Leading Scottish jazz musician Phil Bancroft will tour Scotland with his multi-media show exploring the meaning of ‘Home’. Featuring top musicians, like LAU’s fiddler, Aidan O’Rourke, concerts combine humour, live music, video, animation and communication technology, with the inner worlds and memories of the audience – in an interactive celebration of what “Home” means in today’s world.

Phil explains: “I started thinking about the word ‘Home’, at the time of The Homecoming. As an idea it became very rich. If you look across the room at someone- a stranger or someone you know well- Where do they come from? What was their childhood like? What does feeling ‘at home’ mean to them? What is their home like, their home life? What do they do there? What do they feel about where they live, their country, the government, their planet? These things are very central to who we are as people and who we are as a society. It captured my interest, so I found it a beautiful theme to create a show about.”

A musical journey carries audiences from the personal and domestic, through memories of childhood, our relationship with democracy, nationalism & war, to Planet Earth our collective home and beyond, at times with people’s thoughts, images and memories projected on screen. Technology in the home shows the future of music, with a star guest playing along live from their front room by Skype. The climax of the show has saxophonist Bancroft, his family and pets leaving Planet Earth in a 2nd-hand spaceship to start life on a new planet- accompanied by ironic pre-apocalyptic funk number “It’s Too Late Now, So Party On”.

The terrific 7-piece band, counts Instrumentalist Of The Year guitarist Graeme Stephen amongst the soloists, in music furnished with ECM melodies, homespun fiddle rounds, lyrical chamber music and George Clinton Funkadelia, but with a heart all of its own.

“We’ve been exploring this theme for the last two years. It’s such a fun show to play in – yet it touches on so many issues that people deeply care about, from identity, relationships roots, to politics, technology, the economy, and the environment. It’s very moving to see the thoughts and memories of people, and the way they combine with the music.“ says Phil.

Get readers involved: They can watch videos from the show, upload what ‘Home’ means to them in text and images – and see what others have said at www.smallastheworld.com. Submissions are used in video projections during live shows. The tour is supported by Creative Scotland.

Small As The World Band:

Phil Bancroft- Saxes

Aidan O’Rourke- Fiddle

Felicity Provan- Trumpet

Paul Harrison- Piano

Graeme Stephen- Guitar

Mario Caribe- Bass

Stu Ritchie- Drums

Tour Dates:

Corran Halls, Oban Weds 25th April 8pm

Woodend Barn, Banchory Thur 26th April 8pm

The Tolbooth Stirling Fri 27th April 8pm

The Queens Hall Edinburgh Sat 28th April 8pm

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Skye Sun 29th April 7.30pm

An Lanntair Stornoway Mon 30th April 8pm

Eden Court Theatre Inverness Tues 1st May 7.30pm

All ticketing info on www.smallastheworld.com

Source: Phil Bancroft