Trish Clowes - Try Me Trish Clowes

One of the UK's most distinctive saxophonist-composers, Trish Clowes - described by Downbeat as "an improviser to be reckoned with" - releases her bold album Try Me, with her acclaimed quartet My Iris, transforming field recordings from London's Thames pathway into a vivid sonic map of carefully-sculpted writing, searching improvisation and atmospheric detail.

Drawing on the sounds of footsteps, bird calls, the distant echoes of buskers, cathedral bells, passing voices, the restless movement of water itself, and the intriguing acoustic spaces of the river's edge, Try Me transforms fragments of the city into music of striking detail and atmosphere. The album moves from the restless motion of walking through London to the enigmatic world of St Saviour's Dock, where saxophone multiphonics, piano resonance and the clear, searching voice of the soprano saxophone help shape one of Clowes' most evocative recordings to date.

"The writing is also hugely inspired by the individual personalities of the musicians," says Clowes. "As with all my tunes, my ideas are there to provoke, make space, and shine a spotlight."

Featuring Chris Montague on guitar, Ross Stanley on piano and Hammond organ, and Joel Barford on drums, My Iris has become one of Clowes' most distinctive projects, building an international reputation for intricate writing, fearless improvisation and the individual voices of four highly creative musicians.

The band has toured worldwide, with broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and Radio Bremen, and notable performances at Wigmore Hall, Ronnie Scott's, Belfast's Brilliant Corners Festival, Rochester Jazz Festival in the US, Toronto, and the Barbican for the London Jazz Festival. In May 2024, the quartet was joined by US trumpeter-composer Dave Douglas for dates at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Cheltenham Jazz Festival and Bray Jazz Festival.