Tickets: www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-be-bop-club

Nye Banfield - tenor sax, Nick Manz - piano, Shiv Singh - bass, Charlie Hutchinson - drums

Hailing from rural Leicestershire with Welsh roots, Nye Banfield is a distinctly creative saxophonist and composer. Now based in Birmingham after a 9 year stint in South London, Nye is embracing the challenge of forming the next part of his artistic career in a new scene. 

A graduate of Trinity Laban, Nye combines influences from jazz icons Wayne Shorter, Ambrose Akinmusire, and mentor Mark Lockheart, as well as wider sources of inspiration from the pastoral works of Vaughan Williams to song writing of the likes of Thom Yorke, Damon Albarn and Paul McCartney. 

Nye’s tenor sound, a focus of his over the last 10 years, is earthy, broad and incredibly expressive, providing a focal point to his band’s combined timbre. Described by Jazzwise as ‘an important emerging voice’, with a ‘big sound’, Nye takes you on a vivid journey of richly textured composition and lyrical improvisation. 

‘Trails and Traces’, the title of Nye’s debut album, released on vinyl in 2024 received critical acclaim from Jazzwise Magazine - "a long awaited and richly rewarding debut." Featuring Banger Factory leader Mark Kavuma on trumpet, the performances from the sextet are richly diverse in influences. An infusion of flavours from 60s Blue Note records, 90s Radiohead, 20th century classical music and contemporary New York Jazz combine to create an intensely gripping sound. 

This will be Nye’s first appearance at The Be-Bop Club. For this outing the band features a young and incredibly exciting talent Nick Manz on piano - a recent graduate of Birmingham Conservatoire; Charlie Hutchinson on drums - an undeniably musical and organic drummer who came through the Trinity Laban course alongside Nye; and Shiv Singh on double bass - an ever-present on the Birmingham Jazz scene, and an other product of Birmingham Conservatoire. Together, this group creates a gripping and intense experience that rips up the rule books and speaks from a combined beating heart.

The set will feature a selection of Nye’s compositions from ‘Trails and Traces’, as well as brand new work in preparation for the recording of his second album, and some arrangements of classic standards, folk songs and pop songs.

Entry requirements: no age restrictions (under 18s to be accompanied by an adult over 21yrs, 1:1 ratio) — Read more — Read less