OXFORD: Cowley Workers Social Club

Friday 18th July, 2025

8:00pm

Event information

Greetings Bossaphonik goers, forthcoming is the last event before we take a little summer break… July’s Bossaphonik lands on Friday 18th and features a change of line up as we welcome “Ranglin'” to our stage for the first time.

Described by the band as “a musical salute to Ernest Ranglin” – the band are a homage to the great Jamaican jazz guitarist, who is without doubt the most accomplished Jamaican musician that most people have never heard of. His illustrious career began as a session guitarist and musical director for various Jamaican labels including Studio One and Island Records. He played guitar on many early ska recordings and helped create the rhythmic guitar style that defined the form. Having worked with the likes of Jimmy Cliff, Prince Buster, The Skatalites, Bob Marley, The Congos, Lee Scratch Perry and Max Romeo and a long list of many more, he is truly a pivotal figure at the centre of the development of Jamaican music since the 1950s.

Now aged 93, Ernest Rangin has spanned a remarkable 70+ year career and has recently retired from international touring. The Oxford-based band aim to broaden the awareness and acclaim of the true jazz giant. Ernest Ranglin’s own music spanned many genres and in this coming gig we will be treated to reggae, jazz, calypso and funk grooves rooted down by iconic dub basslines topped off by classy guitar and keyboard improvisations. The band heat up Ernest’s sound and focus on much material from the iconic “Below the Bassline” album, originally released in 1996, performed with their own improvisational spark.

The Ranglin' project is made up of guitarist Dave Noble – who has previously performed at Bossaphonik leading his own band Natureboy, which featured acclaimed soul singer Alice Russell and he has also featured in the Oxford band Papa Nui. Drummer Tobias Sturmer has performed here as guitarist with Afrobeat band Yaaba Funk and also in Papa Nui and Ryan Quarterman features on double bass. This coming Bossaphonik gig will be a special occasion as the band will introduce some new guests: a two-part horn section in their line up for the first time featuring Sam Tusk on trombone – having played here with Mambo Panthers and local jazz legend Ollie Weston on saxophone who has worked with the likes of Amy Winehouse and Bonobo. Vocalist and spoken word artist Asher Dust (AJ) will be joining the line up along with two(!) keyboardists Nat Woodcock and Martin Pickett. No two Ranglin' gigs are the same and we can look forward with relish to a new big band interpretation of these vintage grooves.

The band will be donating their proceeds from this gig into a crowd funding campaign launched by Ernest Ranglin’s family with his longtime manager and Ernest Ranglin himself to produce a multi-media box set containing some of his unreleased music, remastered music, new recordings and video archive.

Here is a link to the crowd funder which contains more info and an informative video:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ranglin/ernest-ranglin-legacy?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=Ernest%20Ranglin&total_hits=2

Check out a video of Ranglin' performing the track Surfin’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjV8LUHM9uA

Check out a video of Ranglin' performing the track Freeway:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxgeZ15YHX8

Following on from the band as ever is a Bossaphonik club session with resident DJ Dan Ofer & DJ Badger treating the dancefloor til 1:30am to the sounds of…
Jazz Funk * Afrobeat * Highlife * Afro Jazz * Reggae * Brazilica * Latin Jazz * Cumbia * Global Hip Hop * Balkan Beats * Soul Jazz * Electro Swing * Global Grooves Galore * Nu Jazz Bizniz!

Friday 18th July
Bossaphonik Presents Ranglin' + Bossaphonik DJs
Cowley Workers Social Club, Between Towns Road. OX4 3LZ (Near Templars Square Shopping Centre. Regular buses 1 and 5 from City Centre go up Cowley Road and back til 2:55am. Stopping opposite the venue)
8pm – 1:30am
Band on at 9:30pm

**Greater savings on advance tickets**
Just £12 advance + £1.20 booking fee (wegottickets.com) / £14 student ID on door / £16 door

See ya there!

Between Towns Road
Oxford
OX4 3LZ

www.cowleyworkers.co.uk/

01865 430 446