Album launch and premiere for Theo May's Odd Unit "Alive in the Forest of Odd" (Discus Music)

"My original music for Odd Unit is a rich weave of the Jazz, Folk and Classical music which has always surrounded and inspired me - it's difficult to pigeon-hole easily into any one genre, but people seem to be struck by its energy and enjoy the way it sits at the crossroads of musical paradigms they know and love. Though led by my violin playing, it is the stellar line-up of young players from the London jazz and classical scenes who are responsible for the sound of the band." - Theo May.

High octane and fiercely frenetic tunes inspired by Bulgarian folk dances contrast with dark and mysterious soundscapes and melancholic and lyrical pieces. Odd Unit's first album is a weaving of vibrant and rich musical tapestry pieces that encapsulated many of Theo's earliest influences.

'Exuberant young violinist Theo May, a virtuoso player combining classical and jazz language into an emotionally charged free-flowing fusion. Among his set of original tunes Under The Earth stood out from its neo-classical fugue opening through a rich call and response spell with Greg May's clarinet and Gustavo Clayton-Marucci's bass clarinet while Will Bracken's strong-handed piano gathered the music together. It was clear that Theo is a burgeoning talent, both for the strength of composition and the range of his virtuoso playing.' - TONY BENJAMIN - B24/7 @ BATH JAZZ FESTIVAL JAN 2023

Theo May was born in the late 1990s surrounded by the rivers, cornfields and hedgerows in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. Inspired by his father's love of jazz and extensive collection of music, he began teaching himself to play the violin at the age of 4. Formal training in music came much later, first at the southwest music school in 2009 and then in 2015 at the Purcell school of music in less than rural Watford. Following two years at the Purcell school, Theo studied composition at the Royal college of music in London with classical composers Mark-Anthony Turnage and Errollyn Wallen.

Growing up, Theo's musical development was guided and supported by the legendary late Keith Tippett and his wife Julie, who Theo's father had come to know in the 1980s and Theo was immersed in Jazz, free improvisation, folk and predominantly modern and contemporary classical music. This wide range of musical influences continues to inform and inspire his musical voice today.

Theo states that "... getting variety into the suite of music was of paramount importance, so some of the pieces draw heavily on the sound world of the avant-garde and make use of experimental soundscapes, whilst others are immediately listenable, groovy and have strong ties to folk and modal jazz music." It is music of fierce intensity, featuring variety and scope of musical territory that will appeal to listeners from a wide range of musical backgrounds.

When not playing music or composing in his riverside cottage you might find Theo wandering the streets of Malmesbury with his violin or mandola.

Come and support Theo in this first significant release premiered in Malmesbury.