‘Providing food for thought on what jazz is and can become’ - Kevin Le Gendre (British Council, BBC, The Independent) 

Faye MacCalman is a performer, composer-songwriter and improviser on saxophone, clarinet, voice and electronics. Faye fuses experimental songwriting with free-weaving melodies and enveloping rhythms drawing on jazz, folk and rock music inspired by under the surface emotional worlds; playfully merging magical realism with raw realities. In 2023 Faye was selected as artist in residence at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead, and performs as a solo artist and as bandleader of jazz-art-rock adventurers Archipelago, nominated for UK Jazz Act of the Year in the Jazz FM Awards.

Faye's music has been described as ‘captivating’ by (NARC Magazine), and ‘moving…I lost myself’ (Huw Stephens, BB6 Music) and has seen her supporting luminary artists such as LA Harpist Mary Lattimore.

Faye has increasing strands of activism in her music, and in 2022 Faye debuted her AV installation 'Invisible Real'; highlighting anonymous experiences with mental illness within a dreamlike subconscious space, at Cheltenham Jazz Festival. For Faye's residency at The Glasshouse she is developing 'Invisible Real' into an expanded live experience with ethereal visuals and music for a brand new ensemble of musicians including Faye. 

An in demand collaborator, Faye has worked with Maximo Park, Zoe Rahman, Arun Ghosh, The Unthanks, David Brewis, Daniel Casimir, Me Lost Me and John Pope. Faye’s music has been aired on BBC6 Music, NTS Radio, BBC Radio 3 and Worldwide FM, as well as making featured artist interview appearances on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and BBC6.