F-IRE Collective
Encyclopedia
F-IRE Collective is a creative music community founded by Barak Schmool in London
, United Kingdom. Additionally, the Collective also has a record label.
F-IRE (Fellowship for Integrated Rhythmic Expression) was named later in 1998 and came to encompass a community of artists whose outlook stretched beyond 'music alone'. Dance, poetry, film and other modes of creative expression were as much a part of their artisitc conception as the sound they produced. F-IRE members cultivate their own directions and thereby transcend the categorical boundaries that can stifle creativity. Whether involving circus or electronica, free-improv or classical composition their voices are distinct and alive with the spirit of freedom.
F-IRE, in its prehistory, began as a workshop in 1995 in which a group of young musicians met to learn West African dance music, its theory and methods of communication. They applied these techniques and knowledge to their own compositional and improvisational languages. Timeline was one of the first bands to arise from this workshop.
Barak Schmool, bandleader of Timeline
, started the whole affair. He was a member of Django Bates
' Delightful Precipice and had grown up musically inside the fertile environment around Loose Tubes. As a regular teacher at City University
and Royal Academy of Music
, it was his experimental pro-community bands Akwaaba drum orchestra, Méta Méta and Rhythms of the City that were part of the attractive force that pulled people together to form F-IRE.
Those joining him in these initial creative explorations included Eska Mtungwazi, Robert Mitchell
, Tom Skinner
, Iian Pattinson, Nick Ramm
, Tom Herbert, Leo Taylor
and David Okumu. Others were drawn to F-IRE for a verity of reasons; Ingrid Laubrock
, Ben Davis
and Jonny Phillips
through their interest in studying African rhythms; Maurizio Ravalico and Finn Peters
through their involvement in the Afro-Cuban Music of Méta Méta; Pete Wareham
and Seb Rochford
through their connection with Tom Herbert; Justin Quinn
, Tom Arthurs and Jonathan Bratoëff
through their involvement with F-IRE jazz workshops led by Stéphane Payen and Julia Biel
through her songwriting partnership with Jonny Phillips
.
F-IRE has 3 main communal objectives: to sustain the creative lives of their members and the surrounding community; to ensure that their creativity functions well inside the wider community; to share their knowledge and opportunities. The collective's success is built on the quality of its work in education, performance and recording. Until 2005 these 3 principal spheres of activity proceeded without funding.
The success of the F-IRE concept was affirmed in July 2004 when it was awarded the BBC Jazz Award for Innovation. Furthermore, all musicians nominated within the 'Rising Star' category were members of F-IRE. In 2005 the F-IRE Collective was awarded the CMN
for a national tour, the highest level of government-funded support for creative musicians.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom. Additionally, the Collective also has a record label.
F-IRE (Fellowship for Integrated Rhythmic Expression) was named later in 1998 and came to encompass a community of artists whose outlook stretched beyond 'music alone'. Dance, poetry, film and other modes of creative expression were as much a part of their artisitc conception as the sound they produced. F-IRE members cultivate their own directions and thereby transcend the categorical boundaries that can stifle creativity. Whether involving circus or electronica, free-improv or classical composition their voices are distinct and alive with the spirit of freedom.
F-IRE, in its prehistory, began as a workshop in 1995 in which a group of young musicians met to learn West African dance music, its theory and methods of communication. They applied these techniques and knowledge to their own compositional and improvisational languages. Timeline was one of the first bands to arise from this workshop.
Barak Schmool, bandleader of Timeline
Timeline
A timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
, started the whole affair. He was a member of Django Bates
Django Bates
Django Bates , is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and band leader. He plays the piano, keyboards and the tenor horn. He currently lives in Copenhagen where he is a professor at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory and leader of the StoRMChaser orchestra.-Career:Django Bates was born in Beckenham,...
' Delightful Precipice and had grown up musically inside the fertile environment around Loose Tubes. As a regular teacher at City University
City University
City University may refer to:*City University London*City University of Hong Kong*City University of New York*City University of Seattle*University City of Caracas*City University of Pakistan*City University of MacauOther city universities:...
and Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, it was his experimental pro-community bands Akwaaba drum orchestra, Méta Méta and Rhythms of the City that were part of the attractive force that pulled people together to form F-IRE.
Those joining him in these initial creative explorations included Eska Mtungwazi, Robert Mitchell
Robert Mitchell
Robert Mitchell may refer to:* Robert Mitchell , Canadian politician* Robert C. Mitchell , Canadian politician from Ontario* Robert Boyed Mitchell , Australian artist...
