Wishbone – Café Spotlight

Wishbone is an exciting, bold and inventive trio comprising George Farrell (trombone), Nathan Burt (vibraphone) and Macy Wright (double bass).

Adapting a mix of original compositions and arrangements of standard repertoire to their uncommon instrumentation leads to their unique sound, and the playful, energetic dynamic they have between each other keeps listeners on their toes.

After their debut performance Upstairs at Cherry Red’s in May earlier this year, this exciting ensemble are speedily increasing their repertoire and have a debut EP due to be released summer 2025.

Band founder George said: “I started playing trombone aged nine and worked my way up through local orchestras and wind bands until I began studying at the Birmingham Conservatoire. Here, my passion for jazz has taken centre stage, and discovering great jazz musicians such as JJ Johnson, Sonny Rollins, Carl Fontana and Frank Rosolino has helped me to find my own voice. I created Wishbone to explore some new sounds and experiment with playing without drums. This trio has become a constant source of inspiration for tunes, arrangements, and different approaches to ensemble playing!”

Nathan said: “I started playing drums and orchestral percussion when I was eight and started to find a love for jazz towards the end of Sixth Form. After beginning my studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire I found a strong passion for learning jazz vibraphone. I’ve also been lucky enough to learn a bit from Jonny Mansfield and Sasha Berliner, some of my biggest inspirations on the instrument. Playing in Wishbone has let me really explore my capabilities on the instrument, especially since we are a drumless trio, so I have so much more freedom in how I interact with the rest of the group.”

Macy said: “I began playing bass guitar aged 12 and played in a multitude of bands including jazz orchestras, function bands and Latin ensembles which led me to study jazz music at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and learning the upright bass aged 19. Throughout my practice I have idolised bass icons such as Ray Brown, Dave Holland, and Esperanza Spalding. Wishbone allows me to explore my role as a bassist and become especially adventurous due to our fun instrumentation. This project has absolutely helped me discover more about my personal musicianship as well as form a strong unit with my bandmates and I am truly ecstatic to see where this continues to go.”