Olivia Murphy Jazz Orchestra (OMJO) packed out Pizza Express on Monday evening to provide a chance to hear some of the most exciting large ensemble jazz emerging from the London scene today. The program consisted entirely of Murphy’s compositions, including Sister Suite which was recorded in October 2024 and will be released in the next year.
Murphy’s intricate writing is the main attraction, characterised by its experimental nature, it uses a plethora of different textures and richly nuanced harmony. The music has a modest grandeur and the atmosphere is established from the delicate opening moments which evokes sunlight bursting through rumbling clouds, setting the tone for the evening.
Exploring themes of personal discovery, Sister Suite features two vocalists with notably different roles. Becca Wilkins‘ high range and precise delivery added a regal, ethereal quality to the music, especially when paired with the flute and trumpet achieving a celestial effect. In contrast, guest vocalist Rebecka Edlund takes a more experimental approach, with rivetingly edgy, syllabic improvisation and word painting that added texture and an element of surprise to the performance.
One of the highlights of the concert was Honey Thieves, a lively, uptempo, time-no-changes composition inspired by Greek mythology, exemplifying Murphy’s fascination with fantasy and storytelling. The band’s energy soars. Dan Kemshell’s guitar brings a sweetness to the piece. He is unique within the ensemble as the only electric instrument, a role which he fills with great variety and taste fullness.
The first suite concludes with A Grey Coated Sand Bird, a piece centered on community and family. The band, all joining together to sing the hook, embody the sense of unity.
“Like lots of jazz musicians, I didn’t like going outside as a child’, Murphy joked as she introduced the world premier of her seven movement piece inspired by a love of computer games. Entitled Open World Suite, the music evokes landscapes and challenges found in open-world games, from exploring unknown terrain to facing a final boss. The music vividly encapsulates each world, using a wide array of musical colours. Skating snares with shimmeringly icy piano chords conjure snowy landscapes, blaring hot trumpets and habanera basslines are a desert, ominous drones and howling vibratos are the playfully theatrical ghost house. The climactic Final Boss saw George Garford taking a heroic alto saxophone solo, leading the charge through the final, epic moments of the suite in a spectacularly epic musical conclusion.
The performance was a testament to Murphy’s ability to write with a deep understanding of her fellow bandmates which is no mean feat, especially considering the size of the ensemble. Bespoke moments for each of her esteemed musicians act as checkpoints within the cohesive and emotionally resonant narrative. These included a delightfully melodic improvisation of Olly Chalk (piano), jaggedly rough and raspy aerobics from Lewis Sallows (woodwinds) and Rūta Sipola’s flute which floated and fluttered elegantly over the ensemble.
An adapted version of the orchestra will be performing Murphy’s latest work Siren Cycle at Cheltenham Jazz Festival on 4 May 2025. The band will feature four vocalists alongside a large ensemble of strings, woodwind, brass and rhythm. It will be exciting to see the new ways in which Murphy and her band will push the boundaries of composition.
FIRST SET
The Lark She Writes About (Sister Suite Mov. 1)
Turtle Dove (Sister Suite Mov. 2)
Honey Thieves
Indifferent Stars
A Grey-Coated Sand Bird (Sister Suite Mov. 3)
SECOND SET
Open World Suite
OLIVIA MURPHY JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Composer / Conductor: Olivia Murphy
Voices: Becca Wilkins & Rebecka Edlund
Reeds: Ruta Sipola, Lewis Sallows, George Garford, Jonathan Chung, Alicia Gardener Trejo
Trumpets: Tom Syson, Alex Astbury, Charlotte Keeffe
Trombones: Dave Sear, Joe Carnell, Christ-Stephane Boizi, Olivia Hughes
Guitar: Daniel Kemshell
Piano: Olly Chalk
Bass: Aram Bahmaie
Drums: Kai Chareunsy