, Tom Skinner
Tom Skinner
Thomas Edward Skinner, KBE, , was a New Zealand politician and trade union leader. He was president of the Auckland Trades Council from 1954 to 1976, and president of the New Zealand Federation of Labour from 1959 until 1979. Skinner was known as a conciliatory and accommodating leader, and in the...
, Iian Pattinson, Nick Ramm
Nick Ramm
Nick Ramm is a London based pianist and composer, son of pianist and cruise ship musical director Dave Ramm. He studied music at Keele University and at the Guildhall, London before embarking on his career with Nick Ramm's Quota...
, Tom Herbert, Leo Taylor
Leo Taylor
Leo Taylor is the name of:*Leo Taylor , fictional character*Leo Taylor , MLB player for the Chicago Cubs in 1923*Leo Taylor, drummer for London-based band The Invisible and Hot Chip collaborator...
and David Okumu. Others were drawn to F-IRE for a verity of reasons; Ingrid Laubrock
Ingrid Laubrock
Ingrid Laubrock is a German-born jazz saxophonist, who plays soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones.She studied with Jean Toussaint, Dave Liebman and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama....
, Ben Davis
Ben Davis
Ben Davis may refer to:*Ben Davis , American entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of YummmBox, LLC.*Ben Davis , American former Major League Baseball catcher and current Atlantic League pitcher...
and Jonny Phillips
Jonny Phillips
Jonny Phillips is a prolific British guitarist and composer. He played the violin and studied theory from the age of five however he swapped to guitar at fifteen to study Jazz, Brazilian and African music...
through their interest in studying African rhythms; Maurizio Ravalico and Finn Peters
Finn Peters
Finn Peters is a flautist and saxophonist. He studied music at Durham University and took the postgraduate jazz course at Guildhall School of Music...
through their involvement in the Afro-Cuban Music of Méta Méta; Pete Wareham
Pete Wareham
Pete Wareham is a British saxophonist, known for his group Acoustic Ladyland and Seb Rochford's Polar Bear. He is a member of the London based jazz collective F-IRE.- Career :...
and Seb Rochford
Seb Rochford
Sebastian "Seb" Rochford is a British drummer who spans many musical genres.He comes from Aberdeen and has a large family of 2 brothers and 7 sisters...
through their connection with Tom Herbert; Justin Quinn
Justin Quinn
Justin Quinn is an Irish poet and critic, born in Dublin in 1968. He received a doctorate from Trinity College, Dublin, where his contemporaries included poets Caitriona O'Reilly and Sinéad Morrissey, and now lives with his wife and sons in Prague...
, Tom Arthurs and Jonathan Bratoëff
Jonathan Bratoeff
Jonathan Bratoeff is a London-based guitarist.Born in France, Bratoeff is a member of the F-IRE Collective. He has released several albums on the F-IRE Collective's own label.- Reviews :...
through their involvement with F-IRE jazz workshops led by Stéphane Payen and Julia Biel
Julia Biel
Julia Biel is a British singer and songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.After a spell in indie rock, Biel became involved with jazz. Her career took off when in 2000 she won the Perrier Vocalist of the Year award...
through her songwriting partnership with Jonny Phillips
Jonny Phillips
Jonny Phillips is a prolific British guitarist and composer. He played the violin and studied theory from the age of five however he swapped to guitar at fifteen to study Jazz, Brazilian and African music...
.
F-IRE has 3 main communal objectives: to sustain the creative lives of their members and the surrounding community; to ensure that their creativity functions well inside the wider community; to share their knowledge and opportunities. The collective's success is built on the quality of its work in education, performance and recording. Until 2005 these 3 principal spheres of activity proceeded without funding.
The success of the F-IRE concept was affirmed in July 2004 when it was awarded the BBC Jazz Award for Innovation. Furthermore, all musicians nominated within the 'Rising Star' category were members of F-IRE. In 2005 the F-IRE Collective was awarded the CMN
CMN
CMN or cmn may refer to:Companies* Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie, a French shipyard in Cherbourg, France* Corey McPherson Nash, American branding and design firm* Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazionali, Italian car companyCulture and education...
for a national tour, the highest level of government-funded support for creative musicians.
