Photo of Playtime Collective
From 2014 this group performed every fortnight for 6 years at The Outhouse Bar in Edinburgh featuring the core group of musicians: Martin Kershaw (sax), Graeme Stephen (guitar), Mario Caribé (bass), and Tom Bancroft (drums). In 2018 Martin & Playtime were awarded the Ginkhana Award for Innovation in New Jazz Music from New Music Scotland. Since COVID hit they have moved to either remote improv livestreams from their houses - with international guests - or livestream gigs from Pathhead's Village Hall - featuring the cream of Scottish musicians.
It had grown since beginning in 2014 into essential listening on Edinburgh's live scene with a constant range of well attended creative gigs from entirely improvised concerts through to tribute nights to great composers like Charles Mingus and Kenny Wheeler. Most weeks there were guest musicians featuring established and up and coming musicians from the Scottish music scene and beyond which have included Steve Hamilton, Phil Bancroft, Laura MacDonald, Kevin MacKenzie, Pete Johnstone, Julian Arguëlles, Rachael Cohen, Chris Greive,  George Burt, Phil O’Malley, Brian Kellock and more. Then COVID hit and everything changed - Playtime changed into an online live-streaming dynamo leading the way with what is possible with remote improvisations and live-streaming.
Tom also does an Interval Interview every week with the guest musicians - see them in the blog on this site and here.
Follow @ohplaytime on twitter for updates on the latest gigs or visit the website here .
"The melodic and rhythmic progression in these excursions makes them very approachable and enjoyable. They way they twist and turn, moving from one form to another as the emphasis shifts from one musician to the next...The three musicians have a knowledge and experience of each other’s playing going back years. They take turns to lead, the music morphing from one form to another; almost as if different sections or tracks were evolving as one listens." London Jazz News