It’s not very often that a former front man for Art Blakey plays at the club but we are thrilled to welcome saxophone giant, Jean Toussaint, who played with the Jazz Messengers from 1982 to 1986. During that time he also worked with Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner and Gil Evans, and regularly led the jam session at New York’s Blue Note club.
 
After leaving the Messengers in 1987 he accepted an invitation from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to teach improvisation for three months in England and decided to stay. In the last few years, he has toured Europe with Max Roach, joined Cedar Walton for a fortnight at Ronnie Scott's, and worked with the likes of Horace Silver, Troy Miller, Cleveland and Trevor Watkiss, Julian Joseph, Bheki Mseleku, Jason Rebello and Tony Remy to name but a few.

Jean Toussaint, playing tenor and soprano saxes, is joined by his regular band members Larry Bartley, bass and Troy Miller, drums, with special guest Jonathan Gee on keyboards, so expect an evening of swinging, surging straight-ahead contemporary jazz but with a strong emphasis on melody.

His latest CD, “Live in Paris and London”, released in June last year, has been greeted with great critical acclaim:

“A shrewdly selected, well balanced set...unpredictability, edginess and raw energy heard throughout this absorbing set of live performances”. (4 stars)
Jazzwise, (Selwyn Harris), July 2010

Click on the link below to hear a sample of “Chubby Rain” from that CD:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0032HLAHU/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk3
 
You can pay on the door or book tickets in advance:
Non-members click here.
Members click here.
Students click here.