Bolden.

Active in the United Kingdom since 2024, Bolden brings together Reuben Barrett and Catherine Rannus in a duo situated between contemporary jazz, house and electronic music. The project takes its name from Buddy Bolden, a founding figure in jazz history, with the idea of extending that legacy in a more current rather than purely patrimonial context. Bolden rests on the meeting of Reuben Barrett’s rhythmic approach — a self‑taught multi‑instrumentalist — and Catherine Rannus’ more classical training; she is also a multi‑instrumentalist. Their music blends saxophone and flute lines, keyboards, guitar, drums, vocals and electronic textures in a flexible format designed as much for listening as for the stage. In concert, Bolden circulate roles and instruments, giving their sets a highly performed quality, far from mere club décor. The duo first drew attention through a series of singles and a swift presence on the jazz‑house circuits before releasing the album Would appear to be jazz. Bolden thus develops a hybrid aesthetic in which improvisation, jazz melodic motifs and the steady pulses of house coexist without hierarchy.