Jazz

Raised in a quiet village in rural Suffolk, Olly went on to study Jazz Piano at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Trinity Laban, graduating with a First Class BMus (Hons) in Jazz and an MMus with Distinction. In 2018, he received the Peter Whittingham Award, which supported the creation of his debut album Scathed Citizens, featuring acclaimed New York saxophonist John O’Gallagher. His latest release, In Those Remote Stars, was featured on BBC 6 Music and hailed as a ‘profound meditation on imagination, rediscovery and the possibility of better worlds’.

In the UK, Olly has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Ronnie Scott’s and Café OTO. International performances include LOFT in Cologne, Donau 115 in Berlin, Schnittpunkte der Musik in Austria and the Festival Internacional Cervantino in Mexico. As a sideman, he has worked with artists including Sam Eastmond, Olivia Murphy, Becca Wilkins, George Garford and Dave Sear.

In 1997 he joined the Bobby Wellins Quartet, the rhythm section of which continues today as the Liam Noble Trio, recently documented on the 2009 CD “BRUBECK”, gaining an almost unprecedented 5 star review in The Guardian.

In 2001, “In The Meantime”, released on Basho Records, explored longer compositional forms and unorthodox improvisational structures, and April 2002 saw a commission from Birmingham Jazz resulting in a song cycle based on Japanese Death Poetry. Noble plays keyboards and samples throughout, marking a new foray into electronica inspired by artists such as Aphex Twin and Arto Lindsay.

In 2004, following a Cheltenham Festival gig the previous year, Liam recorded the acclaimed “Romance Among The Fishes” on Basho Records with guitarist Phil Robson and the New York rhythm section of Drew Gress and Tom Rainey on bass and drums respectively.

Liam’s working relationship has continued with Tom Rainey in the free improv trio, “Sleepthief” with Ingrid Laubrock, with an album released in September 2008, and a second, “The Madness Of Crowds” in 2011. Other frequent collaborators have included Christine Tobin, Paul Clarvis and Julian Siegel. His growing reputation as a free improviser has also resulted in recent performances with Mary Halverson, Marc Ducret, Mat Maneri, Evan Parker, Okkyung Lee and Peter Evans.

In June 2011 he was featured on a recording by Zhenya Strigalev with Larry Grenadier, Tim LeFebvre and Eric Harland. “Brother Face”, an expanded version of his trio with Chris Batchelor and Shabaka Hutchings, looks to expand short form composition into longer arcs. As a kind of summation of the diverse areas in which he works combined with a compositional eye for structure, this new group was highly praised at its premiere performance at the Cheltenham Jazz festival in 2012.

A solo CD, “A Room Somewhere”, released in 2015 on Basho Records, features an eclectic mix of improvisations, as well as versions of music by, amongst others, Edward Elgar, Joe Zawinul, Gillian Welch, Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Liam has also played duo gigs with Dave Liebman and Tim Berne, two highly contrasting giants of jazz who exemplify the chameleon-like tendencies of his collaborations.

Liam holds posts as Lecturer in Jazz at Birmingham Conservatoire and 
Trinity Laban. He has published 4 volumes of transcriptions of the Bill Evans Trio, and a book of original compositions “Jazz Piano; An In Depth Look at the Styles of the Masters”, both published by Hal Leonard.

The output of Cole’s artistic practice manifests through performance, composition and teaching; all informing and reinforcing each other. With a musical language that is informed by and spans across cultures and modalities, Xhosa is a sought after composer in the contemporary classical and improvising industries in the UK. Having been commissioned by the BBC, Symphony Hall, Ideas of Noise Festival and Flatpack Film Festival and Aldeburg Festival Cole is building his own methodology for composition that puts islamic geometry, natural structures/processes, West African rhythms and non-hierarchical orchestration and performance at its center. This unique combination is the foundation of highly invigorating music that has the stability of sacred music structures found in Wester- Harmony and free combustion of Black improvising traditions. Cole’s teachers include John O’gallager, Hans Koller and Pat Thomas, who supported in building an understanding of Western Classical composition from the foundations of Schoenberg’s ‘Fundamentals of Musical Composition’ through to the modalities of Messiaen, Bartok and Thelonious Monk.

The pre-reductionist understanding that the arts are all reflections of the same divine principles has always been at the heart of Xhosa’s outlook on music. His first steps in the arts were through dance and thus he carries a vision that isn’t limited to solely music. To date he has co-directed 3 short films, curated and performed a durational piece at the Midlands Arts Central and worked with several award winning playwrights, poets and visual artists. His inquisitive nature has drawn him to the inner workings, both practically and conceptually, in these fields and continues to imbue his collaborations with increasing creative empathy for those with whom he works.

