Styled heading

Ryan-Lash-Karlsen
with Imogen Ridge

The Ryan-Lash-Karlsen group explores free improvisations, original compositions and classic scores with special guest, harpist Imogen Ridge.

Their playing is intimate and chamber-like, developing intense, interactive and responsive situations focusing on dynamic, shifting colours drawn from their various instruments. It reflects diverse influences and, for each of the players, an immense respect for the vibrant traditions of both free improvisation and free jazz. 

This concert explores free improvisation, some pieces from an ongoing set of 'open' improvisational scores entitled Provisional Pieces by David Ryan, as well as a reimagining of some classic scores by Ornette Coleman and Carla Bley.

David Ryan is also a visual artist who studied clarinet with jazz musician Don Rendell.  Recent compositions include Recitativo/Clouds and Noise (2014-18), Provisional Pieces (2018 - ), Songs (2022) Aphorisms (2019/2024) and Inscriptions (2023-25).

Dominic Lash is a double bassist and guitarist who the Free Jazz Collective has called an “exceptional creative musician”. He has been based in Cambridge since the start of 2022, where he organizes the Soundhunt improvised music series, with the guitarist N.O. Moore, on the last Sunday of every month at Thrive on Norfolk Street.

Emil Karlsen is a Norwegian improvising drummer currently based in the UK. Described as  “a real force on the UK improvised music scene”, he’s establishing himself working within the span from free improvisation to free jazz, occupied with the exploring timbral possibilities of the drum kit.

Imogen Ridge was a member of Eddie Parker’s (Loose Tubes) contemporary jazz group, the Debussy Mirrored Ensemble which performed at multiple venues throughout 2018, including the Cheltenham festival and the Purcell Room, which was broadcast by BBC Radio 3. She has experience working with various orchestras such as the Britten Pears Orchestra, and the Bath Festival Orchestra, and also with eminent conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Marin Alsop and Semyon Bychkov.