Taupe // Nq Jazz

Taupe are a Newcastle upon Tyne based trio specialising in razor-sharp polyrhythmic play, exploratory improvisation and raw, high energy live performance.

The group’s sound is built of influences drawing from free jazz and math metal to hip-hop grooves and post-bop, with a healthy dollop of skronk, all navigated down a path that seeks to blur the line between carefully constructed rhythmic compositions and explosive group improvisation. Multi-layered drum grooves combine with nimble-power-twiddle-honks of alto sax and jagged squalls of discordant guitar, twisting into propulsive irregular riffs and showers of cosmic jazz rain.

Adventures on the rhythm wagon.

Taupe have been described as 'a power-jazz commando team' and also 'a band'. Driven by a deep seated D.I.Y production ethic, their second studio album, Fill Up Your Lungs and Bellow (5* All About Jazz), was released in February 2017. Produced by guitarist/wizard Chris Sharkey (Trio VD, Acoustic Ladyland, Shiver), the record is a statement of intent, crystallising the interactions of three fresh young players exploiting a unique and singular collective vocabulary.

The trio were selected for the 2017 roster of the prestigious 12 Points Festival, performing in Aarhus, Denmark, and were 2016-17 ambassador artists on Jazz North's Northern Line programme. They keep themselves busy with a programme including outings throughout the UK and Europe as well as airtime on BBC Radio 3's Late Junction, Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone and RTÉ Lyric FM's Nova.

Violent freedom lies in the soaring assurance of their manic riff-delivery.'

- All About Jazz.

'A fierce trio balancing blast and groove with clear punctuation.'

- The New York City Jazz Record.

“There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion” says Poe, and that’s true of what Taupe do. These three musicians are in total harmony with each other, however dissonant, and are a reminder that for all the poise and elegance of classical beauty, those gifted sculptors still revelled in rendering taught sinew and contracting muscle in inert, cold, stone.'

- Bido Lito.

Jamie Stockbridge // Saxophone

Adam Stapleford // Drums

Mike Parr Burman // Guitar