with the newly formed Cardiff Improvisers Ensemble and the Dolan-Nash quartet, who will also be performing at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. Recent performances have seen him play at the 2006 International Flute Festival as part of the house trio alongside Paula Gardiner, the Brecon Jazz Festival (2004 - 2006) with the RWCMD Jazz Ensemble, the Pontypool Jazz Festival, and the 2006 Kinsale Jazz Festival in Ireland. Matt has also recently played for trumpeter Steve Waterman. As well as performing, Matt also runs his own teaching practice and tutors at schools in Bristol and Cardiff and the Vale. TV credits include Howard Goodall’s documentary series for Channel 4 in 2004. In September 2007 Matt will be studying at Trinity College of Music in London for a masters degree in jazz performance.
“It’s not often another drummer raises a smile from me! He communicated eloquently, thoughtfully, musically and artistically” (Clark Tracey 2005)
s_82191f4d50d2a6a244ccb160489916a6
Will Harris (bass). Will Harris studied jazz double bass with Fergus Read while at school. These days he ban be found playing in jazz, funk and even rock settings, both on double and electric bass. In 2006 he conducted the Bristol University Hornstars Big Band who in that year achieved the Gold award at the National Concert Band Festival. He now writes arrangements and organises improvising workshops for the band.

Dolan Jones (trumpet). As well as working with the Dolan/Nash Jazz Project, I also play in the Welsh Jazz Composers Orchestra, am involved in collaborations with several DJs and video artists and run the ‘Jazz Session’ in Bristol. I have also played in and recorded for and toured extensively with many other groups including but not exclusively; Regatta 69, Blue Ramboni, Dubrovnick, Pina Lou, and Dionysos (a Paris based band whose album‚ Monsters in Love in on general release in France. I was also Jazz Outreach Worker for East Bristol Jazz Club. Visiting teacher in Jazz and Composition at St Georges City Academy, Assistant Musical Director to the King Cotton Project, Visiting lecturer in Jazz and Improvisation at the University of Bristol, Musical Director to the Invisible Circus, Composer/Arranger for the Greatness of the Magnificence.
“A young bright trumpet star” (Venue Magazine 2005)

BMJ. What material will you be playing for us?
RN. I’ll quote from our press release: “The Dolan/Nash Project aspire and strive towards a depth of expression often only found in late romantic orchestral writing and a poise and elegance in our phraseology. Their music is intimate modern jazz, which draws on the traditions of early Romantic Miniature (the Nocturnes of Chopin), French Impressionism and the personal expression of Chet Baker and Bill Evans. Endeavouring to express this affectation using the harmonic language similar to that of Kenny Wheeler, they fuse classical forms and structures within a contemporary jazz setting. They strive to engage the audience on a musical level in a dynamic and coherent conversation as a quartet, by carrying the listener on a musical journey in the symphonic tradition of Beethoven, Mahler and Shostakovich through improvised music. As such, there is a delicacy required and an agreed restraint which supersedes chopsy hoop-jumping. If possible, they prefer to play acoustically to maintain the immediacy between note production and sound. The Dolan/Nash Project have recorded two albums, ‘Double Standards’ and ‘Tom, Ken, and Us’, which are due to be released soon.”

BMJ. Sounds impressive – and I know Jonny Bruce (who has performed at BMJ on many occasions) speaks very highly of you. We look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
RN. We’re looking forward to it too!