Past Events

If you weren’t here for these past Jazz Club evenings then why not? This is what you’ve missed!

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Tommaso Starace QuartetMarch 7th, 2022

Tomasso Starace

TICKET LINK : https://www.wegottickets.com/event/539204

Featuring Alex Steele piano, Wayne Matthews bass & Euan Palmer drums

Born in 1975 in Milano, Italy Tommaso started playing the saxophone and studying music at the age of 18. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1994 where he graduated at Birmingham Conservatoire with a Bmus first class honours and later at the Guildhall School Of Music and Drama with a Postgraduate Degree in jazz studies in the year 2000. He has performed with some of the most respected jazz musicians including Billy Cobham, David Liebman, Kenny Wheeler, Stan Sulzmann, Jim Mullen, Jonathan Gee, Paolo Pellegatti, Gianni Giudici. In the year 2004 he collaborated with award winning oscar film composer Dario Marianelli ( ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘ The Atonement’ ) recording music for ‘This Little Life’, a BBC drama for Channel Four.

In 2008 Tommaso was awarded with an Honorary Membership by Birmingham Conservatoire given to him for his significant contributions made across the years within the various branches of the music profession.

In 2012 Starace’s Italian Quartet released “Simply Marvellous”, a tribute to the late French pianist and composer Michel Petrucciani.

Tommaso is currently busy performing concerts with his quartet all over Europe.

The Karen Sharp QuartetFebruary 7th, 2022

JAZZ AWARD WINNER – BEST TENOR SAXOPHONIST, 2019

Tickets link: http://wegottickets.com/event/536566

Featuring Alex Steele Piano, Flo Moore Bass, Sophie Alloway Drums

A prominent figure on the UK Jazz scene since 2000, Karen is well known and admired for her melodic, full-toned saxophone playing, winning the British Jazz Awards for best tenor saxophonist on numerous occasions and appearing as a nominee in the rising star category of the Downbeat Critics Poll for baritone sax in 2018 and 2019.

Born in Suffolk, Karen studied classical piano and clarinet before discovering jazz and switching to the tenor sax, a choice inspired by two giants of improvisation – Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins.

Her career took off when she was asked to join Humphrey Lyttelton’s band with whom she toured the UK and Europe for four years. During this period Karen also worked hard to establish her own quintet, touring the festival and club circuit and recording the first of 6 albums as a leader.

Very quickly Karen began appearing as a soloist working alongside musicians such as John and Jacqui Dankworth, Ken Peplowski, Alan Barnes, Tina May, Nikki Iles, Esther Miller, Jeremy Pelt, Howard Alden, Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, Scott Robinson and Harry Allen. Highlights of this period include the Ginza Festival in Tokyo, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and the Singapore International Jazz Festival.

More recent work has involved larger ensembles and Karen was delighted to be part of the ‘Guy Barker Big Band’ performance at the BBC Proms. She has also played with Robert Fowler’s ‘Gerry Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band’, Steve Waterman’s Big Band, the Stan Tracey Big Band and the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra.

She has also recently recorded a new trio album with bassist Simon Thorpe and guitarist Colin Oxley, released in December 2019. Aside from her own projects Karen is very excited to be part of the Nikki Iles Jazz Orchestra, recently launched to a packed audience at the Vortex. London.

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