Solana [ Folk Jazz]

“Dazzling musicianship” – Songlines

“An album of inventive and immaculate musicianship” –  RnR Magazine

“They make my spice shelf look boring… accomplished and colourful” – Folk Radio UK

Solana are a five-piece band performing original compositions encompassing folk idioms, modal jazz and experimental grooves. Their rich and inventive sonic tapestry is anchored by a deep respect for traditions rooted in all corners of Europe and beyond.

Formed in 2012 in Valencia, Spain, they have since found a niche in Bristol’s contemporary folk scene. They are renowned for soaring originality that transcends the boundaries of any one style, taking their music towards something new and bold beyond classic folk conventions. With almost nine years of extensive touring behind them, they have established their reputation as formidable live performers and have become firm favourites across a range of arts centres and festival programmes.

Solana’s latest album ‘MIRAGE’, released in 2022, travels to new places and is a more mature sound for the group. Including a cover of Tunisian oud legend, Dhafer Youssef, the album explores ideas of Arabic music, flamenco and Ethio-jazz showing off the bands diverse influences and abilities. Engineered and mixed by Tom Excell (ONIPA, Nubiyan Twist), the attention to detail across the album is striking. Every instrument on the album (and there are many) finds its own niche, both in arrangement and recording. Violinist Rowan Elliott says, “as a band, we are influenced by – but don’t try to replicate – traditional music. It’s as if we are looking at folk music through a mirage: things get distorted, and come out looking different to their original shapes.”

Dexterous melodies are executed on flute, harp, accordion and whistles by Tamsin Elliott, whose compositions are inspired by her background in English, Irish and Eastern European traditions as well as collaborations with Egyptian musicians. Her brother Rowan Elliott shares her immersion in European folk music, augmented by modal jazz and contemporary classical influences that inform whole compositions as well his intricate violin and viola melodies. Drums and percussion are delivered by Elio Arauz de Marcos, a multi-instrumentalist and native Valencian who is deeply embedded in the musical traditions of Spain and Latin America. Guitarist JP Wolfgang, who studied flamenco under maestro El Entri in Madrid, brings a percussive flair to the arrangements and reinforces a recognisably Spanish influence that underpins their sound and history. Beneath all of these interweaving layers, Henry Edmonds cuts jazz-edged basslines with an effortless groove that testifies to many years’ experience gigging with a diverse range of artists around the world.

This vast array of shared knowledge is offered up with impressive instrumental proficiency, resulting in an assured vitality both on stage and in the studio that places them among the top acts of the UK’s folk and world music scene.

Lineup
Rowan Elliott – 5-string violin, cajon, vocals
Tamsin Elliott – accordion, harp, flute, vocals
JP Wolfgang – spanish guitar, electric guitar, vocals
Henry Edmonds – double bass, electric bass, vocals
Elio Arauz de Marcos – drum kit, vocals