Name: Pat Thomas and Tim Hill
Start: 2025-11-21T19:30:00+00:00
Location: The Rising Sun Arts Centre

An evening of musical encounters that could embrace jazz, free improv, electronica, hymns, rhythm and noise and beyond. Pat is one of the UK's most creative pianists and keyboard players who has been playing with saxophonist Tim Hill for many years. Tim lived and played in Reading in the 1980s and 90s and was one of the first people to put on music at the arts centre, with many wild evenings that included Pat. Both of them also regularly play with Readings own pioneering guitarist Mike Cooper.
Pat studied classical piano from aged 8 and started playing Jazz from the age of 16. He has since gone on to develop an utterly unique style - embracing improvisation, jazz and new music. His bands include the acclaimed new jazz quartet Ahmed and Black Top with Orphy Robinson. He has played with many of the greats of free jazz and improvised music from Derek Bailey Tony Oxley and Evan parker. to William Parker, Leo Smith and Matana Roberts. He has also released a series of solo piano albums.
"the UK’s pre-eminent modern master of the piano avant-garde Jazzwise
" Thomas always seems supremely in command of his gift, and his playing, no matter how free and ready to tangle with abstraction, always carries a charge of authoritative exactitude." - The Jazzmann
Tim is a improviser and band leader who creates many worlds of sound and music. His street band, Tongues of Fire plays at events and festivals around the UK and Europe. With the Mellstock Band he recreates English rural music, appearing in many TV and film productions including the classic BBC Pride and Prejudice. He is also active in noise, free improvisation and experimental music,
"Muscular, well developed playing... somewhere between Johnny Hodges and Dudu Pukwana" Phillip Clarke, The Wire
"An agile and imaginative soloist… he plays with a visceral power that is hard to resist" www.thejazzmann.com
"An amazing player, he reflects so many of the traditions in jazz, inventiveness, close playing, sounding like yourself, there is a real weight to his music with a wonderful dark edge" Corey Mwamba Radio 3