A
gig
on Sunday 12th June. The event starts at 20:00.
The KEVIN FIGES Quartet ~ at The BEAR, Hotwells Rd
Sunday 12 June Jazz £10/£8
Kevin Figes (Saxes, Flute), Jim Blomfield (Piano, keys), Riaan Vosloo(Bass), Tim Giles (Drums)
Kevin and the band are on a short tour supported by Jazz Services and have Riaan and Tim coming down from London to join forces with Kevin and the inimitable Jim Blomfield at the piano. We'll be trying a slightly different set up tonight and hope you will enjoy it.
Kevin especially has developed super fast in the last five or six years, seemingly after picking up a broader range of instruments such as Baritone Sax and Flute. The understanding of these instruments against his usual Alto Sax seems to have given him a real burst of energy and lent a sharp upward curve to his playing and his excellent compositional work.
Kevin began playing the sax in 1986 at the age of 22, studying with Elton Dean in London. In the early 1990's he moved to Bristol and began playing with Keith Tippett's Seedbed Orchestra.
Turning professional he formed his own jazz quartet, which he also wrote for and played many local gigs. In 1993 he won a touring award, which took the band to London and Birmingham. In 1997 the band won a Jazz Services touring award and a lottery award to produce a CD for which he wrote a new batch of tunes.
Alongside this he studied classical saxophone under Will Gregory and then a diploma from the Guildhall.
From 1996 to 1999 he played, wrote and later managed the contemporary big band Ultrasound, producing two CDs and playing in QEH (London), Bracknell and Plymouth festivals.
From 1998-2003 he played with Brazilian music combo Sirius B, recording two CD's and touring including Jazz cafe (London), Montreux Jazz Festival, and many other major European venues.
In 2001, with guidance from his teacher Tim Garland, he attended the Guildhall postgraduate jazz diploma year.
During the course he was asked to join Keith Tippett's big band Tapestry for tours of Canada and Portugal, and later in 2004 a Norwich festival performance with the Apollo Saxophone Quartet and the BBC Singers, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
After the course in London he reformed his quartet, wrote some new material and began playing in venues around the country including Glastonbury festival.
He was also busy on the local scene with pianist Jim Blomfield (Septimbre and Latin Perspective) and Andy Hague (Silverado)
As well as jazz his other passion is Brazilian music (which he plays mainly on flute) with Quarteto Bossa.
In 2006 he toured Wales with the Wales Jazz Composers Orchestra (featuring Huw Warren), for which he contributed a piece.
Other highlights in'07 were playing with John Critchinson, the big bands of Dave Stapleton and Andy Hague and performing a great new piece by Keith Tippett in the Colston Hall.
In 2008 Kevin played with the Dave Stapleton Quintet at the Pizza Express (London) and Cheltenham and Coventry jazz festivals. The Quintet's CD was released on Edition records and receiving good reviews.
Forming the'Groovy Thing' with Mike Willox is a more recent project, as was performing Messian's'Quartet for the end of time' with Jim Blomfield and the Emerald Ensemble at the Colston Hall.
The first performance in Bristol of'Resonation' a 15-piece big band for which Kevin wrote and arranged 3 pieces
Things to look forward to: The new CD'Hometime' released early 2011 on Pig records which they are touring to promote.
A promising night of high class jazz in prospect especially with Kevin and Jim carving out the tunes.