What’s On
Will Barnes Gypsy Jazz Project (feat. Tommaso Starace)
February 2nd 2018
Book now to get tickets at £12:00 each!
Doors open at 19:15, show starts at 20:00
Will Barnes has to be one of the most respected British gypsy swing jazz guitarist. When he’s not producing (as engineer) great rock and pop albums, he performs in a host of jazz ensembles playing both arch-top and Maccaferry acoustic guitars in straight ahead or Gypsy jazz. His work with the quartet Gypsy Fire is hugely respected, full powered, harmonically inspired - he is a guitarist’s guitarist! he leads a quartet that features another great 6-string player - Gloucester based Andy Wood plus Paul Jefferies on bass and guesting on soprano / also saxes the incredible Italian soloing stallion, Tommaso Starace.
Ian Bateman ‘Fourtet’
March 2nd 2018
Book now to get tickets at £12:00 each!
Doors open at 19:15, show starts at 20:00
Ian Bateman is one of our most celebrated trombonists - and this will be the first time we’ve welcomed a ‘bone’ player to Witney Jazz. In his 40 year professional career he’s played alongside some of the finest jazz musicians there are, including tours with Terry Lightfoot’s band, Chris barber’s band and concerts with Buddy Rich, Aker Bilk, Kenny Ball and Pete Allen. He has a lightness of touch that contrasts beautifully with inevitable full throttle passages - he is beutifully melodic and as you’d expect he swings like a pendulum! With Tom Pilling on piano, Paul Jefferies on bass and Charlie Stratford on drums.
Ben Holder Quintet - 'When Oscar met Stephane & Benny’
April 6th 2018
Book now to get tickets at £12:00 each!
Doors open at 19:15, show starts at 20:00
Ben Holder is famed for his incredible energy - all of which he crams into each and every concert he gives. Whether playing violin (on which he is a virtuoso) or piano, or even singing, he gives his all to create the most entertaining gig possible. He kicked off our very first Burford jazz concert and we’ve decided to get him back to show us what a new line-up can create. He’s brining his quintet which features the award winning talents of two brand new musicians to Burford Jazz - clarinetist Julian Stringle and pianist Craig Milverton. This quartet has recorded a superb album which will be on sale at the concert.
Wendy Kirkland’s 'Piano Divas’ Quartet
May 4th 2018
Book now to get tickets at £12:00 each!
Doors open at 19:15, show starts at 20:00
Wendy Kirkland was an organ scholar and whilst she still plays the king of keyboards, she’s also a fabulous, creative jazz pianist. She hit upon the idea of creating a show based on the music of women in jazz who both play piano and sing and she set to creating some rather clever arrangements. A highly respected album followed and this finely tuned concert is now creating quite a stir. Expect some very renditions of music from the likes of Diana Krall, Blossom Dearie, Nina Simone and Shirley Horn amongst others.
Roger Beaujolais Band (feat. David Newton on piano) - The Music of Milt Jackson
June 1st 2018
Book now to get tickets at £12:00 each!
Doors open at 19:15, show starts at 20:00
Take a look in the jazz music press and you’ll read accolade after accolade for this fabulous musician. Roger has successfully straddled the worlds of jazz, blues, pop and rock for over three decades, playing alongside the cream of British jazz musicians and performing with and playing sessions on recordings with Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, fairground Attraction and Paul Weller to mention just a few and he was a founding member of the Chevalier Brothers - a big hit around clubs throughout Europe in the 1980s. He’ll be back to playing the music of the late, great vibes player Milt Jackson with one of the UK’s best loved pianists David Newton, Paul Jefferies on double bass and drummer TBA.
Katharine Timoney Quartet
July 6th 2018
Book now to get tickets at £12:00 each!
Doors open at 19:15, show starts at 20:00
Katharine is one powerhouse of a singer - she’s equally at home belting out soul and R&B as she is singing well chosen notes over jazz standards. This very talented (and still very young) vocalist grew up in Northern Ireland listening to the Great American Songbook and it shows. She sings these classics with a deep understanding of the meaning behind the music and the lyrics. She lists her influences as Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Amy Winehouse - so that should give you an idea about the sonic soundscape she’s aiming for. On hand to provide rhythm, harmony and great ‘time’ will be Tom Kincaid, Paul Jefferies and Nick Millward.
