One of the finest UK tenor saxophonists to emerge in recent years, Denys Baptiste is our guest on Tuesday 24 February.
A graduate of Tomorrow's Warriors, Denys plays tenor and soprano saxophones, in addition to composing.
A local lad, he was born to St Lucian parents in Hounslow in 1969. Studying music at school from the age of 13, he went on to attend the West London Institute of Higher Education (now integrated into Brunel University) in 1990, then in 1992 continued his music education at the Guildhall School of Music, studying under Jean Toussaint.
After playing with Gary Crosby in Nu Troop, in 1999 he released his debut album Be Where You Are, which was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize and won that year's MOBO award for Best Jazz Act. His third album Let Freedom Ring! (2004) was nominated for the MOBO award for Best Jazz Act, the BBC Jazz Awards for Best New Work and Best Album, and the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Album.
As a soloist, Baptiste has recorded and played with many prominent international musicians, including McCoy Tyner, Ernest Ranglin, Bheki Mseleku, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Courtney Pine, Manu Dibango, Steve Williamson, Julian Joseph, Jason Rebello, Marlena Shaw and Jazz Jamaica.
Nick Dawson - piano/vocals
Alex Clarke - saxophone
Vasilis Xenopoulos - saxophone
Simon Spillett - saxophone
Michael McQuaid - multi-instrumentalist
Laurence Cottle - bass guitar
Denys Baptiste - saxophone
Tom Ward - piano
NO MEETING
Steve Taylor - drums
MINI GIG - Euan Stevenson Trio