“This is the sound of a trio having ‘serious fun’ and that sense of enjoyment readily transmits itself to the listener.” Ian Mann, The Jazz Mann

Born in Milan, Tommaso Starace first came to the UK in 1995 to study jazz at Birmingham Conservatoire, before undertaking post-graduate studies at the Guildhall in London. He has led working bands in both Britain and Italy and has recorded albums with both. 

Tommaso’s latest project represents a return to roots and getting back to basics with all three players recording as in a jam session, in the same room at the same time, allowing greater interaction between the musicians, the true “Power Of Three.” As Tommaso explains: “I wanted to explore a more intimate setting .  . . . the trio setting allowed all instruments to be lead players, stretching out and aiming to be more adventurous in improvisation.”

Of the trio’s choice of material Starace comments; “The choice of music was also important to me. I wanted to include a variety of styles from past to present composers, as well as music not confined to the jazz tradition.”  Among the composers featured are the late Ennio Morricone, Bobby Timmons, Stevie Wonder, Chick Corea, Michel Petrucciani and Charlie Parker.

“It was good to hear Tommaso in a trio setting .  .  .  .  giving full reign to his improvisational talents. Combined with this were the sometimes-explosive skills of the wonderful pianist Jim Watson providing some sizzling solos with Tommaso throughout the two sets, making it a stimulating concert.” Review of a gig at Chichester Jazz Club, Oct, 2022

“A piano trio to get truly excited about, a trio for the new millennium”

– **** Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz

Jazz trios named after the piano player give certain expectations, be it Horace Silver and his tender “Que Pasa” or Esbjørn Svensson and his Northern sounds; clarity and intimacy are common to these, with a hint of tonal melancholy.  These characteristics also present with Oddgeir Berg Trio, who are clearly familiar with a Scandinavian jazz tradition. 

The trio’s sound has been called “withdrawn and cinematic.” In this aspect they share a characteristic with another Norwegian piano group, the Tord Gustavsen Trio. A notable difference is Oddgeir Berg Trio’s more effusive embrace of electronics, which adds to the cinematic and atmospheric aspect of the sound. 

The trio has some other tricks up its sleeve though, most importantly an urgency for action, pace and adventure.   Here the Oslo based trio has more in common with Miles Davis’ Jack Johnson than Scandinavia’s Jan Johannson. The love of jazz and blues drive Audun Ramo’s double bass and the propulsive drum sound of Lars Bentsen energetically support Oddgeir Berg’s playing. Berg’s curiosity in experimenting with Wurlitzer\Rhodes and synthesizer sounds sneaks into the soundscape and lends a distinctive colour to the sound panorama.

“Electroacoustic jazz with one leg in melancholy and the other in ecstasy.”

“.  .  .  It’s a real treat  .  .  .  tight chunky grooves and very exciting and funky sax .  .  .  . this is an absolute breath of fresh air  .  .  .  Dave Lewis sets a standard of powerful, fiery solos that will be hard to surpass this year.  More please!”     Blues and Soul

American saxophonist Dave Lewis leads 1UP with raw lyrical emotion and a horn full of funk, and his sound is perfectly matched by the soulful intensity and searing blues vocals of Lizzie Deane. The band lays down the deepest grooves with space for virtuosic improvisation and breath-taking interplay. 

Dave Lewis’ robust and melodic tenor playing has been heard with a notable list of artists including John Martyn, Bryan Ferry, Joan Armatrading, John Mayall, Eric Clapton and The Blockheads. The 1UP band features an impressive array of talent fronted by vocalist Lizzie Deane, a fabulous singer who for many years has worked with some of the finest performers around, including Carleen Anderson, Mica Paris and Jocelyn Brown.  Lizzie’s warm persona and infectious performance style calls to mind the great soul divas such as Aretha Franklin and Dusty Springfield, but at the same time she brings her own unique energy and approach to every song.  The band tonight also features the wonderful Al Cherry on guitar, Robin Aspland on piano, Neville Malcolm on bass and Rod Youngs on drums. 

The band pick up the standard from where The Crusaders, Rufus Thomas and The Meters left off.  With their original material and evocative lyrics, 1UP bring their own contemporary edge to the groove.  Above all, it’s a band of outstanding musicians who play as one.

“Spine tingling” The Guardian

“Like the Dickens classic itself, Alan Barnes’ “Copperfield” has something for everyone. A great night out that is also a treat for the jazz connoisseur; it will delight anyone who loves music or literature – or just being entertained!”

