★Alison Rayner Winner The Ivors Academy award for ‘jazz composition for small ensemble’.
★ Alison Rayner Nominated: Best Double Bass 2019 British Jazz Awards
★ Deirdre Cartwright Winner public vote: Guitar 2019 British Jazz Awards
★ Winners: Jazz Ensemble of the Year 2018 Parliamentary Jazz Awards
★ Shortlisted: Best Small Group 2018 British Jazz Awards

Described by LondonJazzNews as ‘a celebration of life itself’ ARQ’s music is ‘inventive, vibrantly colourful and unfailingly melodic, possessed of a strong sense of narrative and cinematic quality, frequently inspired by personal experiences’ (the jazzmann.com). ARQ play ‘songs without words’ and are known for their vibrant, communicative performances. They’ll be previewing the new music from their third album – working title ‘Short Stories’ – to be released later this year.

Alison Rayner – double bass
Buster Birch – drums
Deirdre Cartwright – guitar
Diane McLoughlin – saxophones
Steve Lodder – piano

‘Inspired by real-world ideas, people and situations but infused with the kind of heady imagination that transforms their resonances into a series of vivacious musical adventures’ ★★★★★ BBC Music Magazine