Jazz: Dreamscapes

Dreamscapes is a project launched by French-Chinese guitarist Julien Durand, who leads an impressive quintet that has in its lineup four other rising stars of the British contemporary jazz scene, Lucy-Anne Daniels – vocals, George Garford – saxes, Cenk Esen – piano and Jack Robson – drums.

Durand studied on the jazz course at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire where, like so many of the Birmingham graduates, he was exposed to the rigours and disciplines of the bop and post bop traditions as well as the variety of contemporary jazz and improvised music that can be heard in the city.

After graduation, Durand spent three months in Brazil studying composition with Toninho Horta, Daniel Santiago and Guinga. All these influences come together in the music of Dreamscapes. The music moves from ambient opening passages led by Durand’s delicate guitar to high-octane ensemble passages featuring the vocals of Daniels and the saxophone of Garford driven by powerful drums to free-er improvised passages with ambient keyboards.

Having released their debut EP in January, Dreamscapes played a headline show at this year’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival and are touring nationally this autumn.