WitneyJazz

Mr Ilett is one heck of guitarist, but more recently he’s taken to adding a good deal of vocals to his sets. Take a peek at his interview video and see how broad his influences are. A professional for nearly 30 years, band leader, composer and master arranger, Denny Jnr. (his father Denny Snr. is a superb trumpeter) has toured the world performing with or directing for a host of stunning ensembles including the much loved Lilian Boute band. His voice just lends itself to Sinatra comparisons and so we’ve asked Denny to bring along a quartet of his favourite musicians to create a night of vocal and guitar led music.

This globe trotting musician is on the road over 250 days of the year, yet his playing spark never seems to dim. He just adores performing and his astonishing energy is evident from the first few bars of every concert. Phil began playing as a teenager and attended the world famous Berklee School of Music. Shortly after he joined the Ray Charles Orchestra, touring with the great man for two years and then moving onto Artie Shaw’s band. The Chicago Tribune’s Howard Reich perhaps puts it best when he says of Greg "Abate is not content to rely on stock bebop riffs and standard chord progressions. Rather, the sharp angularity of his phrases and the often startling pauses in his fast-moving lines give his work a feeling of constant invention and creativity.” See what you think - we think he’s a ‘monster’.

Jamie teams up with jazz violinist Ben Holder and stunning pianist Tom Kincaid to create a musical tribute to the music of Benny Goodman. yes - we hear you “but Benny was a band leading clarinettist” true, but that’s what makes it much more fun. These guys are not setting out to emulate or copy the great reeds player but they do adore his music and they will take it by the scruff of the neck and create something truly effervescent with it, that much we can promise. Tom Kincaid is a Manchester based pianist who specialises in the older, perhaps less chromatic piano approach with rhythm being its prime element, yet he has a touch that’s at once feather light and yet truly muscular - the closest thing you’ll come to hearing Teddy Wilson live!

A child prodigy - clarinettist / reeds-smith and all round nice guy Julian Marc Stringle, has been performing at a stratospheric level for the whole of his life it seems! For those who recognise names - he studied clarinet with Wilf Keeley and composition with William Lloyd Webber. His first TV performances were with Acker Bilk aged 14 and he went on to be regular with Kenny Ball, George Chisholm and Dame Cleo Lane bands - all of this in his 20s. But Julian hasn't just kept playing the traditional or even mainstream flavours of jazz - his own all star quartet specialises in Latin/funk music and he frequently dips into the classical world with special duo performances featuring the phenomenal Canadian guitar virtuoso Dominic Ashworth. So we've asked Julian to team up with Dominic and bassist Paul Jefferies to present a varied show of jazz styles. Julian's playing is full of sparkle and wit - you're in for real musical treat !

You may not have heard of him, but Mark Murphy was ground breaking throughout his long and illustrious career. He was one the first artist to treat the human voice as an instrument in just the same way as we use say a trumpet or sax, it can solo as well as sing words!! He developed the art of ‘Vocalese’ and won numerous international awards and great acclaim for his recorded works. Now introducing Michael Roberts - he was in fact a student of Mark Murphy and has himself won awards for his work as a singer and producer. His delivery is utterly convincing - not a mimic of others’ styles but a powerful yet controlled voice that can can be literally whisper quiet or take the roof tiles off - always real, always in tune with the style he is delivering. With Michael will be the fabulous bassist and guitarist Mark Rose (he’ll be playing guitar on this occasion) and Paul Jefferies on double bass.

You may have heard her as ‘Purdy’ her alter-ego more pop styled character, but tonight it’s very firmly Rebecca Poole the jazz singer you’ll be coming to hear. She has a distinctive sultry, yet musical style with that rare ability to hold your attention whilst she relates the real meaning of a song. Fist class pitching and a touch of sparkle complete the sonic story. Rebecca is no stranger to small audiences (in fact she tells us she loves the sense of intimacy in smaller venues) but she’s also happy in front of tens of thousands as witnessed by her performances at Wembley Stadiums and the Royal Albert Hall with the likes of Jools Holland. She’s a regular at the top clubs in London and we’re delighted to have her with us again at Witney Jazz.