Unfurl

mjf @ First Street (Main Stage)

Olivia Moore violin / Jim Faulkner guitar / Gavin Barras bass / John Ball tabla

Celebrating their 20th year in 2026, Unfurl achieves a melange of styles by faithfully blending Indian traditional music and jazz. Conjuring expressive musical images inspired by the earth and nature, they take the listener on a sublime, uplifting journey, crafting folky melodies that sit atop a rhythmic bed of the cross-rhythms and syncopations of the Indian subcontinent.

Unfurl’s music is influenced by legendary Indian musicians Kala Ramnath and Zakir Hussain and by John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra. With a finely-tuned balance of tight arrangements and expansive improvisatory sections, the group generates a fluidity of playing that gives each performance a spontaneity and freshness of its own.

Unfurl performances have been enthusiastically received at many theatres and jazz festivals across the country – including Manchester, Marsden, Marlborough, Brecon and London – cultivating a well-deserved reputation for their direct connectivity with audiences.

Their mjf show will feature pieces from a new EP release, along with music from the acclaimed Sleeping Giants album.

“…musical subtlety and refinement with a real sense of musical adventure and exploration” Liverpool Jazz Festival.