Will Glaser

Will Glaser on ubuntu music

Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the signing of percussionist Will Glaser for his trio album release, Climbing in Circles, on 22nd January 2021.

Will, a Nottinghamshire born drummer and percussionist, mixes an eclectic range of influences in a drumming style that is musical, melodic and deeply rooted in the Jazz tradition. His inspiration draws on every corner of Jazz history, from traditional and early Jazz styles and New Orleans music to Free Jazz and improvised music, but also Rock music, experimental music, singer songwriters and pretty much anything that makes a sound. Will’s playing style is a charming combination of both the familiar and surprising.

Will moved to London in 2010 to study Jazz at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. After graduating in 2014 he quickly became an in-demand sideman for a startling array of British and International Jazz musicians. The exhaustive list includes Soweto Kinch, Yazz Ahmed, Kit Downes, Nikki Iles, Dame Clio Lane, Alex Garnett, Laura Jurd, Empirical, Ian Shaw, and Jason Rebello, to mention just a few.

Climbing in Circles, Will’s latest, is the culmination of a three-year project, exploring his musical relationships with Matthew Herd (sax) and Liam Noble (piano). This third album sees the joining of Liam and Matt in a bass-less trio setting, the logical conclusion after Will’s two previous duo releases. For this record, Will chose to depart from the same choice of repertoire as recorded previously, as the new tune choices represent the musical growth of these partnerships. Threaded together by explorative improvisations, the trio plays tunes from a range of sources…some standard repertoire, a Tom Waits song, a Paul Motion tune and a Don Cherry composition.

In this very intimate setting, these musicians explore all the possibilities of this slightly unusual ensemble. Explorations in sound and colour give way to heavy grooves and walls of energy, strong melodies and transportive atmospheres which link improvisation and compositions alike.

Will describes the project: “This album means an awful lot to me. Playing with Liam Noble and Matt Herd is such a trip. I guess this record sums up everything I love about music. We play standards and compositions from my heroes, and spontaneously create new music in the moment. I really feel I can be myself with these musicians. We are all drawing from this large bag of great music we all love and so nothing is really off the cards. When we play the tunes it’s with this very open mindset of seeing what will happen. It always feels really open and new things surprise me every time. When we play free, they come out like miniature compositions. I’m so happy to get to share this music. It feels really warm and inviting to me.”

And, concerning his new relationship with Ubuntu Music, Will explains, “I’m hugely grateful to Martin (Hummel) and Ubuntu for inviting me into the fold. The ethos of this Label is so open and refreshing. They represent a huge cross-section of what’s happening musically in London and further afield, which is really exciting and it’s an honour to be included. It’s a great pleasure to be involved with this Label. I thank them in championing new and emerging artists and giving a platform to a vast breadth of Jazz music.”

Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, shares his thoughts: “I’ve been an admirer of Will’s talent for some time now. It seemed like every other time I went to a live show, Will would be playing. He’s got such breadth and diversity of style. When you combine this with Matt (Herd) and Liam (Noble), you’ve got an exotic musical cocktail. When Will approached me about this project, I was both excited and nervous, as Will creatively pushed us outside of our comfort zone, which is exactly what we needed. We are thrilled to be working with Will and look forward to developing our new partnership.”