– Review of a performance at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho

This new set takes the audience through the characters and scenes of ‘David Copperfield’, told in Alan Barnes’ own inimitable style with his charismatic, engaging humour.  After each sketch, eight virtuoso musicians bring the characters and scenes to life, switching audiences from hilarity to pathos with a skill that would have done credit to Dickens himself!

Alan Barnes is one of our greatest jazz musicians, winning many awards, playing clarinet, alto & baritone saxophones, both in smaller intimate jazz clubs and on larger concert hall stages with equal creativity, all with his unique and warm style of presentation rich in anecdotal humour. He is also an outstanding music writer and arranger, with two previous, brilliant jazz suites playing to packed houses in the EFG London Jazz Festival. Tonight he is joined by an outstanding  ensemble of highly- awarded British Jazz greats.

“Barnes is a true Dickensian. He is a serious reader of the novels. It is a clear blunder of providence that he was born too late to appear in their pages!”

– Hot News

 

“From smooth cool to groovy funk, to ingeniously recast standards, to one quite gorgeous ballad, the music fizzes with energy, even at its most restrained.”

– The Guardian 5* review of ‘You’ve got to Dig It to Dig It, You Dig?’ by the Derek Nash Acoustic Quartet

Performing original compositions and unique arrangements of jazz classics, this quartet features some of the best exponents of jazz in the UK whose work together has encompassed Jamie Cullum and Michel Legrand.

Derek Nash is a featured soloist with the Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra; leader of the British Jazz award-winning Sax Appeal and also co-leader of funk/fusion band Protect the Beat. Derek is a master of all saxes from soprano to baritone and is renowned for his energetic, vibrant, passionate and charismatic performances.

Dave Newton was voted best Jazz Pianist in the British Jazz Awards for the thirteenth time in 2014. He has been the pianist of choice for many female vocalists including Annie Ross, Marion Montgomery, Tina May and Claire Martin. Becoming a professor at Leeds College of Music in 2016, Dave is the epitome of melodic, swinging piano.

Geoff Gascoyne‘s reputation in the business is sky high as a player, producer and composer. The plaudits come from a huge range of top musicians. Here is one from Jamie Cullum: “Geoff is uniquely accomplished and experienced across all aspects of music making. It is rare to find such abilities all in a single musician. He was a massive part of my success – as an arranger, producer, musician, bandleader, collaborator, songwriter and as a killing bass player.”

Sebastiaan de Krom is a maestro of effortless swing. He has played for many years with Jamie Cullum, appearing on his multi-gold selling albums and touring the world for several years. He has also worked with Guy Barker, Gene Harris, Kurt Elling and Michel Legrand. He, too, is a professor at Leeds College of Music.

“To get some idea of the sheer breadth of his accomplishment as a saxophonist, composer and bandleader, you should hear this.”

– The Guardian 5* review of ‘You’ve got to Dig It to Dig It, You Dig?’ by the Derek Nash Acoustic Quartet

 

This is a new group, made up of four highly experienced players, who are familiar to audiences all over the UK and internationally. Fronted by the hugely creative and inventive pianist, David Gordon, and master of the jazz guitar, Pete Oxley, the band will perform “hugely engaging, melodic, groove-driven works” by these two masterly jazz composers. (Both Pete and David are two of only a handful of British composers to have their tunes included in the ‘European Real Book’). In addition to their originals, expect works by such contemporary jazz composers as Michael Brecker, Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, etc..

David’s musical career has been – and continues to be – hugely versatile, ranging from performing harpsichord with The English Concert to touring the world with the gypsy-tango band, Zum. Pete Oxley began his gigging career during his ten years living in Paris. On his return to the UK, he founded The Spin Jazz Club in Oxford and has been the house guitarist there. He currently tours extensively with the Swiss guitar virtuoso, Nicolas Meier.

The rhythm section will be well known to a jazz audience: Oli Hayhurst has worked with just about the entire UK jazz glitterati in addition to numerous international A-listers, such as Kurt Rosenwinkel and Pharoah Sanders. Paul Cavaciuti is an in-demand drummer, known for his outstanding musical empathy with the musicians that he works with.

The Independent on Sunday described David Gordon as “a richly gifted player with a sparkling style and boundless imagination“.

Jane Cornwell (Evening Standard) reviewing the Oxley-Meier album ‘Chasing Tales’: “The array of changing sounds, moods and textures they create is gorgeous, fascinating and apparently endless. If you love music of any kind you’ll probably fall for this.”

A night of super-appealing, lush and groovesome music is assured!

Paul was ill, and we wish him a quick recovery. We had Tom Hooper on drums, and he was excellent.

 

“I loved his playing before lockdown, but now he’s even more confident, bursting with enthusiasm and much, much stronger – he really holds the stage. Without doubt a 5 star evening!”