In 2018 he was the recipient of the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year Award and has since: performed alongside artists including Monty Alexander and Courtney Pine and as a soloist for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales; appeared at the BBC Proms, Cadogan Hall, Birmingham’s Symphony Hall and Ronnie Scotts; and received the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Newcomer, Jazz FM’s Breakthrough act and Peter Whittingham Jazz Award. Last year Xhosa completed a 38 date UK tour with his quartet featuring NYC tap dancer Liberty Styles. To date he’s recorded two studio albums: K(no)w Them, K(no)w Us featuring saxophonist, Soweto Kinch and Pianist, Reuben James and Ibeji, featuring conversations and duets with seven percussionists from the African Diaspora, which explores themes of Brotherhood, Ancestors, Masks, and Codes. As an improviser, Cole’s career has launched into the contemporary classical and free jazz communities into Europe and beyond, working closely with internationally acclaimed artists including Hamid Drake, Elaine Mitchener, Jason Yarde, Mark Sanders. More recently he has been developing connections within the Berlin music communities with Bex Birch, James Banner and Asger Nissan.

Xhosa has the rare trait of having firm roots in tradition paired with an uncompromisable radical vision. His art speaks to an intersectional experience that celebrates the reality of community connection and challenges conventions that inhibit true creative expression.

 

It is the highly gifted Xhosa Cole who is currently making most waves … Cole has the rich expressive range and technical skills that characterise significant soloists.

The Guardian

The 24-year-old tenor saxophonist/composer is a British sensation and proves that he’s here for blood with this release … He’s got technique, talent, artistry and a burning desire that shows throughout the set.

Downbeat

As well as performing and recording with Gary Crosby’s “Nu-Troop” and “Jazz Jamaica”, Tony’s playing has also been a feature of many bands and artists he has worked/recorded with include “US-3” The World Saxophone Quartet, Courtney Pine, Donald Byrd, Eddie Henderson, The David Murray Big Band, Sam Rivers Rivbe Big band, Andrew Hill Big Band, Abdullah Ibrahim, Macy Gray, Julian Joseph Big band, Harry Connick JR, Byron Wallen’s Indigo, Jamaaladeen Tacuma’s Coltrane Configurations and Ornette Coleman.

His fluent and fiery hard-bop style makes him constantly in demand. He currently leads his own Tony Kofi Quartet, Tony Kofi Sphinx Trio, Future Passed Trio and is also the co-founder with Jonathan Gee of the Monk Liberation Front, a group that is dedicated to the music of Thelonious Monk. Tony’s latest project sees him performing with Alex Webb’s Café Society Swing, Arnie Somogyi’s Jump Monk, Larry Bartley’s JustUS Quartet, Larry Bartley Trio featuring Tony Kofi, Adrian Reid Quartet, a double leaders project with Alan Barnes called Aggregation, Orphy Robinson’s Bobby Hutcherson songbook project, Alina Bzhezhinska Hip Harp Collective, Jo Harrop’s Fever, Portrait of Cannonball (Music dedicated to Cannonball Adderley)

Tony Kofi and the Organisation, a recent project which he co leads on the Baritone Saxophone. Currently working with NYJO conducting Monk at the Town Hall.

Winner BBC Jazz Awards 2005 -Album of the Year

Winner, Best Ensemble, Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2005

Winner BBC Jazz Awards 2008 – Best Instrumentalist

Nominee, Mobo Awards 2008

Winner of the Jack Petchey award 2015

Presto Music Award 2020

Awarded an Honorary Professorship Nottingham University 2021

Films: King of Thieves, The Halcyon, The Cat.

Winner, Best instrumentalist Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2022

“Passionate… superb… heartfelt”

The Guardian

“There is so much respect in jazz circles for Tony Kofi.”

Jazzwise

In smaller groups he has played with Gary Husband’s ‘Drive’, Django Bates’ Human Chain, NYC performance artist/violinist Laurie Anderson and pianist/singer-songwriter Steve Nieve, The Smith Quartet, Kirk Lightsey, Norma Winstone, Jason Palmer’s Quartet featuring Jeff Ballard. He is a member of Oren Marshall’s ‘Charming Transport Band’ featuring musicians from Ghana and Nigeria. Julian has also performed with vocalists Cleo Laine, Beverley Knight, Joe Lee Wilson, Liane Carroll, Eddi Reader, Charlene Spiteri, Jacqueline Dankworth, Lizz Wright, Juliet Roberts, Keziah Jones, Terri Walker, Christine Tobin and punk rock legend Steve Ignorant (formerly of Crass).

As well as “K.D.”, Steve cites Art Farmer, Miles Davis and Woody Shaw among his favourite players, but his style is very much his own. Trumpet great Wynton Marsalis recently said about him “Steve has his own style. He plays from the bottom to the top of the horn whilst maintaining the integrity of the chords. I can’t think of another trumpet player that can do what he does.” Legendary Jazz critic Ira Gitler had this to say ‘My question is where has Fishwick been hiding? Hip middle register melodious bebop, but when Steve lights his wick he becomes a flying fish, soaring above the waves, totally in control!’

Steve was born in Manchester along with his identical twin brother, drummer Matt Fishwick, in 1976. They grew up on a diet of big band jazz fed by their parents’ record collection before graduating to the sounds of Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. They entered the then thriving Manchester jazz scene, playing their first professional gigs whilst still in their early ‘teens, with musicians that are now key players in the London and European scene. They left Manchester in 1994 for London to study at the Royal Academy of Music.

