The Emerald Dawn & John Hackett Band

THE EMERALD DAWN are a multi-instrumentalist, eclectic, symphonic progressive rock quartet who have been making huge waves in the UK prog scene over the past few years. This will be their debut at Ivory Blacks, after having received the most votes (by a considerable margin) for the best performance at HRH Prog XII in Great Yarmouth, and having gone down a storm at Prog for Peart, A New Day, Fusion, A Sunday in September (London), Danfest, Summer’s End Progressive Rock Festival, and having headlined at Prog the Forest in London. This year the band will be headlining at The Soundle Festival. The Emerald Dawn combine elements from classical music, jazz and rock to produce their own original, distinctive and exciting sound—a sound that is cinematic, experimental and powerful. Usually haunting, often stunningly melodic and always highly atmospheric, the music of The Emerald Dawn paints images or tells stories that stimulate the imagination and takes the listener on unforgettable musical journeys. The band's new album 'In Time' (released 23rd September 2023) was awarded Album of the Year in the 2023 Prog Explorations Plus annual poll. Tony Colvill of The Progressive Aspect chose The Emerald Dawn’s 2021 album, ‘To Touch the Sky’, as his album of the year, as did Jim Lawson of Progzilla Radio. Also in 2021 The Prog Mind ranked their bass player's performance tenth in the world, and in 2017 ranked their keyboard player's seventh and their guitarist's sixth in the world. The band comprises Tree Stewart (keyboards, flute, acoustic guitar and vocals), Ally Carter (guitar, saxophones, keyboards, and vocals), David Greenway (fretless and fretted bass guitars) and Tom Jackson (drums). 'Often gorgeous and sometimes transcendent...potent, pastoral-tinged symphonic prog flows from the stage.' Gary Mackenzie, Prog Magazine 'As epic and as beautiful as it is possible to get...' Scream Magazine www.theemeralddawn.net

 THE JOHN HACKETT BAND : John Hackett has been a much-loved and admired figure in the progressive rock scene since the mid-70’s; best-known for his flute work with his brother, former Genesis guitarist, Steve Hackett on albums such as Voyage of The Acolyte, Sketches of Satie and Please Don’t Touch. ‘Progressive’ music in our sense of the word is based on rock-solid song-writing coupled with hot jazz drumming, melodic, funky bass, outstanding guitar in the form of Nick Fletcher (often compared to the late great jazz-fusion maestro Allan Holdsworth), and John Hackett himself – whose flute playing has graced so many albums and travels with such ease between classical, folk and rock.