Roz Harding

BREATH OF GREAT LIFE

BREATH OF GREAT LIFE are multi-instrumentalist Billie Bottle and alto saxophonist Roz Harding. Torn between a whisper and a squall; the duo stitch together free improvisation, abstracted covers and first-hand compositions.

Based in Devon, since 2012 they have played together in various bands for Kate and Mike Westbrook, Billie Bottle & The Multiple and A Quiet Night In. These projects have been the cornerstones of a joint approach, which was cemented upon discovering a mutual allegiance to Manic Street Preachers’ masterpiece ‘The Holy Bible’.

Billie Bottle, has a background in folk, rock, jazz, circus and theatre. Her love of the Canterbury Sound has led her to work with Caravan’s Dave Sinclair and Robert Wyatt. With The Multiple, her last album, Unrecorded Beam, made settings of nature poetry by Thoreau; her forthcoming one, The Other Place, is innovative and political.

Roz Harding’s influences include Kate Bush, Bob Dylan, Art Pepper, Jeff Buckley, Prince and Jackie McLean. Roz’s debut album SUPERMOOD is an expression of her experience with Alexander Technique. In 2019 Roz realised how much she loves the sound of air and is digging deep into the saxophone air-space.

Between them, Billie and Roz have played Ronnie Scotts, London Jazz Festival, The Jazz Cafe, King’s Place, Camden People’s Theatre, Teatro Rossini, Vortex Jazz Club and Halle Women in Jazz Festival. They have had their music played on Jazz FM and BBC 6 Music, won best Jazz Act 2014 (South West Music Awards) and have played live on air for BBC Radio 3 (Late Junction and In Tune) and BBC Radio 4.

Billie Bottle: “vigorous and unequivocally hip" - All About Jazz

Roz Harding: “phenomenal, awesome, time-splintering” - London Jazz News