A
gig
on Sunday 6th April. The event starts at 20:00.
Jean Toussaint Quartet
£14/£12 (OAP's/students) Jazz
Sunday 6 April
Since Toussaint left Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the mid eighties, He hasn't looked back. Nor has he spent a career trying to repeat the past. The experiences gained in that world-class hothouse have enabled him to push forward and embrace challenging, and often high profile, musical collaborations in many different jazz styles. Today he works out of London as a composer, tenor/soprano saxophonist, bandleader and highly regarded jazz educator.
Born in the Caribbean, Toussaint attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston along with future jazz stars Branford Marsalis, Greg Osby, Kevin Eubanks, Jeff Watts, Donald Harrison and many others. While residing in New York after joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers Toussaint regularly led the jam sessions at the famous Blue Note Jazz club.
Invited to teach at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Toussaint came to London in 1987 and still uses the capital as his base. Since moving to London he has, led his own bands and various projects, released ten CDs as a leader and guested on many more. Collaborations with musicians based in the UK have included Bheki Mseleku, Julian Joseph, Jason Rebello, Cleveland Watkiss.
Toussaint is also often invited to join tours with US musicians visiting Europe and most recently was on tour with pianist Cedar Walton and Donald Brown, trumpeter Eddie Henderson and an extensive tour of Europe the Middle East and New York with the great Jeff Watts.
... Toussaint displays a beautiful incisive tone that you can only compare to liquid crystal... ~ Time Out
...brilliance, wit, verve and memorable, elegant sax lines... ~ The New York Times