Tobie Medland
The forefront of this wonderful genre - Laboratorium MF
Dazzled us with his virtuosity...he truly is an inspiration - London Jazz News, Nigel Price
A Fine Violinist - Jazzwise
A kind of queer intervention into [...] an intimidatingly monocultural jazz-world - London Jazz News, Phil Johnson
Their immersive world presents an undeniably fresh perspective - Jazz Guitar Today
You’ll notice that I haven’t compared Medland’s compositions to any familiar landmarks, nor attempted to describe it. To do so would do the textures and colors of this music an injustice.
All I can say is “Listen!" - Jazz Lives
Swings like a mother - Marlbank
What amazes and fascinates here is the way [Tobie] Perceives and composes. A great album worth listening to - jazz-fun.de
Gypsy Jazz is often associated with the past and archaism. However, The Aviary, led by the talented violinist Tobie Medland, proves that this genre can be modern and fresh - Laboratorium MF
The listener enters THE AVIARY, which is lovely but unfamiliar, full of melodic and harmonic textures even when the rhythm isn’t clearly defined (the very antithesis of some contemporary “gypsy jazz”) - Jazz Lives
hugely talented Violinist and Arranger - Ronnie Scott's Radio Show, Jazz FM
Violinist, composer and producer Tobie Medland has been widely credited as one of the foremost young British improvising violinists, especialy within the European lineage jazz style credited to Django Reinhardt. Tobie learnt the trade touring the North of England, busking and hustling for gigs in bars and restuarants, and has since developed a genre-defying approach: distinctly modern, drawing on contemporary jazz, impressionist classical and free improvisation.
Tobie has released several records with his originals project 'The Aviary', with their last album release at Vortex jazz club. He has performed concerts with many of the world's greatest musicians within the jazz-style pioneered by the great Django Reinhardt, including Stochelo Rosenberg, Adrien Moignard, Fapy Lafertin, Olli Soikkeli and Paulus Schäfer. Tobie has also performed at leading European venues including LSO St. Luke's, The Jazz Cafe Camden, Crazy Coq's Soho, Pizza Express Live, Jazzbina Sarajevo and Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club.
Tobie is currently touring 'Quanta' and 'Sabia'. Quanta is a piano trio with Shirley Smart (cello) and Ben Smith (piano), focused on improvised music and the music of great classical composers including Shostakovich and Mendelssohn. Sabia is a quintet specialising in Bossa Nova and Brazilian improvised music.
Tobie is a busy producer and is director of the Gypsy Jazz Festival of London and Future Fable Records. He has also contributed as writer to 'Jazz Journal' and 'The Syncopated Times', and been interviewed on JazzFM, London Jazz News, and JazzViews.
