DUE NORTH PROJECT
The Due North Project features Tom Bancroft (drums), James Mackay (guitar), Ali Levack (pipes / whistles) and Sue McKenzie (saxophones). Having originally formed to perform a joint British Council project with Vietnamese folk group Dan Do, this quartet have now ventured out on their own performing original material from each band member. Mixing collective improvisations with whirling themes, the Due North Project have performed at Resolis Hall (Dingwall), Macphail Centre (Ullapool), the Glasgow Jazz Festival 2024 and Edinburgh Jazz and Blue Festival 2025. A first album is planned for early 2026.
Tom Bancroft (drums) - Tom Bancroft is a drummer, composer, bandleader and educator. He has drummed in a wide range fo music projects from funk, drum n bass through contemporary and New Orleans jazz, celtic traditional music, and free improv. He has played with musicians ranging from Sun Ra & Martyn Bennett to Geri Allen and Bill Wells. He leads other irregular creative projects like Trio Red – with Tom Cawley and Per Zanussi, big band Orchestro Interrupto, In Common – a project finding common ground between Indian Classical and Scottish Jazz musicians, and jazz and traditional singers, African Groove Machine featuring Adie Baako Elias and Thomas Annang from Ghana, and Motian & Me.
James Mackay (guitar) - James Mackay is a guitarist and composer known for his diverse musical styles, ranging from jazz to experimental soundscapes, and for his work in various projects. He's based in Glasgow and performs both solo and with groups like Unharm and BURNTDOWNSHED. Mackay's music incorporates elements of jazz, electronics, and improvisation, creating a unique and engaging sonic experience.
Sue McKenzie (saxophones) - saxophonist with Multifarious Trio (UK/France/US), Yakja Hona (US / Pakistan), Grupo Magnestico, Salsa Celtica, Glasgow Improvisor's Orchestra, Saltire Street Brass, Hot Dub Time Machine, Haftor Medbøe Group (Linn Records), McKenzie Sawers Duo (Delphian Records) and Scottish Saxophone Ensemble. Recent performances in Bahrain, Doha, Pakistan, USA, 606 Club/ Jazz Cafe (London), West Holts Stage (Glastonbury Festival), Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, Glasgow Jazz Festival and Music Meeting Festival (Netherlands).
Ali Levack (pipes / whistles) - hailing from Maryburgh, a small village in the northeast of Scotland, Ali Levack has firmly established himself as one of the most electrifying and influential instrumentalists in Scottish traditional music today.
As the frontman of the virtuosic indie-trad trio Project SMOK and one-half of the duo GLIN with acclaimed guitarist Craig Irving, Ali’s distinctive approach to the whistle and pipes has earned him a reputation as a trailblazer in the genre. His playing is marked by a rare combination of technical brilliance, raw energy, and unmistakable musicality.
