On Wednesday 24 January, Cannonball and Nat – £18

"Cannonball and Nat" band

Pete Long Alto Sax

Ryan Quigley Trumpet

Chris Ingham Piano

Malcolm Creese Bass

George Double Drums 

The leader of Ronnie Scott’s Big Band, Peter Long together with Ryan Quigley front an exciting salute to a legendary team of jazz brothers; dazzling virtuoso alto saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley and ingenious soul-jazz architect and cornetist Nat Adderley.

The Cannonball Adderley Quintet featured Cannonball on alto sax and his brother Nat Adderley on cornet. Cannonball chose to play the alto despite his first love being the tenor because saxophones were in short supply in 1942 when he started playing at the age of 14. He developed a hard, explosive style, an influence from listening to Charlie Parker. Together with his brother, Nat, the famous quintet played a lot of blues-, funk- and gospel-influenced jazz based on what they heard being played by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis.

Pete and Ryan are lovers of the music of the quintet and are the ideal musicians to play it today. Pete studied at the Royal London College of Music and after a couple of years joined the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, playing all five saxophone parts, solo flute, bass guitar, and on one rather messy occasion, the fourth trumpet. In future years, he went on to play with the award-winning sax quartet, Itchy Fingers, working with Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield and Chick Corea amongst others. A five-year stint playing and arranging for Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra saw him work with Tom Jones, Norah Jones, Solomon Burke, Dr. John, Lulu, Georgie Fame and Lionel Richie to name but a few. In recent years, Pete’s career has been divided into education, working in master classes and as a soloist with young musicians all over Britain. It is, however, as a bandleader and orchestrator that Pete spends most of his time currently.

Ryan Quigley is an award-winning jazz and lead trumpet player and an in-demand studio musician, composer, arranger and educator. His recording and touring work includes dates with Quincy Jones, Ron Carter, Aretha Franklin, Harry Connick Jr, George Michael, Gregory Porter, Beverley Knight and Tom Jones.

Our friends Chris Ingham and George Double are always welcome at Fleece Jazz for their virtuosic playing and for themselves.

“Pete Long is a national treasure” – The Observer
“Quigley…bright, inventive and vivacious” – The Jazz Mann

Here is a link to a video with music of the two Adderlies.

On Wednesday 10 January, “Q3”, featuring Kevin Flanagan – £18

Kevin Flanagan Saxophone

Martin Hallmark Piano

Tiago Coimbra Bass

Derek Scurll Drums 

"Q3" featuring Kevin Flanagan

Q3 was formed in 2013 and brings together some of the UK’s finest jazz musicians in an exciting blend of superbly crafted original music and virtuosic performance. The music combines jazz, funk, latin and fusion elements with intricate melodies, influenced by Michael Brecker, Chick Corea, Marcus Miller and Robert Glasper.

Nigel Price says “Martin Hallmark – pianist and composer, leads this tight unit, comprised of master multi saxophonist Kevin Flanagan, super groovy Tiago Coimbra on 5 string electric bass and [our drummer for this gig is multi instrumentalist Derek Scurll]. The album of instantly accessible, mostly funk/fusion original compositions is recorded in crystal clear quality and played deftly with passion as well as eyebrow raising virtuosity from these gifted, empathetic musicians. There are moments of beauty too, especially on the waltz – ‘Tarka and the Mount’. A fine body of work from a great band.”

Martin is the driving force here: many of the compositions and all of the arrangements are from his pen. Kevin’s quartet was our Christmas gig in 2019, and the gig was adored by our audience.

On Wednesday 8 November 2023, Trish Clowes “My Iris” – £18

Trish Clowes Tenor sax

Ross Stanley Hammond Organ

Chris Montague Guitar

Joel Barford Drums

“a rich mix of cinematic landscape evocation, funky guitar grooves, dreamy reveries spun off minimalist patterns and fluently uncliched improv” – Album of the Month & 4 STARS for ‘A View with a Room’ from John Fordham, The Guardian

“brilliant” – Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 6 Music

“A high intensity, mercurial workout” – Downbeat Magazine on ‘Ninety Degrees Gravity’

My Iris is an intense and thrilling band that represents the front rank of the contemporary UK jazz scene. Lauded for her imaginative approach to improv and adroit writing, saxophonist Trish Clowes provides her bandmates Ross Stanley (on the mighty Hammond ), Chris Montague (guitar) and Joel Barford (drums) with a unique platform for individual expression and group interplay, delivering driving grooves and lingering melodic lines, seamlessly morphing between earthy restlessness and futuristic dreamscapes.

