For several years, Bridie Jackson has been opening the night for musicians such as Nick Harper, Karima Francis, Chango Spasiuk and Alisdair Roberts, each time leaving audiences confused and beguiled.

Not jazz, not pop, not blues, her music touches on all of those, but is equally influenced by fado, flamenco, and is endlessly evolving. Bridie Jackson never plays the same song the same way twice, and improvisation is a large part of her live performances.

Her influences range from Amalia Rodriguez to Ute Lemper, Jake Thackray to Noel Coward, and Melanie Safka to Janis Joplin, and she's been compared to Laura Nyro, Joanna Newsom, Josephine Foster and Rickie Lee Jones.

Not surprisingly, Bridie lives and breathes music, a fact not surprising when you learn her father is a composer and she spent much of her childhood touring the musical hotspots of Europe, sampling pretty much every style going.

On stage she is known for going off the beaten track and she is always experimenting, even in the middle of a performance. But her raw, uncompromising music is now available on her first EP, PROLONG, on Urban & Eastern Records, launched tonight at the Star and Shadow Cinema.

Entry includes a free copy of the EP, a beautiful article in itself, with artwork by 50ft Long Horse, and design by Supanaught, and includes four tracks recorded in November by Sean Taylor.

Support is provided by two musicians Bridie admires for their ability to manipulate sound and create music of extraordinary beauty. Heart-breaking electronica from Laputa, and the delicate and magical Swedish indie-folk of Nathalie Stern will open the evening before a full set from Bridie.

Two new films, by Mat Fleming and Owen Gilfellon, and influenced by Bridie's music, will also be premiered at the launch.

Tickets are £6 on the door (including free copy of Prolong)

www.myspace.com/bridiejackson
www.myspace.com/laputa81
www.myspace.com/nathaliestern
www.urbanandeastern.com