Blowzabella

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Blowzabella are Andy Cutting (diatonic button accordion); Jo Freya (clarinet, saxophones); Paul James (bagpipes, saxophones); Gregory Jolivet (hurdy-gurdy); David Shepherd (violins); Barn Stradling (bass guitar); Jon Swayne (bagpipes, saxophones).

Blowzabella produce an inimitable, driving drone-based sound played with a fabulous sense of melody, rhythmic expertise and sheer feeling. Originally formed in 1978 they have played everywhere from the main stage at Glastonbury Festival to the outer reaches of Brazil and Sierra Leone and innumerable places in between. They compose their own music which is influenced by British and European traditional dance music. Many European bands who experiment beyond the boundaries of "folk" music cite Blowzabella as a major influence.

Since they began in 1978 Blowzabella’s music has evolved from simple performances of traditional English and European dance tunes to more complex arrangements of tunes composed by themselves. Over the years the line-up of the band has changed, and the signature wall of sound has evolved too, while staying true to a set of basic principles that were there from the start - the use of drones and unusual instruments, memorable tunes, an emphasis on strong rhythmic playing and improvisation around the melody, harmonies and rhythms so that every piece can develop over time through live performance.