The Solar Fire Trio was founded in 2005 by Ray Dickaty and Dave Jackson, two northwest sax players with a mission to combine the hard-edged exuberance and rebellious spirit of rock music with the improvisational ethos of free jazz. After locating the best drummer for the job in the multi-talented Steve Belger, the trio is ready to take on the world.

Based on the principles of total collective improvisation, learnt from years of playing in a wide variety of musical situations, combined with our love of the hard core drive and immediacy of rock music, our aim is to make improvised music stripped to it’s primal essence – energy & rhythm, uncompromising in it’s freedom.

Spontaneous riffs... broken harmonies... crashing rhythms... breathless screams... torn melody... free of constraint.

RAY DICKATY - TENOR SAX
After studying Fine Art in Liverpool, Ray took up the saxophone as a means of furthering his artistic vision. Since then he has recorded & performed with Spiritualized, Gallon Drunk, The Duke Spirit, Eddie Prevost, Damo Suzuki, Stereolab, Moonshake, Dr. John, Cornershop, Six By Seven, Durutti Column, AMP, Lush, Carlos Zingaro, Skree, Zukanican, Brigitte Kuepper, Seymour Wright, Tom Chant, Nathaniel Catchpole, Michael J. Sheehy, Core Trio, the N.O.W. Sextet and plenty more besides. These days he rarely suffers from sticky pads, but can't find hard enough reeds.

DAVE JACKSON - ALTO SAX
Having spent 12 years as a guitarist, Dave swapped the plectrum for the mouthpiece in a ceaseless search for the ultimate noise. He's played with improv grunge band Paralysis, released several noise cassettes on the "Hiss Factory" label and gigged with Chris Corsano, Evan Parker, Eddie Prevost, Lol Coxhill, Assif Tsahar, John Russell, Phil Marks, Paul Rutherford, Rhodri Davies, Psychiatric Challenge, Sonic Pleasure & THF Drenching, Graham Clark, Carlos Zingaro, WMD and Nepali dub jazz outfit Mara Bhaja.

STEVE BELGER - DRUMS & PERCUSSION
Born to play the drums, Steve is rarely to be seen without a pair of sticks within reach. He's played in almost every musical context imaginable, from backing famous cabaret artists to New Orleans-style brass band The Brasshoppers and Zappa covers band The Muffin Men. He studied drums in Holland with Pierre Van Der Linden, played in free improv band Marvin Suggs, jammed with The Grandmothers (featuring Bunk Gardner, Jimmy Carl Black and Don Preston), co-wrote and performed music for the play ‘The Dreaming’ by Clive Hopwood and worked with ex-Spooky Tooth guitarist Luther Grosvenor. When he’s not teaching drums, he’s busy playing sessions for a variety of Liverpool artists. Described by Jimmy Carl Black as "my favourite english drummer" he's the only rhythm section we need.