“The Careful Placement of Stones is probably the best jazz-folk album that you will hear this year. ”
— FATEA Magazine
Counter's Creek
Counter's Creek is an acoustic folk band based in London who make original music inspired by the folk music of the British Isles and beyond. Jigs, reels, grooves from Eastern Europe & West Africa, catchy melodies with closely interwoven harmonies are allied to a real sense of swing and dance energy. The band play regularly in London for the Nest Collective (including supporting Diabel Cissokho, kora player from Senegal) and have performed at festivals including Sidmouth Folk Festival and BAAFest.
They are delighted to announce the release of their second album, ‘My Treasured Land’, on OOB Records (The Netherlands) in August 2025. They are currently touring the UK to promote the album.
Whistle player Jonathan Taylor has worked in many different musical genres: best known as a jazz pianist who's played with artists such as Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Ruby Turner and various British jazz luminaries, he's also co-founder of Tango Siempre, appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and arranged music for Robert Wyatt. Singer Ben Cox studied Jazz at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, has played at major Jazz festivals with The Ben Cox Band, is currently musical director of four choirs in London and is an accomplished whistle/flute/harmonium player. Fiddler Tom Newell is known for his work with Effra who perform regularly at UK folk festivals as well as The Ceilidh Liberation Front, Alex Mendham & His Orchestra and pop acts including Muse, One Direction and Lana Del Rey. He also plays banjo and mandolin (not to mention charango and mouth harp). Guitarist Moss Freed plays with jazz/folk group Flekd, the Spike Orchestra, has recorded for John Zorn’s Tzadik label and has recently completed a PhD at Hull University…Four musicians from different backgrounds, united by a love of acoustic folk music, great tunes and earthy dance grooves. They are joined on their second album by Jordan Murray on percussion who tour and records with acclaimed folk band Ranagri and Tom Mason on double bass whose CV includes work with Questlove, Mark Ronson and Lilly Allen (to name but a few).
The name Counter's Creek refers to one of London's old rivers that used to flow from Kensal Green into the Thames. It has gradually disappeared over the last two centuries, first converted into a canal after which parts of it were filled in. These rivers still exist in some form underneath London’s busy streets and like the new weird and wonderful musical projects in the city, bubble up to the surface every now and then...
The new album has been getting great reviews:
”Counter’s Creek’s dazzling new album My Treasured Land…reveals a rising star in the world of Celtic music” - World Music Central
“Counter's Creek have always felt like a band rooted in place, and My Treasured Land deepens that connection with striking clarity. On this new album, they refine their blend of contemporary folk, jazz inflected notes, and chamber like intimacy, creating a record that feels both grounded and exploratory. What stands out across My Treasured Land is the band's commitment to storytelling both with and without words. Tunes unfold like scenes: some pastoral and reflective, others bustling with urban energy. There's a cinematic quality to the arrangements, yet nothing feels overwrought. Instead, the album invites the listener into a world where tradition and modernity coexist where folk roots meet contemporary composition, and where songs feels like a natural extension of the written tunes, both new and from the tradition. My Treasured Land is Counter's Creek's most assured work to date: a thoughtful, beautifully crafted album that honours the hidden river in its name while carving out its own distinctive musical landscape.” - FATEA Magazine
Here’s what was written about their first album, ‘The Careful Placement of Stones’:
“Inspiring virtuosity rooted in Celtic traditions...an outstanding instrumental album...features timelessly crafted whistle and fiddle tunes masterfully performed by some of the finest musicians in London's contemporary folk scene.”
“The Careful Placement of Stones is probably the best jazz-folk album that you will hear this year.”
“Modern sounding and atmospheric...sublime...there is no better allegory (placing stones) for this highly recommended release merging so many elements of different traditions in such an elegant and smooth way.”
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Poster/Flyer
