Nérija
Clare Shilland
Nérija is a septet that comprises some of the more prominent and prolific artists in the London jazz scene: Nubya Garcia (tenor saxophone) has emerged as a break-out star, while Sheila Maurice-Grey (trumpet) and Cassie Kinoshi (alto saxophone) are also active as members of KOKOROKO. They are the product of London's Tomorrow's Warriors youth jazz program along with the members of Ezra Collective, as well as others. The wind instruments are at the front and center in the Nérija sound. They are not as experimental or genre-hopping compared to some of their peers in the same scene. The members can be more adventurous on some of the other outfits they participate in, but in this band, they rely more on the traditional norms of the genre and build on the strength of their individual melodic skills and their ability to come together as a finely tuned ensemble.