Active Members
- Barak Schmool
- Ben DavisBen Davis (cellist)Ben Davis is a cellist from the United Kingdom known for his improvisation. His group Basquiat Strings was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2007. He is a member of the F-IRE Collective....
- Ingrid LaubrockIngrid LaubrockIngrid Laubrock is a German-born jazz saxophonist, who plays soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones.She studied with Jean Toussaint, Dave Liebman and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama....
- Jonny PhillipsJonny PhillipsJonny Phillips is a prolific British guitarist and composer. He played the violin and studied theory from the age of five however he swapped to guitar at fifteen to study Jazz, Brazilian and African music...
- Jonathan BratoeffJonathan BratoeffJonathan Bratoeff is a London-based guitarist.Born in France, Bratoeff is a member of the F-IRE Collective. He has released several albums on the F-IRE Collective's own label.- Reviews :...
- Julia BielJulia BielJulia Biel is a British singer and songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.After a spell in indie rock, Biel became involved with jazz. Her career took off when in 2000 she won the Perrier Vocalist of the Year award...
- Maurizio Ravalico
- Nick RammNick RammNick Ramm is a London based pianist and composer, son of pianist and cruise ship musical director Dave Ramm. He studied music at Keele University and at the Guildhall, London before embarking on his career with Nick Ramm's Quota...
- David O'BrienDavid O'BrienDavid O'Brien was an actor best known for his long-running role as Dr. Steve Aldrich on The Doctors....
- Kit DownesKit DownesKit Downes is a British jazz pianist. Downes plays regularly with his own trio, Stan Sulzmann, Troyka, The Golden Age of Steam, Sam Crockatt and Clark Tracey - and has played with Joe Locke, Gilad Atzmon, Empirical, Gerard Presencer, Seb Rochford, Iain Ballamy, Peter Ind, Gwyneth Herbert, John...
- Tom MasonTom MasonThomas Robert "Tom" Mason was a chiropractor who lived in Los Angeles in the 1950s.-Biography:He is best known as the stand-in for the then recently deceased Bela Lugosi in Edward D. Wood, Jr.'s infamous movie Plan 9 From Outer Space. Dr. Mason Thomas Robert "Tom" Mason (April 29, 1920 –...
- Richard TurnerRichard TurnerRichard Turner may refer to:* Richard Turner , English Protestant reformer and Marian exile* Richard Turner * Richard Turner , card technician and poker player...
- Fred ThomasFred ThomasFrederick Thomas or Fred Thomas may refer to:*Frederick Hall Thomas, birth name of boxer Freddie Welsh*Frederick William Thomas , American writer*Frederick William Thomas , Lord Mayor of Melbourne...
- Lucy Railton
- Zac Gvi
Former Members
- Finn PetersFinn PetersFinn Peters is a flautist and saxophonist. He studied music at Durham University and took the postgraduate jazz course at Guildhall School of Music...
- Seb RochfordSeb RochfordSebastian "Seb" Rochford is a British drummer who spans many musical genres.He comes from Aberdeen and has a large family of 2 brothers and 7 sisters...
- Pete WarehamPete WarehamPete Wareham is a British saxophonist, known for his group Acoustic Ladyland and Seb Rochford's Polar Bear. He is a member of the London based jazz collective F-IRE.- Career :...
- Robert MitchellRobert MitchellRobert Mitchell may refer to:* Robert Mitchell , Canadian politician* Robert C. Mitchell , Canadian politician from Ontario* Robert Boyed Mitchell , Australian artist...
- Justin Quinn
- Leo TaylorLeo TaylorLeo Taylor is the name of:*Leo Taylor , fictional character*Leo Taylor , MLB player for the Chicago Cubs in 1923*Leo Taylor, drummer for London-based band The Invisible and Hot Chip collaborator...
- David Okumu
- Tom Arthurs
Bands
- Acoustic LadylandAcoustic LadylandAcoustic Ladyland are a London based jazz/punk band consisting of Pete Wareham on vocals, tenor and baritone saxophone, Seb Rochford on drums, Chris Sharkey on Guitar and Ruth Goller on bass guitar....
- Bakehouse
- Basquiat StringsBasquiat StringsBasquiat Strings is a British jazz quintet led by the cellist Ben Davis, who composes all the music. It features an innovative line-up which hybridises the classical string quartet with the jazz rhythm section .Classically trained but having grown up alongside non-classical musicians, they have...
