"as original as they come, listening to everyone but beholden to no single influence; Eales demands your attention with the force of his musical personality and keeps it with his musicianship" - Budd Kopman (Cadence USA)
A NOTE FROM GEOFF
Hi everyone and thanks for dropping by.
Since returning to Wales in July last year things couldn't have gone any better.
I always enjoy getting on down with the amazing Leighton Jones Band. Following appearances at the Butetown Festival last August and the Millennium Centre in October, we took the stage again in January and February this year. This time it was at the Earl Haig Club in Whitchurch for more well-funky music. We are scheduled to appear at the Main Stage of the Brecon Jazz Festival on August 8th. And the good news is that I've been asked to perform the very next day with my trio at Christ College as part of the festival. Matt Ridley will be on bass, Sophie Alloway on drums.
In April I performed at the stunning Bradenstoke Hall at Atlantic College with two uber-talented young musicians: bassist Cameron Saint and Liz Exell (drums). Cameron studies at the RWCMD (he's just been awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music for the next academic year) and Liz teaches at the college. One of the delights of living in Cardiff is the access to the wealth of music on offer at the college. I love attending the Amser Jazz Time gigs performed by the students on Friday afternoons and have been to many great concerts at the beautiful Dora Stoutzker Hall.
I'm very excited about the upcoming release of "Beautiful Love", a collaboration with the legendary improvising vocalist Maggie Nicols which features Ashley John Long on bass and Sophie Alloway on drums. It is due for release in May with a launch party on June 25th at the shrine of cutting-edge jazz and improvisation, Café Oto in Dalston. The next day I'll be performing solo at the Ship Theatre in Sevenoaks as part of the Sevenoaks Festival.
I'm thrilled to be returning to the Fishguard International Music Festival on July 26th where I'll be presenting "Celtic Stories". This time my musical partners in the trio will be Matt Ridley and Liz Exell.
I look forward to seeing you at one or two gigs in the coming months.
Geoff (April 2025)