Alabaster Deplume

Real name Angus Fairbairn, from the suburbs of Manchester, saxophonist and composer Alabaster DePlume belongs to the British jazz scene influenced by the most spiritual figures of the genre, and is distinguished by the poetic or engaged lyrics that punctuate his albums. He began his career as a performance artist, notably with PaperDolls, a circus troupe based in Dublin (Ireland), alongside collaborations with soul band Honeyfeet and singer Liz Green. Based in London, he works as artist-in-residence at the Total Refreshment Centre, recording the EPs I Don't Know (2011) and I'm the Queen (2012) for Debt Records, as well as the albums Copernicus (2012), The Jester (2013) with pianist Daniel Inzani, and Peach (2015). Influenced by the spiritual jazz of Pharoah Sanders, Alice and John Coltrane, ethio-jazz, poetry and Japanese video games, Alabaster DePlume signed with the Lost Map label, based in the New Hebrides off the coast of Scotland, and recorded The Corner of a Sphere (2018), supported by a diverse orchestra including cellist Hannah Miller, guitarist Rozi Plain and who becomes a regular collaborator on keyboards, Dan Leavers aka Danalogue, Dan Electro and Soccer96, member of jazz collective The Comet Is Coming. After the remix album If in Doubt Yes: The Corner of the Sphere Live & Remixed (2019), both work on I Was Not Sleeping (2020), released by Total Refreshment Centre, while DePlume contributes to Soccer96 and Danalogue's productions. 2020 also saw the release of the compilation To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1, followed by the double vocal album Gold (Go Forward in the Courage of Your Love) (2022). From the same improvised sessions comes the follow-up album Come with Fierce Grace (2023), featuring collaborations with Tom Skinner, Falle Nioke and Donna Thompson. In 2025, the saxophonist employed a sextet and string trio led by violinist Macie Stewart for A Blade Because a Blade Is Whole.