Jean Toussaint Quintet – Cancelled

We are very sorry to announce that this concert has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. All tickets purchased will be refunded. We will rearrange the gig for another date as soon as practicable.

7 October 2022, Crookes Social Club
8.00 – 10.45 pm, doors open 7.20 pm

Jean Toussaint: tenor sax
Freddie Gavita: trumpet
Jonathan Gee: piano
Conor Murray: bass
Shane Forbes: drums

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Grammy winner Jean Toussaint returns with another excellent band, this time featuring the acclaimed pianist Jonathan Gee and trumpeter Freddie Gavita, who so impressed as part of the Kind of Blue sextet at the Crucible Studio earlier this year. Jean will be featuring a collection of new compositions, written or rearranged during lockdown, in tribute to his siblings and people and places important in his life, called “Songs for Sisters, Brothers and others”. Expect exciting music from a saxophonist of international stature – from Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the mid-eighties, to high profile collaborations in many jazz styles.

Grammy winner Jean Toussaint first came to prominence when he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in 1982, after studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston. His blistering technique and lyrical sound has graced many great bands from Wynton Marsalis, Gil Evans and the Julian Joseph bands to his own bands. Jean has released 12 critically acclaimed albums as a leader, including 2018’s ‘Brother Raymond’, which saw him win Best Instrumentalist at the 2019 Jazz FM Awards as well as top 10 lists in The Telegraph, Jazzwise, The Sunday Times, The Guardian and Jazz in Europe. A highly respected educator as well as performer, Jean has taught at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Trinity College of Music and the Birmingham Conservatory.  www:jeantoussaint.com/

“…Toussaint displays a beautiful, incisive tone that you can only compare to liquid crystal…”  – Time Out

Winner of British Jazz Awards ‘Best Trumpet of 2017’ Freddie Gavita is a fearless improviser, he solos with fluent authority, his tone ranging from the warmly conversational to the eloquently strident. A graduate of the Royal Academy and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Freddie appeared as soloist with the BBC Big Band, three times at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and brought Roger Michell’s 2013 film ‘Le Week-End’ to life with his inimitable muted trumpet stylings. He has composed and arranged extensively and cemented his place as a leading light on the British Jazz scene with the release in 2017 of his debut album ‘Transient’ to wide critical acclaim. www.freddiegavita.com

“He has a soft, non-brassy tone that is so attractive that, at first, you scarcely notice the range, articulation and virtuosity of his playing” – 5* review, Dave Gelly, The Guardian

Pianist and composer Jonathan Gee has been one of the UK’s top jazz pianists for over two decades after being awarded Most Promising Newcomer at the 1991 Guardian/Wire British Jazz Awards. As a bandleader and sideman he has played with a host of top British and international musicians across a variety of jazz styles including Tony Kofi, Steve Williamson, Pharoah Sanders, Benny Golson, David Murray Teddy Edwards, Ted Curson and Art Farmer, He has recorded ten albums, including his critically-lauded album “Dragonfly” and his most album ‘Reimagining the Beatles’ by Ohisashiburi – the name of his most recent collaboration with top Italian jazz musicians. www.jonathangeetrio.co.uk

“…a performer of flexibility, resourcefulness and technical command to rival any of his generation” – The Guardian

Bassist Conor Murray grew up in County Donegal and studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under the direction of Tommy Smith where he gained experience performing with some of Scotland’s top musicians. Since graduating and returning to Ireland Conor has toured and performed extensively with the David Lyttle Trio in Ireland, Britain, Europe, Russia and Morocco, as well as with Canadian jazz guitarist Lucian Gray, the renowned New York pianist Michael Kanan and with his own group the Murray Brothers

Shane Forbes is known for his passion for playing and learning all styles of music and is member of multi award winning British jazz group Empirical. He has worked with most of the great names on the British jazz scene including Jean Toussaint, Soweto Kinch, Steve Williamson and Julian Joseph and with numerous international artists including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Steve Grossman, Robert Mitchell and Enrico Rava.

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Ticket Prices

Full – £16
Over 60s, disabled, unemployed – £14
Student with NUS card – £9
15 – 17 year olds – £4
Under 15s – Free

We encourage you to book tickets online in advance, to avoid missing out and to make life easier and safer for our Door Team.  It will be possible to pay for entry at the door (preferably by contactless payment) if seats are available.

Advance tickets available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/sheffield-jazz