Relatively new to the jazz scene, Portico Quartet have been causing waves over the past couple of years with their unique ethereal, unearthly and haunting sound. Their music embraces a world of influences which really highlights the virtuosity of each of the group’s four members. After a couple of years playing small gigs and regularly attracting an admiring crowd busking outside the cultural Southbank, the band recorded their debut album ‘Knee Deep in the North Sea’ in 2007 which was received with celebratory acclaim, being crowned Time Out’s jazz album of the year and described as ‘a phenomenon in the making’ by The Independent. The album was subsequently nominated for the 2008 Mercury Music Prize.

Their distinctive sound is largely due to the use of a new instrument known as the hang, a new invention of the 21^st century developed in Switzerland after years of careful research. It resembles two steel drums welded together, which when struck, seems to sing with a resonant beauty. Added to this the alluring jaunty hooks of the soprano-sax and a range of worldly influences, their music truly defies definition, offering something utterly new. Dancing between jazz and classical music, Portico Quartet succeed in making experimental music accessible and enjoyable for a wide crowd.

Sam