Hello everyone – this is an exciting month as we’re back to our spiritual home at the Oxford Tavern (freshly painted a vivid green and renamed the Parakeet.) We do want to say a massive thank you to all the staff at the Assembly House for being so helpful and accommodating when we needed a venue in a hurry! We think the line-up here is pretty exciting, so please tell your friends, spread the word on social media and book your tickets as soon as you can.

3rd April – John Williamson
https://www.wegottickets.com/event/577023/

Alex Hitchcock – Tenor
Jonny Mansfield – Vibraphone
John Williamson – Bass
Jay Davis – Drums

“Razor sharp reactions to a constantly-shifting musical landscape… promised much and delivered in spades” — Bebop Spoken Here
Johnjosephwilliamson.com

Bassist John Williamson extends his chordless trio (renowned tenor player Alex Hitchcock and in-demand drummer Jay Davis) with the addition of the extraordinary vibraphonist Jonny Mansfield, in advance of the band’s first recording in the middle of the year.

Originally from Saltburn-by-the-sea, John has performed with many of London’s finest, and is known for a versatile and musical approach in both straightahead and contemporary settings. Combining influences from Lee Konitz to Charles Mingus, his compositions draw on a wide experience in music and a ruthlessly focused melodic instinct, creating lines that are “detailed and hugely compelling… so much more than what appears on the page.”

Set for June 2023, the upcoming recording is backed by funding from Help Musicians, with legendary pianist and composer Nikki Iles enlisted as producer.

10th April – Mark Kavuma
https://www.wegottickets.com/event/577026

Mark Kavuma – Trumpet
Noah Stoneman – Piano
Lorenzo Morabito – Bass
Jason Brown – Drums

Born and partly raised in Uganda, Mark Kavuma is a prominent young Trumpet player on the British jazz scene. In addition to leading his own outstanding band ‘The Banger Factory’, Kavuma has featured as a guest soloist alongside Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln centre orchestra, as well as touring extensively with the legendary Malian singer-songwriter Salif Keita. Kavuma’s voice is anchored firmly in the African American hard-bop tradition whilst simultaneously being unflinchingly contemporary.

17th April – Sean Fyfe
https://www.wegottickets.com/event/577035/

Sean Fyfe – Piano
Dave O’Higgins – Tenor Saxophone
Luke Fowler – Bass
Matt Fishwick – Drums

One of the busiest pianists in London, Sean is a presence on the piano that is virtuosic and tasteful. Drawing heavily on the hard-bop era of jazz, he has developed a unique style on the instrument and in his musical writing. The evening’s programme contains a mix of Sean’s original compositions and arrangements of well-known standard jazz repertoire. Sean is joined by his fiery quartet: Dave O’Higgins (tenor), Matt Fishwick (drums) and Luke Fowler (bass).

Sean has worked with a number of American musicians including Joe Farnsworth, Alex Claffy and Evan Sherman, as well as some of Canada’s top musicians such as Andre White, Dave Laing, Adrian Vedady, Dave Laing and Jesse Cahill, as well as UK musicians Josh Morrison, Matt Home, Jeremy Brown and Alex Garnett. Sean’s playing draws heavily on the music of Cedar Walton, Bill Evans, Bobby Timmons and Wynton Kelly.

24th April – Immy Churchill
https://www.wegottickets.com/event/577037/

Immy Churchill – Voice
Scottie Thompson – Piano
Dom Howard – Guitar

Immy, Scottie and Dom will be sharing their love of songs and stories through singer-songwriters, folk music, jazz composers (Ralph Towner, John Taylor, Nikki Iles), jazz standards and Immy’s own compositions. It will be an intimate evening of storytelling through song.

Immy Churchill is a jazz singer and singer songwriter studying at The Royal Academy of Music. As a member of The London Vocal Project, Immy has played with the likes of Norma Winstone and Dave Holland and has recently been involved in Jon Hendricks’ Miles Ahead. As a soloist she has performed in The London Jazz Festival with her trio and also alongside Liane Carole. Recently, she has performed with her own band at The Vortex as well as performing in other original music projects at Ronnie Scott’s. She has sung with a range of ensembles at venues such as ‘The Green Note’, ‘The Royal Festival Hall’, ‘Pizza Express Live’, and ‘The King’s Place’ as well as touring around Europe with the Lukas DeRungs Quintet… she looks to embrace not only the lyrical quality of being a singer but also the joys of singing wordlessly and improvising. Her influences range from Joni Mitchell and James Taylor to Ella Fitzgerald and Norma Winstone, providing her with a wide breadth of musical knowledge that sets her apart as a vocalist.

Scottie Thompson is a pianist and composer from Portsmouth. He has performed music in a vast variety of styles in major clubs, venues and festivals across the UK such as Ronnie Scott’s, 606, Vortex, Jazz Cafe and Buckingham Palace. He is currently a student at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studies piano under Kit Downes, Gwilym Simcock and Nikki Iles and composition with Pete Churchill. Aside from performing, Scottie has won multiple composition awards, with some of his arrangements having been played on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM in recent years.

Dom Howard is a guitarist from Cambridge and is currently studying the Jazz course at the Royal Academy of music in London. Dom draws on rock, classical music and a variety of improvised music into his playing and composing. He has played and recorded in a variety of ensembles from solo electric guitar, trios, combos and big band settings as well in a prog metal/post-rock band ‘Influx of Insanity’ from 2016-21 who won multiple competitions and have released several self produced and studio albums.