Tonight Jez is joined by improvising pianist and composer Steve Beresford to introduce highlights from of the City, a two day festival of entirely improvised music, which took place at the Conway Hall in May.

We’ve extracts from five performances:
Drummer Mark Sanders and saxophonist John Butcher play an intimate duo set; American trumpeter and philosopher Wadada Leo Smith performs with British musos John Coxon on guitar, Alex Ward on clarinet, pianist Pat Thomas and drummer Paul Lytton; Extraordinary timbres and textures from the Stellari String quartet, featuring violinist Philipp Wachsmann, Charlotte Hug on viola, Marcio Mattos on cello and double bassist John Edwards; New York trumpeter Peter Evans gives an explosive display on solo trumpet, and performs in a trio with cellist Okkyung Lee and tenor titan Evan Parker, whose trademark circular breathing seems to have affected all the musicians present, creating an air of infinite creative possibilities.

photo by Trevor Brent