Lucy Clifford: ‘Jazz means forever evolving daily’

“I’m very much a bassist in the sense that for a long time I’ve been in that  supportive role, playing for a variety of artists of different genres. And with that I’ve had the good fortune to travel to different parts of the world, and live in The US. That exposure to different people and different sounds I think are what I consider to be some of the highlights.”

Ben Winkelman: ‘I’m searching for my own take on the piano trio’

“I think a lot about balancing opposing elements in my pieces: planning/spontaneity, complexity/simplicity, density/openness, intellect/emotion. Music has a lot of scope for self-expression (emotions) and experimentation with ideas (intellect). This might be especially true of creative jazz. I think the dilemma over how much weight to give these potentially competing tendencies is an interesting aspect of writing and playing music. For me the ideal is both: music involving sophisticated ideas and a high level of craft that moves me.”