Jonathan Taylor Trio - The Music of Herbie Hancock
August 3rd 2018
£15.00 (£12.00 if ordered ahead)
Doors open at 19:15, show starts at 20:00
'Watermelon Man', 'Maiden Voyage’, 'Cantaloupe Island’ and many many more - Mr Hancock is one of the most recorded and revered jazz pianists of all time!
Jonathan Taylor Trio - The Music of Herbie Hancock
August 3rd 2018
Book now to get tickets at £12:00 each!
Doors open at 19:15, show starts at 20:00
Jonathan Taylor has performed, educated and composed for over 20 years at the highest level. When he’s not touring or appearing with some of the jazz world’s premiere musicians (Gilad Atzmon, Iain Bellamy, Pee Wee Ellis to name a few) he can be found teaching at London’s prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Dance. This hugely exciting trio (Jonathan - piano, Paul Jefferies - bass & Andy Tween - drums) bring to Witney Jazz a large helping of the music that made Herbie Hancock the world-wide legend that he is today. Mr Hancock has appeared with, recorded with a composed with so many legendary ensembles that it’s almost impossible to pick names to illustrate how he has shaped the music of American jazz in particular and jazz pianist just about everywhere. His playing and music crosses styles galore - working his way through be-bop with Donald Byrd, then shape shifting jazz with Miles Davis, he has pushed the jazz envelope for over 50 years. He was one of the pioneers of post-bop and fusion and his work with star pop and classical artists is testimony to his desire to be as all inclusive musically as possible. So the Jonathan’s trio will have its work cut out to cover such an expanse of styles and skills but have it on good authority that they’ll be more than man enough for the job.
Annique
September 7th 2018
Book now to get tickets at £12:00 each!
Doors open at 19:15, show starts at 20:00
This lady has a slightly split musical personality. As Lucy Randell she sings straight ahead jazz all over the world with the incredibly popular Jazz Dynamos but she’s also a very talented composer in her own right so she’s created a new persona ‘Annique’ and under this name she creates music which is entirely original and draws on elements of jazz, rock, classical, blues and folk. We’ve asked her to come and sing a selection of jazz standards mixed with the jazzier originals. There’s a crystalline quality to Annique’s voice yet its underpinned with a muscularity that makes the whole package utterly compelling. Rob Terry (piano), Paul Jefferies (bass) and Charlie Stratford (drums).
Dave O’higgins / Tommaso Starace Quartet
October 5th 2018
Book now to get tickets at £12:00 each!
Doors open at 19:15, show starts at 20:00
Dave O’Higgens really needs very little introduction, other than to say he's performed at the very highest level for over 30 years worldwide and to consistent critical acclaim: His fluency and tone are legendary! Tommaso showed us how adaptable he can be when he performed here at the beginning of this year with Will’s Barnes’ Gypsy Swing quartet, but this is something we know he’ll really want to get his teeth into. Tommaso wrote and recorded a CD with Dave back in the summer of 2017 and he’ll be playing some of those tracks live, plus some great old swing standards. With Paul Jefferies on bass and the incredible drummer Chris Nickolls on hand to keep time, rhythm and harmonic fundamentals in check, you can be sure of a truly sensational concert.
Tim Robinson Quartet
November 2nd 2018
Book now to get tickets at £12:00 each!
Doors open at 19:15, show starts at 20:00
Tim is a wonderful guitarist and educator (see him and his work at www.timrobinsonguitar.com). Tim will be presenting two sets of Gypsy Swing jazz concentrating on the music made famous by the two fingered legend that was Django Reinhardt. Tim lists among his influences Robert Fripp (guitarist with King Crimson) and Jimi Hendrix and it’s no accident that this is another Gypsy Jazz guitar player who has been influenced by and played rock guitar. It seems to be a pattern - the challenge of creating super fast runs, percussive articulation and improvising over tricky yet familiar chord sequences intrigues many a player - but few master it as well as Tim and his colleagues. Clarinet, rhythm guitar and double bass complete the line-up - it’ll be fast and furious but great fun….
Josephine Arthur Quartet ‘A Christmas Special’
December 8th 2018
Book now to get tickets at £12:00 each!
Doors open at 19:15, show starts at 20:00
Josephine is a consummate jazz vocalist with a voice that's likened to liquid chocolate - smooth and tasty. She has performed throughout the UK at top clubs and concert venues and we are delighted to welcome her to Witney Jazz to play two sets of music with a distinctive festive feel. With a top notch rhythm section, we look forward to some gorgeous music in preparation for Christmas. Paul Jefferies - double bass, Matt Fisher - drums, piano TBA.