Photocredit: Drift Studios Pictured (L-to-R): Paul Michael, Eddy White, Shanti Jayasinha, Jonas Golland, Alcyona Mick, Chris Sansom, Tom Green, Mick Foster, Rob Millett, Adam Bishop.

Doors open 7pm, music starts at 8pm.

Fusion? Prog? Third Stream? ...

“PERFECT STRANGER is an extraordinary 10 piece band led by CHRIS SANSOM, who conceived the band and the music it plays fifty years ago when he left university with a straight music education, but a taste for the exciting stuff going on in creative rock and jazz. Unfortunately the band he formed to play his own compositions did not get off the ground, despite attracting some key players from the progressive jazz scene of the time. Now the music is getting a public airing in the hands of a new PERFECT STRANGER band: out of the time warp emerges an exciting blend of rock, jazz and twentieth century straight music. Don’t miss this unique and powerful band.” – Trevor Taylor, Jazz 825

… from a reworking of Beethoven, through complex changes of meter and a slow jazz waltz to a ‘perverted Turkish dance’ – with a bit of Mingus and Zappa along the way …

PERFECT STRANGER, a stellar 10-piece band, will play music (mostly) written by Chris Sansom in 1974 (mostly) for his original band which included, among others, Chris Biscoe, Dick Pearce, Paul Nieman and the late, legendary Pete Jacobsen.

Now, Chris is joined by Adam Bishop and Mick Foster (saxes/flutes/bass clarinet), George Jefford (trumpet/flugelhorn), Tom Green (trombone), Alcyona Mick (keyboards), Rob Millett (percussion), Eddy White (guitars), Paul Michael (bass) and Jonas Golland (drums).

Come and experience PERFECT STRANGER’s return for a third appearance at Karamel, in advance of the release of their debut album, ‘Unfinished Business’, currently in production.

Chris Sansom studied music at King’s College London in the early 1970s and has had a number of works performed over the years, some broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Performers of his music have included the Arditti String Quartet, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band and the two Swedish giants of the classical brass world, Håkan Hardenberger and Christian Lindberg. In 1989, Hardenberger and Lindberg performed Chris’s major work ‘Invisible Cities’ for trumpet, trombone and orchestra with the BBC Philharmonic, also on Radio 3. (‘… landscapes in which the ear can wander …’ – Paul Griffiths, The Times; ‘… rarely short of ear-catching ideas … new realm of beauty …’ – David Fanning, The Independent).

Here’s a flavour of what Perfect Stranger gets up to. (Note: rehearsal quality audio!), beginning with a very rough recording of the 1974 band playing our signature piece, ‘Life and Times (of a Perfect Stranger), part 1.

Read more about the story of Perfect Stranger.

Read more about Chris Sansom and his music.

Karamel – 4 Coburg Road, London N22 6UJ The Karamel vegan kitchen will be serving food until 9.30pm. Email karamel8775@gmail.com to book a table.

Tickets: £5 in advance from www.musicglue.com/karamel or £10 On The Door.

Doors open 7pm, music starts at 8pm.