The Paradox Ensemble was formed in 2013 by trumpeter Nick Walters, bringing together some of his closest musical collaborators from various projects he was involved in. The trumpeter has been the brass backbone of Ruby Rushton and the 22archestra over the years, providing the fanfare to accompany Tenderlonious’ flute trills. After a debut release entitled Entanglement on Efpi Records, the project returns with the album Awakening, released by 22a.

The large thirteen piece group, seeks to juxtapose composed ensemble passages with extended improvised sections, allowing all band members space and freedom to explore within the composed structure, pulling in diverse influences from spiritual and eastern jazz to West African rhythms. Nick Walters is arguably one of the most respected, yet underrated musicians in the contemporary UK Jazz scene. 22a presents this project - that is available on vinyl - entirely composed and arranged by Nick Walters, featuring a roster of extremely talented musicians.