Tuesday 3rd September 2019

Terry Seabrook Quintet celebrating Wayne Shorter

Wayne Shorter is recognised as one of the giants of the jazz world as both a composer and a player of the tenor and soprano saxes. He was born in Newark, New Jersey and during his very long career he played briefly with Horace Silver and Maynard Ferguson before joining Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in 1959, where he stayed for four years. After that he joined Miles Davis’s second great quintet in 1964 and remained there until 1970. He then formed ‘Weather Report’ the first great American Fusion Band in 1971, which he played with until it finally broke up in 1985. He continued playing with several different fusion groups and recorded numerous records before starting his own acoustic group in the year 2000. He has just turned 86 (Aug 25th) and is still touring with a date in Norway later this month. Terry Seabrook on piano has put together a terrific band for this celebration with Andy Panayi taking on the mantle of re-creating some of Wayne’s best loved tunes. Graeme Flowers on trumpet will presumably be undertaking to play some of the many tunes Wayne’s composed for the Miles Davis years. The other members of the band are Simon Thorpe on bass with Pete Hill on the drums.

 

Tuesday 10th September 2019

Jason Henson Quartet

Jason Henson has been playing the guitar for over 27 years and turned professional over 17 years ago. He has played in many UK jazz clubs and at many of the top UK jazz festivals. He has also played with The Charlotte Glasson Band as well as forming a very successful gypsy jazz trio with Jonny Hepbir and Dan Sheppard. His main guitar heroes and influences are George Benson and Wes Montgomery. He is accompanied tonight by Dave Beebee on piano, Godfrey Sheppard on bass and Darren Beckett on drums.

 

Tuesday 17th September 2019

Richard Beasley Quartet

Tenor player Richard Beasley graduated from London’s Guildhall School of Music. Since then he has gone on to become one of London’s most versatile session players. He has recorded and played with such diverse artists as Michael Buble, Robbie Williams, and Suzie Quattro. He has also toured with many soul legends such as Deniece Williams, The Supremes, The Three Degrees and The Stylistics. In London Richard plays with world music group the Bansangu Orchestra, which was founded, along with others, by Paul Booth in 2014. He is currently playing and recording with 90s acid jazz legends The Brand New Heavies. He is accompanied tonight by Simon Robinson on piano, Nigel Thomas on bass and Spike Wells on drums.

 

Tuesday 24th September 2019

Ian Ellis Quartet

Ian Ellis is an active saxophonist in contemporary jazz, as well as in rock, pop and funk, with many credits and albums to his name. He plays a mixture of his own originals and re-invented standards to great effect. His work is exciting, with a refreshing sound and a fluent technique. He returns this evening to entertain us in his own incomparable way, in the company of the effervescent Ray D’Inverno on piano, Ben Taylor on bass and Bobby Worth on drums.

 

Tuesday 1st October 2019

Aurora Chanson Quartet    

Aurora Chanson is the only child of drummer Daniel Colson and his wife Jacqueline. She developed her passion for music whilst growing up in the French town of Nancy. It was here, as a teenager, that she discovered the old songs by Charles Trenet, Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf that her grandparents were playing. As well as singing some of the well-known and not so well-known French songs Aurora is equally at home singing jazz standards from the American Songbook. She is accompanied this evening by her regular trio of Terry Seabrook on piano, Andy Williams on guitar and Javier Forero on drums.

 

Tuesday 8th October 2019

Simon Bates Quartet

Simon Bates first learnt the violin at school, but the draw of his father's old clarinet was too much and he started having lessons. Simon took up the saxophone aged fourteen, getting his first paid gig in the same year. Simon is known for his stylistic versatility and instrumental prowess and his playing features on countless adverts, film scores, television shows, theme tunes and pop recordings. Simon has worked with many artists including Kylie Minogue, Jamie Cullum and Lulu amongst numerous others. He also runs a very successful big band and has been musical director for many singers including Rick Astley and Bette Midler and currently for Pointless presenter Alexander Armstrong. This evening he is accompanied by Roy Hilton on piano, Godfrey Sheppard on bass and Milo Fell on drums.

 

Tuesday 15th October 2019

Tim Whitehead Quartet

Tenor player Tim Whitehead was born in Liverpool and was originally studying to become a barrister but gave it up in order to study music. Since then he has had a long and varied career as a jazz composer, performer, and teacher. During his career he has played extensively throughout the UK and Europe. He also toured in the USA with American pianist Phil DeGreg. He has been a member of Ian Carr’s Nucleus and Graham Collier Music and he was also a member of the ground-breaking Loose Tubes Big Band. In 2004 he started the jazz collective called ‘WayOutWest’ at the Ram Jam Club in Kingston. He is accompanied tonight by Simon Robinson on piano, Nigel Thomas on bass and Darren Beckett on drums.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

are joined tonight by Terry Seabrook on piano, Godfrey Sheppard on bass and Bobby Worth on drums.

 

Tuesday 29th October 2019

Benn Clatworthy Quartet

 

Benn Clatworthy was born in Hastings but raised in South London. He started playing the drums and guitar before switching to the tenor sax. He was active on the London jazz scene in the 70’s and took lessons from Ronnie Scott. It was Ronnie who suggested that he went to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA. Benn then moved to the Los Angeles area in the 80’s where in the last three decades he has earned a reputation as a truly impressive modern jazz tenor player. He has played with the likes of Cedar Walton, Lionel Hampton and Horace Silver. He is joined tonight by John Donaldson on piano, Simon Thorpe on bass and Darren Beckett on drums.