Polar Bear, one of Brit jazz’s most forward-thinking ensembles are set to return with a limited edition Black and White EP featuring new music taken from their long-awaited fifth album that’s scheduled for release in March 2014. The first new music to be released by the band since their 2010 album, Peepers, this vinyl-only 10” EP features hand-printed artwork by Craig Keenan, with each copy hand numbered by the band’s influential drummer Seb Rochford. The music includes two tracks taken from the sessions for the band’s fifth, as yet untitled, album and won’t be available anywhere else, either on the album or as a digital download. Released in five different coloured screen-printed sleeves, the EP will only be available through the Polar Bear Bandcamp page – polarbearmusic.bandcamp.com – their gigs, or Rough Trade record shops.
Nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2005 for their album Held On Tips Of Fingers, the band continues to feature its core line up of bassist Tom Herbert, electronics/laptopist Leafcutter John, drummer Rochford and saxophonists Pete Wareham and Mark Lockheart. The group previewed some of the new material at their Bishopsgate Institute gig in October and are set to head out on an extensive series of gigs in spring 2014 at the following venues: Band On The Wall, Manchester (20 Mar); Wardrobe, Leeds (21 Mar); Thekla, Bristol (22 Mar); Komedia, Brighton (26 Mar); Hare & Hounds, Birmingham (27 March); XOYO, London (2 Apr); SJE Arts, Oxford (3 April) and Sage, Gateshead Jazz Festival (6 Apr).
– Mike Flynn
For more info go to www.polarbearmusic.com
via Jazzwise Magazine http://jazzwisemagazine.com/news-mainmenu-139/70-2013/12891-jazz-breaking-news-polar-bear-go-black-and-white-on-vinyl-only-ep-ahead-of-fifth-album-release-in-2014
