A MOBO-nominated trumpeter, composer, and leader born and based in Manchester, England, Matthew Halsall draws from modal and spiritual jazz, inspired by Alice and John Coltrane and Miles Davis, among many others. Additionally, he's a DJ with interests that range from classic jazz to contemporary experimental electronic music. His first album as a leader, 2008's Sending My Love, was the first release on Manchester's Gondwana label. From that point, he continued to record for the label at a steady rate, including the albums Colour Yes (2009), the Gilles Peterson Worldwide Award-winning On the Go (2011), and Fletcher Moss Park (2012). In 2014, his composition "The Games We Played" appeared on vocalist Zara McFarlane's If You Knew Her. Halsall also contributed trumpet and effects to two cuts on Mr. Scruff's Friendly Bacteria. Later in the year, with support from the eight-member Gondwana Orchestra, he released his fifth album, When the World Was One. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi