biography
Nye Banfield is an artist hailing from the traditions of jazz music who capitalises on his raw creativity, taking the art-form into new sound-worlds. Raised in rural Leicestershire and now a South-East London local, Nye composes richly descriptive music that tells stories from his life and the people around him.
Influenced by 60s Blue Note artists and contemporary pillars of the scene, Nye draws inspiration from the likes of Wayne Shorter, Ambrose Akinmusire and Polar Bear. Combining with a love for orchestral music, Nye concocts an audio-feast of anthemic melodies, menacing harmonies, and earth-moving grooves.
'All Change' EP (2018, featuring Dylan Jones of Ezra Collective) provided Nye's debut platform to express himself, demonstrating his ability to take authentic compositions to his band and transform them into raw, organic, recordings. The narrative of the session depicts a time of movement and change in Nye's life, and the challenges and revelations that present themselves. Headfirst Bristol writes: “The five tracks on his 2018 EP debut All Change reveal a smart and original composer who knows both the roots of modern jazz and where he intends to take his own music, with his cool Wayne Shorter-inspired tenor sax very much a key ingredient in that story.”
Nye’s debut Album will be released in 2023, featuring Mark Kavuma (trumpeter and leader of The Banger Factory). The work displays a development in musical maturity, expanding his capabilities of improvisation and composition, whilst maintaining the core passion and energy that has always been present in Nye's performance.
As well as releasing music under his own name, Nye has also recorded with up and coming singer Tara Lily, featuring on a song alongside trumpeter Dylan Jones, drummer Femi Koleoso and produced by Jammer of BBK. He has also worked with hiphop group 'nine8 collective’ appearing on the Bone Chilled Milk EP.
Recent performances of Nye’s include Love Supreme Festival, The Vortex, The Jazz Cafe in Camden, The Verdict in Brighton, Pizza Express Soho and Peggy’s Skylight in Nottingham.