Atlanticus

ATLANTICUS is a British-American musical partnership bringing together two powerfully distinct musical personalities, US saxophonist Peter Fraize and UK organist Terry Seabrook, delivering a dynamic new entry to the rich transatlantic heritage of jazz. ATLANTICUS draws from the storied tradition of the great Hammond organ groups, with a post-modern sound echoing the ground-breaking organ quartet of Larry Young’s Unity album. Their music spans the stylistic spectrum from the hard bop blowout of their debut album’s title track ‘Blue Haven’, the modal explorations of ‘That’s What’, the odd-metered boogaloo of ‘Swank’, and the Afro-Cuban reimagining of the Bobby Timmons classic ‘Moanin’’. Peter and Terry were introduced through a mutual friend and first teamed up for a short UK tour in 2016, recruiting British heavyweights trumpeter Jack Kendon and drummer Milo Fell to round out the lineup. From the very first gig, their immediate and natural musical rapport sealed the transatlantic bonds for what has now become ATLANTICUS.

The band delivered exciting high-energy performances to delighted crowds, culminating in a head-turning performance at the Love Supreme festival. Building on that success, the quartet reconvened in the summers of 2018, 2022, and 2023 for month-long tours of the UK, playing clubs, theatres and festivals across the country. By the end of their 2018 tour, the band knew it was imperative to go in the studio and document their remarkable chemistry. The result was their debut album Blue Haven, featuring nine original compositions by Peter and Terry along with invigorating arrangements of two classic standards. The entire album was recorded in a single day, capturing the vibe, excitement, and groove of the group’s live performances. Replicating that successful formula, ATLANTICUS has recorded a new album at the end of each successive tour: 2023’s Upstream and the forthcoming Oceanic, which features a 5-part multimedia suite, the creation of which was supported through Arts Council England. They have just returned from their 2024 US tour and look forward to adding love Supreme Jazz Festival to their summer UK tour for 2025.