One Voice, One Cello & A Mad Belgian is a truly unique and exciting ensemble. Armed only with a cello, a soprano sax, their two intertwined singing voices and an occasional melodeon, Rupert Gillett & Jennifer El Gammal will take you on an unusual and enchanting journey, full of poetry and quirky tales. They are folk singers, jazz improvisers, chamber musicians and storytellers, and their live performances are known for their grace, wit and virtuosity. Get ready for an evening of lush and soaring melodies, toe tapping rhythms, gorgeous vocal harmonies and wild jazzy excursions.
“Absolutely brilliant… truly wonderful”
Cindy Glover – Time & Talents
“Exciting, intriguing and unique”
Folk & Honey
“absolutely wonderful, truly original, madly inventive, varied, fun, magical”
Graeme Taylor from the band “Gryphon”
Rupert Gillett is a highly active performer and session musician on the London scene and abroad. In 2018, he was a featured artist at the prestigious New Directions Cello Festival in Cologne, Germany. He currently performs with jazz-icon Jacqui Dankworth MBE, jazz violinist Chris Garrick & composer/pianist David Gordon in the chamber-jazz ensemble “Butterfly’s Wing”. He also plays in a unique 2 cello and violin jazz-fusion/crossover ensemble called “Arcopia” with renowned jazz cellist Gunther Tiedemann (String Thing) and London-based violinist Chris Haigh (Bob Geldof, Michael Ball), as well as a “post-modern” renaissance fusion ensemble named Whistlebow. Rupert has performed with Alison Moyet, as well as being featured live on BBC 2 television, BBC Radio London, BBC3 and BBC 6 Music with various ensembles.
On double bass, Rupert regularly performs in a number of ensembles such as Dai & the Ramblers (Ace Records), She’Koyokh, The London Klezmer Quartet, the Boneshaker Band, the London Niche Quartet and many more. He also recently performed on the score of the movie “Tolkien”, starring Nicholas Hoult.
Musician, writer, comedian, sociologist, qualified London Blue Badge Tourist Guide and magician, Jennifer El Gammal, aka “A Mad Belgian“, was born in a tiny land named Belgium. She studied Jazz Saxophone at the Conservatoires royal de Bruxelles. Since then, she has worked extensively in theatre and music. She has worked with Théâtre Maât in Brussels as a musician/actor and as a theatre workshop facilitator with children & adults of various social, economic & cultural backgrounds.
Her musical projects include the modern jazz trio Uživati and the unique folk band Virevoltes, featuring melodeon, celtic harp and percussion. She also runs the blog & podcast A mad Belgian. Since then, she has been travelling around Europe on her fold-up bicycle with her soprano saxophone and melodeon. Master improviser and constructor of strange and wonderful musical sculptures, Jennifer’s jazzy and melodic excursions need to be heard….