Nottingham Contemporary

Tara Clerkin Trio are Pat Benjamin, Sunny Joe Paradisos and Tara Clerkin, three musicians involved in a number of cult Bristol bands over the years before confidently settling down in triangle formation. They are inspired by and borrow from jazz, trip hop, electronica, psychedelia & minimalism, twirling the non-pretentious strands of these threads together into a trippy green winged-cloak, adorning Arthur Russell and dripping in blue jam.

Greensleeves HiFi (Oxman & Adam Prescott)
1977. Shepherd’s Bush, London. A record shop at 44 Uxbridge Road, selling Jamaican music, decides it’s time to release its own tracks. The mission is clear - to arm every DJ and Reggae fan in the UK with the latest sounds from downtown Kingston, Jamaica.

And so, into a golden era of Reggae, Greensleeves Records was born – a label that soon became synonymous with all the latest Dancehall & Reggae hits from Jamaica, and the artists that made them. During the late 70s, 80s and 90s, Greensleeves took the crown as the number one British destination for both the sound of Jamaica and for Caribbean-influenced black British music, creating a distinct reputation as a pioneer in Dancehall music and the Rub-A-Dub style. Just like Motown or Blue Note it defined a genre.

Many artists and prominent producers released on the label including Dr. Alimantado, Wailing Souls, Augustus Pablo, Linval Thompson, Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes, Barrington Levy, Michael Prophet, King Jammy, Johnny Osbourne, Eek-A-Mouse, Yellowman, Clint Eastwood & General Saint, Sister Nancy, Tippa Irie, Gussie Clarke, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Freddie McGregor, Deborahe Glasgow, JC Lodge, Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Mr Vegas, Red Rat, Elephant Man, Busy Signal, Vybz Kartel, and Alborosie.

Greensleeves Hi-Fi have taken the music from this iconic label directly to the people through a series of ‘Soundsystem style’ DJ sets from Geneva to London to Berlin and beyond. Glastonbury, Boomtown Fair, Dub Camp and International Dub Gathering are just some of the sold-out festivals the crew has performed at and they have brought the Greensleeves Hi-Fi vibe to the exclusive Soho House plus they’ve even teamed up with Adidas & the Jamaican Football Federation.

Specialising in Rocksteady, Ska and Reggae, Oxman is a legendary DJ who began his career in the late 70s. He’s produced and written tracks for many of the all-time great Reggae artists, consulted on Soul Jazz and Pressure Sounds compilations, worked with Dub Vendor for many years and can currently be heard charging the frequencies on Soho Radio. Bringing together a dream vinyl collection and vivid Reggae stories, Oxman brings big energy to every set.

One of the key players in the Reggae Roast Soundsystem and the re-emergence of British Reggae, Adam Prescott has produced original songs featuring Cornel Campbell, Macka B, Sugar Minott, Ranking Joe, Rod Taylor, Johnny Osbourne and Earl 16. His productions are often heard on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Rinse FM and Worldwide FM from the likes of Don Letts, Mala, J:Kenzo, Huey Morgan, Gilles Peterson and Sir David Rodigan.

Robin Hood Youth Orchestra, part of Nottingham Music Service, brings together young musicians from across the city to play and perform together. On Saturday mornings members meet at Nottingham Contemporary for their rehearsal sessions.