Since graduating from the Academy in 1998 with a a Bachelor of Music degree, Steve has played with most leading UK jazz musicians (Sir John Dankworth, the BBC Big Band, Stan Tracey, Peter King and Mike Carr amongst many, many others), many of the leading European musicians such as George Mraz, Dado Moroni, Claus Raibler, Tony Lakatos, the WDR big band and many US musicians such as Anita O’ Day (recording with her on her last album ‘Indestructible!’), Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, Dick Oattes, Peter Erskine, Tim Lefebvre, Eric Harland, Scott Hamilton, Grant Stewart, Ken Peplowski, Herb Geller, Lanny Morgan, Bruce Barth, Richie Cole, Ben Dixon, Bob Cranshaw, Earl May, Lew Soloff, Clifford Jarvis, Ronnie Cuber, Keith Copland, John Riley, Tardo Hammer, Aaron Diehl, Brad Leali and Hod O’ Brien. He won the 2002 British Jazz Awards ‘Rising Star’ prize and in the same year toured the UK with British saxophonist Alan Barnes, substituting the great U.S. trumpeter Conte Candoli who sadly and unexpectedly passed away.

Steve leads many projects often with Welsh saxophonist Osian Roberts with whom he recorded an album in NYC with legendary American pianist Cedar Walton and bass great Peter Washington, released in September 2009.  Their latest project is a sextet featuring Frank Basile, one of the best exponents of baritone saxophone from NYC.  Their first CD ‘When Night Falls’ was released in 2014 and was nominated for a British Jazz Award for best CD of the year.  In total Steve has released seven CDs on the Hard Bop Records label.

In 2014 Steve was invited by Jeremy Pelt to play at the Festival Of New Trumpet Music (founded by Dave Douglas) in New York City.  He performed at Smoke jazz club, Smalls and Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola with Osian Roberts, Matt Fishwick, Jeb Patton and Mike Karn.  Whilst in NYC they also recorded their second sextet CD, ‘…In The Empire State’ which was released in 2016 to much critical acclaim.

Steve can be heard playing the jazz trumpet solos on the soundtrack to the 2010 BAFTA nominated British Movie and Ian Drury Bio-Pic ‘Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll’. He has also recorded for many TV programs and commercials.  His busy performance schedule has taken him all over Europe (France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Spain and Ireland), China and New York on numerous occasions.

Inspired by abstract painters, Charlotte calls her trumpets Sound Brushes, approaching every performance as a living canvas of colour, texture, gesture and emotion. Her work spans solo improvisation, composition, ensemble leadership and large-scale collective Music-making, performed across major international platforms including Jazzfest Berlin, mœrs festival (Germany), Wien Modern (Austria), Festival Internacional Cervantino (Mexico), Ear We Are, JazzChur (Switzerland), Spontaneous Music Festival (Poland) and Free JazzBlazzt (Belgium). A Serious Artist and Take Five alumna, Charlotte has collaborated with leading figures in Jazz and Improvised Music and has been commissioned by Dave Douglas’ Festival of New Trumpet Music. Her acclaimed albums Right Here, Right Now and ALIVE! in the studio have established her as a distinctive voice within the UK and international avant-garde scenes. In 2026, her RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW ensemble began an international tour, opening in Dortmund (Germany) at Parzelle’s Visual Sound Outdoor Festival.

Charlotte’s teaching is rooted in curiosity, deep listening, experimentation and creative risk taking. She believes improvisation is not simply a Musical technique, but a way of thinking, listening and connecting ~ empowering Musicians to trust their instincts, develop their own voice and make meaningful decisions in the moment. Her practice is a belief that music can be transformative in real time; changing how we listen, how we respond, and how we experience ourselves and each other.

As a sideman, he has performed with many leading jazz musicians from across the UK, and the world. Gourlay has held the acoustic bass chair with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Tommy Smith, since 2006. He has also featured prominently with Tommy Smith’s own quartet.

Since 2018 Calum has been a professor of Jazz Bass at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance. He has also taught one to one at the Royal Academy of Music and presented his own big band music with The Guildhall Big Band.

His debut album ‘Live at The Ridgeway’ (2015) received rave reviews from the UK jazz press, not least because of its confident format – a solo, live recording in front of an intimate audience.

In 2019 Calum released his first quartet album ‘New Ears’ on Ubuntu records. In 2020 the album was nominated for both a Scottish Jazz Award and an Ivor Novello Composer Award.

SAHRA has a range of enviable career highlights including performing at; London Jazz Festival, Dimensions, WOMAD, We Out Here as well as receiving co-signs from the likes of; BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, Worldwide and Rinse FM. After a brief hiatus throughout the lockdowns, SAHRA is back for good and her recent single ‘Sorry’ confirms why, gaining support from; COLORS, BBC Introducing, BBC 1’s Victoria Jane, Worldwide FM, The Line Of Best Fit, and Wonderland to name a few. Exuberating mysticism, she is able to express her individuality through stories, commanding attention with her rich and faultless voice.