May 6th, 2024
£12.00 + 1.20 booking fee (Students £6 + 0.60)
Ticket link : https://www.wegottickets.com/event/618314
Clark Tracey, a well-established jazz master, recognised as a most inventive jazz drummer, composer, educator and bandleader, having appeared over forty years in the company of some of the world’s jazz greats, presents his new quintet, providing a platform for our most outstanding young musicians.
A Five-Time Winner of “Best Drummer” in the British Jazz Awards, Clark Tracey has built a reputation since the early ‘80s as a talent spotter of future stars of the British jazz scene; Guy Barker, Alex Ridout, Daniel Casimir, Zoe Rahman and Mark Armstrong, to name just a few. Clark was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to music and the promotion of jazz.
Art Themen
A self-taught musician, Art Themen played tenor saxophone with a university jazz band while studying medicine at Cambridge. After qualifying as a doctor, he moved to London and in the early 60s played in several blues and R&B bands. During this period he worked with Alexis Korner, Phil Seamen, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker and Long John Baldry. In the late 60s and early 70s his musical direction shifted towards jazz and he played with Barbara Thompson, Michael Garrick, Henry Lowther and Graham Collier. In 1974 he began a long and particularly fruitful association with Stan Tracey, which continued into the 90s. He has also accompanied numerous visiting US jazzmen, including Al Haig, Red Rodney, George Coleman and Nat Adderley. A highly individual playing style marks Themen’s performances.
Dave Newton
Pianist David Newton is, in Matt Skelton’s words, “one of our nation’s treasured pianists”.
The man has a lovely touch; that is for certain. Scottish-born and educated at the Leeds College of Music, Newton’s recording career had begun in 1985 with Buddy De Franco and Martin Taylor and his first solo album was released in 1988.
He’s been the accompanist of choice for vocal royalty for years, and it’s easy to hear why: Newton’s musical responsiveness is as impressive as his re-harmonization and arranging skills at the piano. It can be a fine line between clever and stupid when it comes to re-setting musical chestnuts to the jazz format, but Newton bridges that gap by a good mile or more. He’s the kind of pianist every drummer and bass player could wish for. Fittingly, Newton has been voted ‘Best Jazz Pianist’ in the British Jazz Awards sixteen times and was made a Fellow of Leeds College of Music in 2003.
Andrew Cleyndert
Early tours included working with bands led by saxophonists Bobby Wellins, Don Weller and Bobby Watson, and trumpeters Ted Curson and Red Rodney. He also began working with a string of visiting soloists including Bud Shank, George Coleman, Ray Bryant, John Hicks and Lee Konitz to name but a few as well as working with the cream of London based musicians including broadcasting with the Kenny Wheeler Big Band. Taking a couple of years out to complete a degree in Maths and Psychology Andrew returned to the jazz scene to become a member of the Ronnie Scott Sextet and Quartet with which he has toured the Caribbean, The Middle East and Europe as well as working at Ronnie Scotts Club in London itself. The last few years has seen Andrew join the bands of the highly respected Stan Tracey with whom he has already toured Canada and China as well as performing as part of the hand over celebrations in Hong Kong. Andrew has also toured Britain and Europe with the Gene Harris Quartet and worked regularly with the singer Annie Ross. He wass also a member of the Bryan Spring Trio, Alan Barnes Quartet and the Don Weller Quartet, and has also worked and recorded with Stacey Kent. He has been nominated for the British Jazz Awards every year since they started. Other tours include working with American piano players Benny Green, Junior Mance and most recently James Williams with drumming legend Ed Thigpen, New York saxophonist Jon Gordon, trumpeter Conte Candoli, and guitarists Herb Ellis and Mundel Lowe.