Trish Clowes, a saxophonist based in London, is the winner of the BASCA British Composer Award. Clowes released her fourth album, “My Iris”, for Basho Records in January 2017. It was accompanied on Clowes’ most successful UK tour. Clowes’ new quartet, also known as My Iris, features Chris Montague playing guitar, Ross Stanley playing piano and Hammond organ, and James Maddren drumming. Jazz critics have given the album high marks and much acclaim. The Observer’s Dave Gelly wrote that ‘with only four players, the variety in tone colour is remarkable’. Cormac Larkin of The Irish Times also suggested that (My Iris] represents the front rank for the new generation UK jazz. Clowes’ past albums were more broad-based and included larger ensembles. Clowes, a BBC Radio 3 new generation artist, recorded her third album, ‘Pocket Compass. She collaborated with the BBC Concert Orchestra for four tracks. Her second album, “and in the evening she is there”, (2012) featured an improvising string quintet led by Thomas Gould. Clowes also uses wide-ranging and open-minded live performances. Trish organized her own festival Emulsion in May 2012 with funding from PRS for Music Foundation. It featured ECM artist Iain Ballamy. The festival expanded to include four additional events. Emulsion V concluded Clowes’ My Iris tour in Birmingham at the Midland Arts Centre. It featured special commissions from Hans Koller (Percy Pursglove), Joe Cutler, and Cevanne Horrocks–Hopayian for the Emulsion Sinfonietta. The Emulsion Sinfonietta was hosted by Fiona Talkington, a BBC Radio 3 presenter. Another notable achievement was a television appearance with BBC Proms Extra as well as a radio appearance on Radio Bremen together with a trio. Celtic Connections hosted the January 2014 live premiere of Clowes’ Sketch composition. It was performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Clowes also performed in concert with Michael Wollny, a renowned German pianist, as part of a tribute concert for John Taylor. She was awarded a BASCA British Composer Award by the British Association of Songwriters for The Fox, The Parakeet in December 2015.
