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Described by THE OBSERVER as “One of the tiny handful of undeniably perfect jazz musicians”, Art remains as brilliant and inimitable as ever.

An exciting and inventive saxophonist, Art Themen has been an appealing presence on the British jazz circuit for over 60 years. A previous winner of the tenor sax category in the British Jazz Awards, recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Worshipful Company of Musicians and shortlisted for the Jazz Instrumentalist of the year in the recent Parliamentary Jazz Awards, this living legend has famously combined his role as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with saxophone duties in the bands of Alexis Korner and Stan Tracey (the ‘Godfather of British Jazz’) as well as recordings with Joe Cocker, Jack Bruce and even Bing Crosby.

Pete Whittaker, Hammond star, is always a delight. Originally a piano player, he migrated to organ after hearing the classic 1950s & 1960s Jimmy Smith records and after immersing himself in the sound world of Larry Young, Groove Holmes, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff etc. Despite his deep love of the vintage Hammond tonewheel consoles, Pete has always had one eye on the digital clones, though none have impressed him as much for authenticity as the Crumar Mojo which he now plays on the vast majority of his gigs and several recent recordings.

George Double‘s playing and recording credits include Dame Shirley Bassey, Grammy Award Winner Jack Jones, Marc Almond, Mica Paris, Ruthie Henshall and Kym Mazelle. His West End and touring theatre record includes stints on Wicked, Guys and Dolls, Avenue Q, Sinatra and Anything Goes. He is active on the British jazz scene and appears regularly at Ronnie Scott’s club in London and elsewhere as a freelancer (with Chris Ingham, John Etheridge, Art Themen, Digby Fairweather, Derek Nash and many others). He is also curator of Hadleigh, Southwold and Frinton Jazz Clubs.

“Straight-ahead, high energy jazz is his line and he does it with aplomb” – The Guardian

Over his twenty-five year career Simon Spillett has worn almost as many hats as it’s possible to wear within jazz; multi-award-winning instrumentalist (BBC Jazz Awards, British Jazz Awards, Jazz Journal’s Album of The Year), quartet and big band leader, recording artist, author, historian, record producer, archivist, magazine columnist and latterly blogger.

However, for all these varied skills he identifies most strongly as a powerfully swinging, straight-ahead tenor saxophonist, one capable of taking the audiences who hear him on a roller-coaster ride encompassing everything from energetic bebop to heartfelt balladry.

Excellence attracts excellence. Rob Barron is his pianist, Alec Dankworth his bassist and Peter Cater is his drummer.

Rob is a London based pianist, arranger and composer, and is one of the most creative and versatile musicians of his generation. “There’s energy aplenty here, but mostly, there’s creativity and execution of a very high order” – Jazzwise.

Alec is an award-winning jazz bassist and composer who, in addition to leading several groups of his own, has worked with an amazing list of artists including Van Morrison, Stephane Grappelli, Abdullah Ibrahim, and The Dave Brubeck Quartet. He is known for his energetic stage presence, versatility of style and some of the most imaginative bass solos around! John Fordham says, “elegant stability, big sound, sure beat, and thoughtful spontaneity”.

Peter has dedicated his life to a career in music and describes himself as “exactly the musician my 6 year old self dreamed of being”. He continues to be in the top division of UK jazz drummers, having been voted 5th in the world in 2015.

The band will draw unashamedly on the classic sounds of British modern jazz from the 1950s and 60s, in particular the repertoire of the iconic UK saxophone legend, Tubby Hayes.

Bringing his quintet to Fleece Jazz for a pre-festive treat, Alan Barnes has been at the forefront of British jazz since 1980 and his musicianship and sense of humour have made him hugely popular in jazz clubs and festivals across the UK and beyond. He is best known for his work on clarinet, alto and baritone saxes, where he combines a formidable virtuosity with outstanding musical expression. 

The quintet, which consistently features Bruce Adams on trumpet, has been performing for nearly 30 years delivering straight-ahead hard bop, with a repertoire from the classic years and an emphasis on accessibility, good humour and a conviction that jazz should swing.

Bruce Adams is one of the jazz scene’s most dramatic and stimulating performers; he has been a regular winner of jazz polls and with his spectacular range and power on the instrument he has been in demand as a lead musician.  He has often worked as a special guest soloist with both the Scottish Radio Orchestra and the BBC Big Band.