The band has toured internationally and made broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and Radio Bremen. Notable recent performances include Wigmore Hall (where Clowes is an Associate Artist), Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Rochester International Jazz Festival (Made In The UK showcase), Toronto International Jazz Festival, Galway Jazz Festival, and the Barbican (London Jazz Festival). In May 2023, they were joined by Dave Douglas for a special gig at the 606 Club in London, playing a mixture of Douglas and Clowes’s compositions.

On Thursday 28 December,”Ben, Bean, Bird and Barnes” – £20

Ben, Bean, Bird and Barnes

Alan Barnes Alto sax

Vasilis Xenopoulos Tenor Sax

Jim Watson Piano

Andrew Cleyndert Bass

Clark Tracey Drums 

Paying homage to three of the most influential giants of Jazz, this outstanding quintet, led by Alan Barnes, celebrates the music of each of them.  One of the great tenor saxophonists in early jazz history, Ben Webster was considered one of the “big three” of swing tenors along with Coleman Hawkins, who was Webster’s main influence, and Lester Young. With a warm breathy sound on ballads that’s instantly recognisable and a tough raspy tone on stomps, Webster was Duke Ellington’s first major tenor soloist in the ‘40s.  Coleman Hawkins, nicknamed “Bean”, was the first important tenor saxophonist and he remains one of the greatest of all time.  A consistently modern improviser with an encyclopedic knowledge of chords and harmonies, Hawkins had a 40-year prime (1925-1965) during which he could hold his own with any competitor.  Charlie “Yardbird” Parker practically invented Modern Jazz with bebop along with his contemporaries Dizzy Gillespie and Bud Powell and shaped the course of 20th century music. Rather than basing his improvisations closely on the melody as was done in swing, “Bird” was a master of chordal improvising, creating new melodies that were based on the structure of a song. 

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. 

Come and join us for what promises to be a gig full of outstanding tunes from the golden eras of swing and bebop played with passion and musical verve.

On Wednesday 13 December, Ed Jones’ Quartet – £18

Ed Jones Tenor sax

Ross Stanley Piano

Riaan Visloo Bass

Tim Giles Drums

A formidable saxophonist .  .  .  an improviser to his fingertips, a player of forceful imagination, and one of the UK’s most distinctive saxophonists.” John Fordham, The Guardian

Award-winning saxophonist Ed Jones returns to Fleece Jazz with his brilliant contemporary jazz quartet.  A mainstay of the London Jazz scene since the late 1980s, expect beautifully poised music as Ed and the band play recently composed new music as well as material from their highly acclaimed 2018 recording “For Your Ears Only.”

Based in London for over 25 years, Ed works in the UK and internationally with a wide range of his own projects and collaborations.  His experience as a sideman reflects his diverse musical interests, having worked with Free Jazz pioneers John Stevens and Evan Parker; US jazz legends Horace Silver, George Benson and Dianne Reeves; leading UK jazz musicians such as Jason Rebello, Don Weller and Byron Wallen; crossover projects such as Us3 and Incognito through to RnB legends such as Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, Carlene Anderson and Omar.  He has been described as “one of the most fluent and forceful saxophonists in Europe” (Jack Massarik, Evening Standard) and “inventive, physical, full of life, on the edge and unmistakeably of today” (Chris May, All About Jazz).

Ed is joined by widely respected and frequent Fleece Jazz visitor, Ross Stanley, on piano.  Constantly in-demand for his flowing creative and lyrical playing, he always serves the music and is universally revered by fellow musicians and the wider listening public alike. Bassist Riaan Vosloo is involved in a wide number of projects as a producer, arranger, composer and performer, including leading lights in the UK Jazz and improvised music scene such as Run Logan Run and Ben Lamdin aka Nostalgia 77. Drummer Tim Giles first made an impression at the age of 12 by winning the Daily Telegraph Young Composer of the Year Award in 1992.  While still in his teens, Tim performed internationally with saxophonists Iain Ballamy and Stan Sulzmann and his current regular projects also include Ben Lamdin’s Nostalgia 77 and the Tori Freestone Trio.

