Two UK Dates for Ingrid Laubrock’s Grammy Season Quartet

Ingrid Laubrock, a saxophonist recognized for her inventive contributions to the jazz world, is set to bring her Grammy Season Quartet to the UK for two notable performances this November. The tour dates mark a significant moment as the ensemble prepares to support their upcoming release, Spirit, Fire, Fact, scheduled for early November 2026 on the Intakt label.

The Grammy Season Quartet is named with a tongue-in-cheek nod to the cultural buzz surrounding music awards, reflecting Laubrock’s nuanced engagement with the industry’s rituals. Despite the irony in the band’s moniker, Laubrock herself carries a distinguished history of accolades, including the 2009 SWR Jazzpreis and the prestigious title of Artist of the Year–Woodwind at the German Jazz Prize in 2025. Her career trajectory also includes an influential residency as Improviser in Residence in Moers in 2012 and a Guggenheim Fellowship awarded in 2026.

Emerging from her London roots, where she studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1989 to 2008 and played a pivotal role in the F-Ire Collective, Laubrock relocated to New York and has since become a vital figure in the experimental jazz scene. Her music is characterized by a sophisticated fusion of structured composition and spontaneous improvisation, seamlessly weaving free jazz elements into her work.

The Grammy Season Quartet features a lineup of key Brooklyn-based musicians, highlighting the synergy and improvisational depth that define the group. Alongside Laubrock on tenor and soprano saxophones is drummer Tom Rainey, her long-time musical and personal partner. Guitarist Brandon Seabrook brings a dual instrumental prowess, playing both guitar and banjo with a distinctive style that balances controlled restraint and frenetic intensity, as showcased on his album Hellbent Daydream. The ensemble is completed by bassist Shawn Lovato, anchoring the group’s dynamic sound.

While the forthcoming album Spirit, Fire, Fact includes a fifth member, gayageum player DeYeon Kim, the current tour will feature the core quartet only. This decision spotlights the collective interplay among the four musicians and underscores the band’s commitment to exploring the boundaries of jazz improvisation and composition.

The UK tour kicks off on Tuesday, 17 November at The Central Bar in Newcastle under the auspices of Jazz North East, followed by a performance on Wednesday, 18 November at The Hexagon Theatre in Birmingham, presented by TDE Promotions at the Midlands Arts Centre (mac). These performances offer audiences a rare chance to experience the innovative work of a group deeply embedded in the avant-garde jazz circuit.

Following the UK dates, the quartet embarks on a European leg with scheduled shows in Villach and Linz, Austria (dates pending confirmation), Bruges, Belgium, Krefeld and Cologne, Germany, Vilnius, Lithuania, and concludes with a Zurich concert where the full quintet, including DeYeon Kim, is expected to join. The tour thus represents a broad reach across the continent, reflecting the international appeal of Laubrock’s artistry.

Laubrock’s discography, featuring critically acclaimed projects such as Last Quiet Place and Purposing The Air, demonstrates her ability to integrate composed frameworks with liberating improvisational passages. This duality is at the heart of her Grammy Season Quartet’s sound, which combines intensity and humor to challenge and engage listeners.

As Ingrid Laubrock’s Grammy Season Quartet prepares to present their new material live, they continue to affirm Laubrock’s role as a leading voice in contemporary jazz, bridging geographic and stylistic divides with a compelling and original creative vision. Details around setlists and additional collaborators remain limited at this time, but the tour promises to further solidify the group’s reputation in both the UK and European jazz communities, according to ukjazznews.com.