A POPULAR jazz band will be bringing their heavily improvised sets to a mystery Bridgwater town centre location at the beginning of next month. 

Empirical, a multi-award-winning quartet founded in 2007, will open a pop-up jazz lounge at an as-yet-unannounced venue on September 1 and 2.  

Since 2016, the quartet has embarked on a daring exercise in audience creating with its ‘Pop-up Jazz Lounge’ project, which has seen the band turn disused shops in train stations and shopping centres into jazz clubs. 

Since launching the scheme, Empirical have played to more than 10,000 commuters and shoppers, racking up over 150 live sets in the process.

They will be coming to Bridgwater in partnership with SEED Sedgemoor, a consortium of local community organisations. 

A SEED spokesperson said: “The phenomenal must-see jazz quartet Empirical will be popping up in central Bridgwater this September 1 and 2.

“The band will be playing their heavily improvised sets over two nights at a pop-up location in central Bridgwater.

“The performances will be completely free and open for the public to drop in at any time.”

Bridgwater Mercury: Empirical consists of Nathaniel Facey, Tom Farmer, Lewis Wright and Shaney Forbes.Empirical consists of Nathaniel Facey, Tom Farmer, Lewis Wright and Shaney Forbes. (Image: Empirical)

The times and location will be announced in the SEED Ebulletin, which keeps local people up to date with the consortium's creative projects and opportunities.

Empirical consists of Nathaniel Facey (alto sax), Tom Farmer (double bass), Lewis Wright (vibraphone) and Shaney Forbes (drums).

The band's sound is ‘defined by a deep commitment to improvisation and a uniquely collective creative process’. 

Their gigging marathon gives them the opportunity to develop new musical ideas during live performances, such as their two-part EP set called Indifference Culture and Distraction Tactics.

Their most recent release, the 2022 EP Like Lambs, features three unconventional long-form pieces by Forbes.

The EP’s title track poses the philosophical question whether, as humans, we are truly capable of independent thought – or are we all like lambs to the slaughter?

Empirical have plans to release a new full-length album this year.