– Trevor Bannister, The Jazz Mann

Dexter Gordon was a true colossus of 6’ 6” whose stature as a tenor saxophonist and composer matched his massive frame; a sharp sense of outfitting, a smart choice of hats and an engaging personality completed his persona as the ‘cool hipster’.  He emerged as an important and influential soloist in the Bebop revolution of the late-1940s.  After a period in the 1950s when his promise was decimated by narcotics and Dexter spent most of his time in various ‘places of correction’, the 1960s saw his renaissance and a return to the recording studio for the Blue Note and Prestige labels. He made his home in Europe for fourteen years, before returning to the US.  He died fourteen years later leaving an indelible impression on those fortunate enough to hear him play in person and countless more who discovered his music from his vast legacy of recordings.

Vasilis Xenopoulos was one such young musician who fell under Dexter’s spell, saving his hard-earned pocket money to buy the precious albums that would influence his playing. He has made a significant reputation for himself on the international jazz scene, forming partnerships that have stood the test of time.

Acknowledging Gordon as one of his early influences, Vasilis in no way attempts to emulate his hero but plays Dexter’s music in a totally convincing manner that is at once a fitting tribute and also hard bop not of the fifties but brought right up to date. For this latest project, he retains the services of bassist Simon Thorpe and Steve Brown on drums from XPQ with the addition of the wonderful Ross Stanley on piano.

“All-in-all, this is top-notch hard bop played with authority, authenticity and conviction.  The desire to communicate with the audience is clearly in the mind of all concerned.”

– Jazz Views

 

“This was arguably the best concert I have heard in Gateshead Town Hall since Sonny Stitt took it apart in the 1960s . . .”

– Bebop Spoken Here

Miles Davis and his sidemen made musical history when they recorded the iconic album Kind of Blue. They created a unique atmosphere of understated themes and improvisation and Kind of Blue went on to become one of the greatest and best loved jazz recordings of all time.

More than sixty years on, Terry Seabrook has assembled an all-star sextet, Milestones, to revisit the album and celebrate the music of Miles Davis. The band has toured extensively at clubs and festivals around the UK.

The album line-up reads like a “who’s who” of British jazz, with the fabulous Martin Shaw (Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Peter King, Tim Garland) taking on the Miles role. Also in the “who’s who” bracket are Fleece Jazz favourite and multi-award winner Alan Barnes on sax, along with the magnificent Andy Panayi and a first-rate rhythm section, pianist Terry Seabrook, bassist and Spike Wells on drums.  The band pays due respuect to Miles’ original music whilst allowing the musicians to showcase their own brilliance and improvisational skills.

“. . . thoughtful and considered, yet full of jazz potency”

–  Peter Vacher Jazzwise

 

Horn Factory perform an impressive and extensive range of contemporary big band jazz by composers such as Buddy Rich, Bob Mintzer, Quincy Jones, Oliver Nelson, Maynard Ferguson, James Morrison, Bobby Shew, Sammy Nestico and Gordon Goodwin, plus arrangements of music normally associated with smaller groups, including Thelonious Monk, Joe Henderson, Chuck Mangione, Chick Corea and Horace Silver.

Most of the charts have been composed in the last 15 years, bringing the big band genre right up to date with music that absolutely crackles with energy!

“Eighteen fine musicians on the extended Fleece Jazz stage gave us a mighty gig. I love the sound of a horn chorus, but to have fourteen of them in chorus was really something else: loved it.”

–  Dave Lyons, Fleece Jazz

 

“. . . so full of joy that it can renew your faith not just in jazz, but in music itself”

– Independent on Sunday

A prize-winning classical prodigy on piano, John turned away from classical piano studies to pursue jazz and improvised music when he was 23, and has been involved in, and acclaimed for, a wide variety of contemporary jazz and classical projects ever since – from solo piano concerts and albums, trio and quartet tours and recordings, to large scale works for his semi-classical ensemble Cornucopia.

Formed in 2016, as a counterfoil to pianist John Law’s group Congregation (which mixed contemporary jazz with electronic sounds and backing tracks), Re-Creations began life as a fun project, with the aim of playing many different tunes from different musical genres. The fact that audiences almost always knew the songs, meant the group’s material was at the same time very accessible.

This quartet’s repertoire includes jazz classics by Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and George Gershwin, plus tunes from pop/rock/indie bands such as Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Radiohead. Gradually, classical pieces have started appearing in the repertoire, including a version of the Kyrie from Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle and Satie’s Gymnopédie.

“Melodic contemporary jazz with a strong rhythmic pulse and some strikingly memorable and original tunes”

–  Sandy Brown Jazz