David Newton has been voted ‘Best Jazz Pianist sixteen times by the jazz audience of the UK. Over the years he has become a much sought after pianist, teaming up with Barnes, guitarist Martin Taylor and saxophonist Don Weller. Later, he gained a reputation as an exquisite accompanist for singers such as Marion Montgomery, Tina May, Annie Ross, Claire Martin and Stacey Kent. 

Andrew Cleyndert started out in the bands of Don Weller and Bobby Wellins and has since flourished on the jazz scene in the UK and beyond.  He has played and toured with the cream of the UK’s musicians and a string of international soloists, including Stan Tracey, Bud Shank, George Coleman, Ray Bryant, Lee Konitz and James Moody. 

Clark Tracey is a well-established jazz master who is recognised as an inventive jazz drummer and as a proven group leader, writer and arranger, having appeared over many years with the world’s jazz greats. He creates educational Master Classes across the U.K. and continues to be an in-demand performer across the world.

Come and join us for what promises to be a gig full of outstanding tunes played with passion and musical verve.

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

A prize-winning classical prodigy on piano, John Law 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 John’s group Congregation (which mixed contemporary jazz with electronics 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. 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.

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.

Parliamentary Jazz Award-winning saxophonist, Sam Crockatt, hails from a musical family, first playing clarinet as a child to accompany his pianist father. Later switching to the saxophone, Sam studied at the Royal Academy of Music under tutors including Martin Speake, Julian Siegel and Tim Garland and then began to play regularly with musicians such as Gwilym Simcock and Julian Arguelles. Citing John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins and Lee Konitz among his influences, his ability to marry his understanding of past masters with contemporary styles keeps him constantly in demand.

The quartet also features Danish bass player Henrik Jensen who came to London in 1997 to study electric bass at The Musicians’ Institute before switching to the double bass and studying at the Royal Academy. He has worked all over the world from the Blue Note in Tokyo to concert halls in Moscow while keeping busy on the London jazz scene. Drummer Alex Goodyear was last here at Fleece Jazz with Jon Lloyd in March; he brought a delicate touch to his drumkit that was a wonder to behold as he used the whole kit in a gentle and yet expressive way. He studied Jazz Drums at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama under the tutelage of Martin France and James Maddren.

Blending jazz, pop, and classical genres, this promises to be an evening of jazz entertainment.

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

“Corbett’s playing is rousing and fierily expressive and his band are right on top of it.” Jazzwise

“The Bomb” – Courtney Pine

“Founded in 1939 by Alfred Lion, Blue Note Records is loved, respected, and revered as one of the most important record labels in the history of music, designed to serve the uncompromising expressions of hot jazz or swing. Direct and honest hot jazz is a way of feeling, a musical and social manifestation”

During a successful engagement as ‘Curator / Featured Artist’ for the Birmingham Jazz ‘Legends’ festival, trumpeter Bryan Corbett put together a series of concerts with a ‘Blue Note’ theme featuring ever popular and critically acclaimed music from the likes of Blue Mitchell, Horace Silver, Art Blakey and Donald Byrd. Known for his lyrical tone and powerful stage presence, Bryan is not only a great performer of the jazz standards repertoire, but he is also an artist who pushes the boundaries. He has toured and performed around the globe as a guest artist with world-renowned stars such as Ben E King, US3, The Brand New Heavies, Tony Christie and Ruby Turner as well as with his own bands at festivals, concert halls and clubs throughout the UK. 

Saxophonist Chris Bowden works as an arranger and performer with a highly individual style. He first came to prominence with his 1996 funk/acid/Latin-jazz ‘Time Capsule’. Pianist Paul Deats is a member of the house trio of the Nottingham-based Jazz Club, Peggy’s Skylight. Paul is the co-founder of the club and has been described as “a powerful and intense player . . . lyrical and thoughtful” ; Andrew is one of the most in-demand live and studio drummers in the East Midlands. Bassist and occasional vocalist Tom Hill is an expatriate American who has become a huge favourite with Midlands jazz audiences. He is a superlative bass player and a supremely versatile musician who leads his own bands (Straitjackets and ZZ Bop) and has been the first-call bassist for performers such as Peter King, Brandon Allen and Sam Crockatt.

Drawing from this pool of local, national and internationally renowned musicians, Bryan presents an evening of finest quality jazz; it is an immense pleasure to welcome him back to Fleece Jazz.

“Corbett’s own playing was imperious, with a beautiful tone on both trumpet and flugel and a high degree of fluency.” – Ian Mann, The Jazz Mann 2023