“The vigorous, sometimes downright volcanic tenor sound of Ed Jones has long been one of the great live delights of British Jazz.  His barnstorming ‘terrier with a rat’ approach raises the music’s temperature whenever he solos”.  Chris Parker, Jazzwise

On Wednesday 11 October, The Andrew Cleyndert Quartet, “Eclectricity” £18

Andrew Cleyndert Quartet

Andrew Cleyndert Bass

Martin Shaw Trumpet/Flugel

Colin Oxley Guitar

Mark Edwards Piano

Top bass player, Andrew Cleyndert is joined by three hugely talented and highly respected jazz musicians, in a quartet without drums, giving the piano, double bass and guitar the opportunity to use many musical permutations, with all players providing solos and accompaniment as required.  The band’s arrangements are drawn from the compositions of Billy Strayhorn, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock and Ray Brown plus tunes from the standard songbook composers.

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 Bud Shank, George Coleman, Ray Bryant, Lee Konitz and James Moody.  He was also closely associated with Stan Tracey in his many bands over fifteen years until Stan’s death in 2013.  Further afield, Andy has worked in Europe with pianists Gene Harris, Benny Green, Junior Mance and Tamir Hendleman.

Martin Shaw is regarded as one of the top jazz soloists in the country; he has performed in an extraordinary range of settings from big band to quartet, from cutting-edge jazz to contemporary pop and funk.  He has worked with most of the leading jazz artists of the last 30 years including Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Pete King, Dick Morrisey and Tim Garland.  In 2001, Martin was appointed professor of Jazz Trumpet at The Birmingham Conservatoire.  A stunning musician at the top of his game.

Colin Oxley is a class-leading guitar talent who has worked with some of the top performers in London, including a role as a a long-standing member of Stacey Kent’s group during which he recorded several albums as well as touring worldwide, including appearances at Festivals such as Montreux, North Sea, Nice and Vienne, as well as residencies in New York and San Francisco. 

Mark Edwards is a producer as well as a jazz pianist and keyboards player. Born in 1965 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, he has toured with, played on and produced albums for Aztec Camera (and Roddy Frame solo releases), Carleen Anderson and Paul Weller among (a huge lot of) others.

On Wednesday 25 October, Josh Kemp Quartet: “John Coltrane: A Love Supreme” – £18

Josh Kemp Quartet

Josh Kemp Tenor sax

Gareth Williams Piano

Dave Manington Bass

Tristan Maillot Drums

“A fierce talent” Jazzwise magazine

This evening Josh Kemp and his quartet explore the lyrical and spiritual music of John Coltrane, including his masterpiece, A Love Supreme, one of the biggest-selling recordings in Jazz.  This seminal and unique album represents the peak of Coltrane’s achievement and his musical journey from bebop to the avant-garde of 1960s Jazz.  It remains to this day a work of deep spiritual power, representing a struggle for purity, an expression of gratitude and an acknowledgement that the musician’s talent comes from a higher source.  The performance is accompanied with video projections inspired by the meaning and message of Coltrane’s music.

A jazz saxophonist with a gift for melody, Josh Kemp is known for his lyrical, improvising style and imaginative compositions and collaborations.  Josh has studied Coltrane’s original material, yielding an authentic yet personal recreation of the epic aural poem that is A Love Supreme as well as other compositions. 

Composer and songwriter Gareth Williams is a Chancellor’s Fellow at Edinburgh College of Art. His compositions seek to find new relationships, participants, collaborators and audiences for new opera, music theatre, and song, to shed light on stories and communities that have been overlooked, and to explore ideas of vulnerability in vocal writing.

Bassist and composer Dave Manington is one of the mainstays of the London jazz scene and a founder member of the Loop Collective.  He has played with many of the pre-eminent jazz musicians in the UK and Europe including Julian Arguelles, Marius Neset, Gwilym Simcock, Mark Lockheart, Tim Garland, Iain Ballamy, Gwyneth Herbert, Pete King and Yazz Ahmed.

Tristan Maillot has been active on the UK jazz scene since the mid 90’s as both sideman and leader. He has played with numerous leading international stars such as Jim Hall, Stacey Kent, Clare Martin, Jim Mullen, Fred Hersch, Martin Taylor, Stan Tracey, Steve Grossman, Norma Winstone and Bobby Wellins.

“A subtle, highly nuanced and original sound” Time Out

On Tuesday 21 November 2023 – Joanna Eden and the Chris Ingham Trio – “Embraceable Ella” – £19

Joanna Eden Vocals

Chris Ingham Piano

Andres Lafone Bass

George Double Drums

“Bloody marvellous” – Dame Cleo Laine

“sophisticated, stylish vocalist” – Jazz Journal

Joanna Eden presents a ‘labour of love’ show celebrating the music of her vocal hero Ella Fitzgerald.  From the throw-away “A Tisket A Tasket” which brought Ella to fame in the forties with the Chick Webb Orchestra to  later songbook album classics like Porter’s “Every Time We Say Goodbye” and Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me” , Eden mines the rich seam of Ella Fitzgerald’s unrivalled canon with humility, style and obvious deep affection.

