Crossing Cultures & The Great British Jazz Composers.
The concert is a double bill, with an opening set by a sextet playing arrangements by trombonist Nick Mills drawn from great Blue Note recordings by Art Blakey, Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard.
In contrast, the second half starts with a taste of cross-cultural exchange – music from The European Quartet – the great collaboration between Jan Garbarek and Keith Jarrett.
The main part evening draws on the rich tradition of compositions by British based composers including Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Mike Westbrook and Mike Gibbs, plus contemporary works by members of Way out West including Pete Hurt and Kate Williams. New arrangements feature a variety of line-ups from duo to eleven piece.
The concert is probably the first to feature such a cross section of British jazz compositions of the last 50 years. Several of the musicians involved have worked and recorded with these composers and bring their personal experience to the celebration of originality and innovation which these writers brought to the jazz scene.
Kate Williams and Tom Millar (piano)
Nette Robinson and Emily Saunders (voice)
Gary Willcox (drums)
Mick Sexton (bass)
Nick Mills (trombone)
Chris Biscoe, Pete Hurt, Tim Whitehead, Tony Woods (saxes and woodwind)
Guests: Steve Fishwick and Robbie Robson (trumpet); Oli Hayhurst (bass
