Art Themen Saxes

Pete Whittaker Organ

George Double Drums

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.

Simon Spillett Tenor Sax 

Rob Barron Piano

Alec Dankworth Bass

Peter Cater Drums

“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.

Alan Barnes Saxophones

Bruce Adams Trumpet

David Newton Piano

Andrew Cleyndert Bass

Clark Tracey Drums 

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.

John Law Piano

Sam Crockatt Saxophone

Henrik Jensen Double Bass

Alex Goodyear Drums 

“. . . 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

Vasilis Xenopoulos Saxophones

Paul Edis Piano

John Williamson Double bass

Billy Pod Drums 

“. . . the quartet’s compatibility and their ease in performance is a delight.” Peter Vacher, Jazzwise

Vasilis Xenopoulos and Paul Edis began playing together 20 years ago, when they had both relocated to West London to study. Originally from Greece, Vasilis had just finished studying at Berklee College in the US, whilst Paul had moved South from the Northeast of England. In the intervening years they’ve played numerous gigs together, releasing their first album in 2016, to critical acclaim.  Their latest recording features original music inspired by the theme of ‘home’. “Rooted in the jazz tradition, this is music that’s eclectic, groove-based and fundamentally melodic. Including elements of hard bop, Latin jazz, gospel and even folk, there are nods to Dexter Gordon, Stanley Turrentine, John Coltrane, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bill Evans, Brad Mehldau, McCoy Tyner and more besides.”

Paul Edis, whom Jazz Journal described as “a major voice in British Jazz, an incredibly fertile composer and improviser” is one of the leading creative musicians in the UK today.  As a performer, composer and educator, he has built a reputation for consistently delivering new and original ideas, seeking to innovate within his work whilst always paying respect to both the Jazz and Classical music traditions.  As well as collaborating with Vasilis Xenopoulos for 20 years, he has performed alongside other leading jazz names including Jo Harrop, Jon Faddis, Alan Barnes, Bruce Adams, Nigel Price, Jim Mullen, Tim Garland, Julian Siegel, Tony Kofi, Steve Waterman, Iain Ballamy and Mark Nightingale.

Vasilis Xenopoulos has made a significant reputation for himself on the international jazz scene, forming partnerships that have stood the test of time. He places himself firmly in the ‘straight-ahead’ stylistic category and has never concealed his admiration for Dexter Gordon and Hank Mobley, this showing every time he plays.

“Vasilis Xenopoulos… one of the most fiery, young saxophonists around blazes a path through the hard bop repertoire”(The Times)                                 ★★★★

Chris Ingham Piano 

Paul Higgs Trumpet

Simon Thorpe Double bass

George Double Drums

“Hoagy II is a show rich with anecdote, insight and delightful curiosities from a unique and varied songbook.”

Hoagy Carmichael was one of the most prolific Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s. He composed hundreds of songs, often working with lyricists such as Frank Loesser, Johnny Mercer and Harold Adamson.

Ten years after their acclaimed album Hoagy, the Chris Ingham Quartet follow up with a further joyful set of the wry, wise and beautiful songs of the songwriter-singer-pianist following the release of its worthy successor, Hoagy II.  Ingham says in his liner notes “These 70-100 year-old songs still sing to us, still make us stop for a moment. Dazzling absurdity juxtaposes plaintive romanticism while at the centre of everything (is) the eternal quest for the peacefully dandy.” Hoagy II expresses this in spades.

With Chris Ingham vibrantly leading on piano and vocals, the quartet comprises trumpeter Paul Higgs, a highly accomplished and respected trumpet player with an impressive career in many fields including performing, composing and arranging music for film, TV and theatre. Formerly with Shorty Rogers, Johnny Dankworth & Nancy Wilson, here he “exquisitely invokes the spirit of cornettist Bix Beiderbecke”. Simon Thorpe is one of the UK’s best-known jazz bassists who has worked with many of the great UK and US names in jazz, recording and touring with Bobby Wellins, Stacey Kent , Bheki Mseleku, Alan Barnes, Elaine Delmar, Scott Hamilton, Benn Clatworthy and Ray Gelato. George Double 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.

“Captures the essence of Carmichael’s catchy, jazz-influenced melodies and their droll, laconic lyrics perfectly. The performance of all four musicians is superb” Jazz Journal

Roger Beaujolais Vibraphone  

Robin Aspland Piano

Paul Jefferies Bass

Milo Fell Drums

We will hear a wonderful gig from vibes maestro Roger Beaujolais, who celebrates both the legendary musician Milt Jackson and the blues with fine performances and more than a touch of class.

Roger Beaujolais is celebrating his 40^th year as a professional vibraphonist. Emerging extravagantly ponytailed into the 1980s acid jazz/dance/jive scene with the Chevalier Brothers, he has stayed true to the tuned percussion line by performing in many settings including a regular slot with Fairground Attraction. Now the ponytail has transmogrified into a beard of ZZ Top proportions, Beaujolais is still entranced by classic jazz and in particular how it can be performed on vibes.

Milt Jackson (1923-1999) was, of course, one of the greatest vibes players of all. Nicknamed ‘Bags’ (apparently because even as a young man he had bags under his eyes), Jackson was a mainstay of the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) for over four decades. Tuxedoed and tidy, the MJQ are credited with taking jazz into the concert hall with their polished, restrained cool-school performances. Jackson wrote the classic 12-bar head Bags’ Groove and loved to play the blues, particularly at slow to medium tempos. This album Bags Of Vibes, recorded in 2017 and delayed by the pandemic, is both a tribute to Jackson and his music, a celebration of the vibraphone which first went on sale in 1924, and a wonderful excuse to lay down some great jazz.

We are delighted to welcome back the superb pianist Robin Aspland. He is a gifted and very imaginative improviser, with deep roots in the music, Robin is one of the UK’s busiest jazz pianists. As an accompanist, his taste is impeccable and, as a soloist, he finds unexpected delights in whatever material he addresses.

Milo Fell was with us in 2000 with Cuban Bop and drummed up a storm. Paul Jefferies is new to Fleece Jazz but has a great reputation among musicians.