Mojo magazine describes her songwriting as having ‘melody, mystery and bite’. With six solo albums to her credit, Joanna is considered one of the finest singer-pianists in the UK with a style that covers a broad spectrum, through jazz, soul, bossa nova and blues. Her beautifully crafted compositions give life to personal and expressive lyrics, which – like her songwriting hero Joni Mitchell – question and reflect life’s changes.

This Tuesday will be exceptional, because Joanna will be singing the songs and loves of the great Ella Fitzgerald. Chris Ingham will be on piano, and Andres Lafone will join us on bass. Our great friend, the drummer George Double will be with us. This is an ideal trio to support any singer, and as a group on their own.

On Wednesday 27 September, The Jo Harrop Quartet with Nigel Price – £20

Jo Harrop Vocals

Nigel Price Guitar

Paul Edis Piano

Simon Thorpe Bass

Peter Adam-Hill Drums

“Harrop’s appeal is her seductive mannerisms and phrasing mixed with plenty of hip cachet. As an interpreter of lyrics, she draws you into the narrative with effortless style and ease. The voice is husky toned, with immaculate timing  and an unsentimental tenderness and a shrewd wit.” – Emrys Baird, Blues & Soul Magazine.

Velvet voiced singer, Jo Harrop, is joined by highly respected, award-winning guitarist, Nigel Price, for a special night of swinging jazz & blues standards.  Expect a well-chosen set of timeless, well-loved classic songs, and some rare gems too, with influences of Ella Fitzgerald & Joe Pass, Julie London, Sarah Vaughan, and Wes Montgomery.

Jo Harrop began as a session singer, then quickly established herself as one of the most unmistakable voices in British jazz, performing everywhere from the Royal Albert Hall to the Sunset Sunside Jazz Club in Paris.  Effortlessly blurring the lines between jazz and folk, her mellifluous voice is warm, smoky and capable of the most delicate dynamics, revealing an intimacy that few singers are capable of generating, shot through as it is with pathos and pain. 

The current quartet is made up of pianist Paul Edis, whom Jazz Journal described as “a major voice in British Jazz, an incredibly fertile composer and improviser”; the highly accomplished bass player, Simon Thorpe whose excellent playing we have often enjoyed (taking over from Jihad Darwish who is ill); Peter Adam-Hill completes the quartet on drums.

The quartet is joined by award-winning jazz guitarist Nigel Price.  His blend of flowing bebop lines, deep blues sensibility and his mastery of chording continue to delight audiences and fellow musicians alike.

“For me, this is how jazz should be; communicative and inclusive. Jazz performed this way feels like a gift, a ‘here, this is for you’ scenario.London Jazz News                  

On Wednesday 13 September, Loz Speyer’s “Time Zone” – £18

Loz Speyer Trumpet/Flugel

Martin Hathaway Sax

Chris Allard Guitar

Dave Manington Bass

Anmol Mohara Drums

Satin Singh Congas 

“An ensemble led by a trumpeter/composer who has absorbed the essence of Cuban music and distilled it quite cunningly into an improvisatory context, with no compromise to either culture.” – Kevin Le Gendre, Echoes Music Magazine

“The album takes us from Cuba to Berlin 1989 then to Crossing the (fictitious?) Line of the equator to end in a carnival in London, in such a way as to indicate that borders and walls are only human constructions that music transcends… eight compositions that cajole, revisit, brush against or deepen different claves of Afro-Cuban music – for our greatest pleasure.” – Patricia Martin, Gazette Bleue (France)

“A vibrant, rhythmically exciting exploration of Cuban music and wider jazz influences… Speyer’s music engages and makes you think – its global themes of movement, difference and change have never been more relevant.” – John Adcock, Jazz Journal, UK

Loz Speyer is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader and teacher working in Jazz and related music. Over the last 25 years he has initiated and led bands ranging from the 11-piece composers’ collective Rare Mix to freely improvising trios. His own Cuban-Jazz sextet Time Zone and his Free Jazz quintet Inner Space, both ongoing since 2003, have toured to Jazz festivals and clubs all around the UK, and released several critically acclaimed albums of original music.