London Jazz Award nomination Empirical: '.. have become fascinating and fearless.'

The Guardian: “Pianist George Fogel augments the quartet on their most eclectic venture yet: a collection of pieces – drawing on contemporary- classical music, jazz and a kind of purified pop and hip-hop that sometimes step on to the precarious tightrope of musico-philosophical speculation. Empirical have become fascinating and fearless.”

There's a common fallacy that the jazz audience is getting older, but quite apart from the fact that music is timeless (except maybe the 80s), a lot of contemporary jazz has it's finger firmly on the pulse of today's youth. A lot of interest is sparked from hybrids, mixing jazz with electronic or hip hop and so on, finding new ways of expressing its natural energy. Empirical have clearly attracted a younger audience, by pushing the melodies in new and unexpected directions, in an effort to keep people on their toes. They've gone through many changes, shuffling the deck, but always stay true to their experimental nature. A good way to describe them would be to quote their most common feedback from enthusiastic new listeners: "I liked your music! Does that mean I like Jazz?"