A Preview of Things to Come in Autumn

More details soon but here are some upcoming things to look out for!

• The Current Pianist Magazine features an interview with yours truly, touching on playing solo, improvisation and the new Treehouse release. There’s also a live recording of ‘Slightly Peculiar’ on the covermount CD, which I was lucky enough to make on a stunning Bosendorfer Imperial. Pick up a copy!
• I’ll be playing alongside a host of extraordinary pianists at the Jazz Piano Summit in the Purcell Room on the 9th September. The concert is dedicated to the late, great John Taylor and features many collaborators and students of his.
• Fini Bearman and I are off to JazzLand Vienna on the 23rd September – we’re also playing a new set of music inspired by Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children at the London Jazz Festival
• The Treehouse Album is nearly here! CAMJazz are releasing on September the 22nd (UK release 2nd October) and the album has started making its way across the world. The Launch gig is at the London Jazz Festival on the 16th November. We’re also going to Norwich Jazz on the 13th October, and Hot Numbers, Cambridge on the 9th October. There’ll be gigs/workshops in Leeds and Nottingham in a few months’ time. There’ll also be a few videos and more bits of news in the next few weeks.
• I’ll be playing a lunchtime solo concert in Nottingham on the 9th October at The Royal Albert Hall
• I’m excited about being involved in the new BASCA Jazz Executive – if you write Jazz and want to know more check it out here http://basca.org.uk/tag/jazz/

Treehouse on CAM Jazz, NIJPC, gigs and more

First up some exciting news – I’m pleased to say that Treehouse will be working with European label CAMJazz for our first release as part of their series promoting new artists in 2015. (As if I needed another excuse to visit Italy…) Meanwhile we’re playing at the Norwich Jazz Weekender on the 30th August. 

That aside, the summer is almost over and the August fixtures of the Summer Schools for Sound and Music (Jazz Composition) and the National Youth Jazz Collective have seen a lot of very satisfied and inspired musicians, young and old(er). I enjoyed gigs with my new Quintet before this – our next gig is a little while off at e17jazz on the 29th October. 

Before this I’m steeling my nerves (and my left hand) for the Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition, where I’ll be representing the UK in the Semi Finals on the 3rd/4th October. There are pianists from the USA, Hungary, Georgia, Hungary, Poland and Romania (a real Eastern European flavour this year) taking part too. Playing solo is quite a special challenge for a pianist, and I’m hugely enjoying the process of coming up with some interesting material.

I’m also looking forward to playing with USA/South African singer Nicky Schrire at Pizza Express Pheasantry on the 28th September, alongside Matt Ridley, Adam Waldmann and Jon Scott. Here’s a piece on LondonJazz. In the meantime I’m having a few quiet days in Kent, where I spotted this beautiful dragonfly (full marks to my HTC phone camera too).