Moore & Fairhall are a folk-jazz accordion and violin duo, based in Manchester, who bring Indian classical music, American folk music and contemporary jazz together in a highly individual manner. The improvisational aspects of the source traditions are used as an opportunity to blend disparate soloing vocabularies and compositional materials in a subtle way, resulting in a distinctive duo idiom that extends the performers’ established artistic voices. The format of accordion and violin is particularly well suited for this material; Olivia switches between violins depending on whether the material is Indian or Western in origin, and Adam switches between a tradition Stradella accordion (for highly rhythmic, folk-based playing) and a free bass accordion (for more contrapuntal playing). The repertoire in a mixture of original pieces, Appalachian folk tunes and pieces inherited by Olivia from her Indian teacher. All are approached with an overall sense of creative improvisation.
The duo have performed at MJF, Capstone Theatre and Sandbach Concert Series. Their debut album is due to be released in 2025.