The Weave, Rachael Jean-Harris, Neil Campbell

Once again St Michael's Sessions dares to tickle its audience’s taste buds with new flavours in live music from this exuberant and out of the box band right from the heart of Liverpool’s flourishing jazz scene. We are extremely proud to host this launch of their third album ‘Snishoo’ and urge you to join us for what promises to become an evening of invigorating original music delivered by exceptional yet refreshingly down-to earth musicians at the top of their game!

The Weave represents some of the finest players of Liverpool's jazz scene brought together by bandleader Martin Smith. All seven being multi-facetted musicians in their own right. Their music as a band blends a diverse array of influences, from jazz icons like Kenny Wheeler ,and Clark Terry to pop legends like Kevin Ayers and Super Furry Animals. They all share an interest in the punchy hard-bop style of 50's & 60's Blue Note recordings and sidelong ones in Captain Beefheart and the Canterbury scene of the 1970s. After more than 20 years on the circuit, they are by now affectionately regarded as the elder statesmen of the Liverpool scene, and have become synonymous with a highly original, energetic and soulfully kaleidoscopic fusion of ideas. A cohesive, powerful and yet nuanced sound.

‘An unqualified knockout! Exceedingly refreshing, full of musical joy, Liverpudlian wit and striking musicianship- Martin Powell - Jazzscene

 'This is the band to look out for - great things to come! Rarely is a whole room enraptured by music they've heard in the main for the first time.’- Paul Pace - Promoter at Ronnie Scott’s

 ‘It’s all thoroughly eccentric – and eccentrically engaging!’ - John Fordham - The Guardian

Liverpool-born Rachael Jean Harris writes intuitively driven songs which meld sounds of art-pop, jazz and progressive singer-songwriters, and take inspiration from poetry, literature, and inventive artists such as PJ Harvey, Suzanne Vega, and Esperanza Spalding.

​Musically, she was a late starter.  Early obsessions with academic and sporting success were undone by a “fearful and suffocating perfectionism” and, as she drifted into her twenties, attempts at graduate study faltered.  To the surprise of many close to her, she responded by latching onto a compulsion to make music, emulating the expression of bands and songwriters she was growing to love.  Self-taught, led by intuition, and encouraged by a few friends, she stuck with it, sought singing lessons and was encouraged by her teacher to study at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.  It was those three years at LIPA which put her on the songwriting path. 

Since then, her creative intention has been clarified:  “To respond faithfully to the inner compulsion to write songs that portray the complexity and beauty of human experience and invite moments of communion, affirmation and empathy.”  

An adventurous fusion of folk, progressive and jazz sounds meet stories that take the listener from a prison cell in Nevada to a Cormorant’s nest on the shores of the Mersey. 

“Wildly original” – Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music

Liverpool composer and multi-instrumentalist Neil Campbell, who has been described by Classical Guitar Magazine as‘an outstanding guitarist whose originality of thought makes him far more than just another gifted purveyor of finger acrobatics’, will perform a set of original music for solo classical guitar.  

His original solo guitar compositions which can veer from exciting and virtuosic to meditative and heartfelt, draw upon elements of the classical guitar repertoire with added shades of jazz, folk and progressive rock.

’One of the best acoustic guitar players of our time’ – Jon Neudorf, Sea of Tranquillity

‘Music of serious quality and distinction’ – Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music