- Clown Revisited
- Ezzthetic
- Finn Peters Quintet
- Fulborn Teversham
- Grupo Sambando
- Ingrid LaubrockIngrid LaubrockIngrid Laubrock is a German-born jazz saxophonist, who plays soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones.She studied with Jean Toussaint, Dave Liebman and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama....
Quintet - Jon Bratoëff Quartet/Quintet
- Julia BielJulia BielJulia Biel is a British singer and songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.After a spell in indie rock, Biel became involved with jazz. Her career took off when in 2000 she won the Perrier Vocalist of the Year award...
- M. Ravalico / O. Marshall duo
- M. Ravalico / I. Khroustaliov duo
- Méta Méta
- Oriole
- Panacea
- Polar BearPolar Bear (jazz)Polar Bear is a British experimental jazz band led by drummer Seb Rochford with Pete Wareham on tenor and baritone saxophone, Mark Lockheart on tenor saxophone, Tom Herbert on double bass and Leafcutter John on mandolin and electronics....
- Rhythms of the City
- Shorter Stories
- Synergy
- The Invisible
- The Teak Project
- Timeline
- Tom Arthurs Projects
- União da Mocidade
Awards
- Young Jazz Musician 1999, London winner – Finn PetersFinn PetersFinn Peters is a flautist and saxophonist. He studied music at Durham University and took the postgraduate jazz course at Guildhall School of Music...
- Perrier Vocalist of the Year 2000 – Julia BielJulia BielJulia Biel is a British singer and songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.After a spell in indie rock, Biel became involved with jazz. Her career took off when in 2000 she won the Perrier Vocalist of the Year award...
- Peter Wittingham Award winner 2001 – Tom Arthurs
- BBC Jazz "Newcomer" Award nominee 2002 – Robert MitchellRobert MitchellRobert Mitchell may refer to:* Robert Mitchell , Canadian politician* Robert C. Mitchell , Canadian politician from Ontario* Robert Boyed Mitchell , Australian artist...
- BBC Jazz "New Work" Award nominee 2003 – Robert Mitchell
- BBC "Rising Star" nominee 2004 – Tom Arthurs
- BBC "Rising Star" nominee 2004 – David Okumu
- BBC "Rising Star" winner 2004 – Seb RochfordSeb RochfordSebastian "Seb" Rochford is a British drummer who spans many musical genres.He comes from Aberdeen and has a large family of 2 brothers and 7 sisters...
- BBC Jazz Awards "Innovation" winner 2004 – F-IRE Collective
- Mercury PrizeMercury PrizeThe Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
nominee 2005 – Polar BearPolar Bear (jazz)Polar Bear is a British experimental jazz band led by drummer Seb Rochford with Pete Wareham on tenor and baritone saxophone, Mark Lockheart on tenor saxophone, Tom Herbert on double bass and Leafcutter John on mandolin and electronics.... - BBC "Best Band" nominee 2005 – Polar Bear
- BBC "Rising Star" nominee 2005 – Ingrid LaubrockIngrid LaubrockIngrid Laubrock is a German-born jazz saxophonist, who plays soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones.She studied with Jean Toussaint, Dave Liebman and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama....
- BBC "Best Band" winner 2005 – Acoustic LadylandAcoustic LadylandAcoustic Ladyland are a London based jazz/punk band consisting of Pete Wareham on vocals, tenor and baritone saxophone, Seb Rochford on drums, Chris Sharkey on Guitar and Ruth Goller on bass guitar....
- BBC "Innovation" winner 2005 – F-IRE Collective
- Arts Foundation fellowship 2006 – Ingrid Laubrock
- BBC "Best Album" nominee 2006 – Acoustic Ladyland
- BBC "Best Album" nominee 2006 – Polar Bear
- Mercury Prize nominee 2007 – Basquiat StringsBasquiat StringsBasquiat Strings is a British jazz quintet led by the cellist Ben Davis, who composes all the music. It features an innovative line-up which hybridises the classical string quartet with the jazz rhythm section .Classically trained but having grown up alongside non-classical musicians, they have...
- Mercury Prize nominee 2010 – Kit DownesKit DownesKit Downes is a British jazz pianist. Downes plays regularly with his own trio, Stan Sulzmann, Troyka, The Golden Age of Steam, Sam Crockatt and Clark Tracey - and has played with Joe Locke, Gilad Atzmon, Empirical, Gerard Presencer, Seb Rochford, Iain Ballamy, Peter Ind, Gwyneth Herbert, John...