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Safehouse Brighton is a collective that hosts two seperate nights that focus on improvised and experimental music, Safehouse and On The Edge.

Safehouse is a regular open session, which is open to all musicians of all levels to improvise, sonically, in a conversational way.  We have been using a format in which participants are picked out to be put into a small group that improvises for 15 minutes or so, while the remaining musicians act as audience, then the next group is formed and so on.

On The Edge is a regular performance night, where we bring in better-known and sometimes out-of-town musicians and groups who have an emphasis on improvisation in their work.  We try to precede the headliner with an established, local musician or group. The night is opened with the Safehouse "Wildcard" quartet, which is made up of names that have been picked out of a hat at the preceding Safehouse open session.

STEVE HARRIS

With much sadness, we are sorry to have to announce that on Friday 11th January 2008, Steve Harris passed away at the age of 59, after a short illness. He is survived by his partner Kathie Prince, and his daughters May (7) and Bella (6).

His inspiration and musicianship, so valued throughout his long playing career will be much missed by his many friends, colleagues and musical collaborators, but most especially he will be missed as a loving partner and devoted father by his close family.

In our sadness however, we are fortunate that he has left a rich legacy of recorded material, most notably with his most recent project ZAUM - an ambitious free-improvising large group which Steve has led since 2002.

The ZAUM catalogue - recently re-packaged and re-launched, has enjoyed considerable international acclaim, ensuring that Steve's music will live on.

His most recently initiated project Torque - his 'Power Improv Trio' with Geoff & 'J'm, illustrated once more Steve's desire and ability to keep his music fresh and contemporary.

Alongside his excitement at being able to share his musical voyage with musicians of equal ability, experience and vision, Steve has been a tireless initiator of workshops and projects providing musicians at all ages and levels with opportunities to also share the thrill of musical collaboration - often within an improvising format.

Within his professional role as Music Development Officer for Dorset County Council, this has been his mission.

The Safehouse Improvising and Experimental Music Collective, now established and thriving in Brighton as well as Poole is further testament to his influence.

Through this venture and the ZAUM catalogue, and alongside the memories that many of us are so fortunate to hold of him, we are assured that his spirit and inspirational influence lives on.

www.steve-harris.info

ON THE EDGE 2008

We're putting the finishing touches to the 2008 gig schedule. Click here to download the poster (approx 1Mb PDF).

Here's a Wildcard Safehouse group playing at the Spirit of Gravity night in Brighton.