Xhosa Cole, winner of the BBC Young Jazz Musician 2018, brings together an all-star quartet featuring some of finest talent based in the UK. Alongside fellow finalist and bass player James Owston, powerhouse drummer Jim Bashford and Canadian trumpet virtuoso Jay Phelps, this band embodies the spirit of the Bebop and Hard bop greats.
With a repertoire inspired by the great music of Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown and Gigi Gryce this band lights up the stage with all the charisma, passion, edge, chemistry and spontaneity reminiscent of this great era. They will feature classic arrangements, contemporary takes on standards as well as original works from members of the band.
Handsworth born Xhosa is an embodiment of the success of numerous community arts programmes in Birmingham. He first played tenor at Ladywood Community Music School and subsequently performed with the Jazzlines Ensemble, Birmingham Schools Symphony Orchestra, Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra amongst others. While studying at Bishop Vesey’s Sixth Form Xhosa attended courses with the National Youth Jazz Collective and National Youth Wind Orchestra.
Xhosa performs regularly around Birmingham; writing for commissions by the Ideas of Noise Festival and Bobbie-Jane Gardener’s ‘For-Wards’ and teaching Birmingham’s next generation of talent.
He made his London debut in June 2019 at the London Saxophone Festival and also headlined the Love Supreme Festival.
Jazz legend Iain Bellamy, one of the judges at the 2018 BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year competition, wrote of Xhosa’s performance, ‘So heartfelt, sincere and communicative that it’s easy to see he has a deep and genuine love of the tradition that gave us such a convincing performance.
- : Progress Theatre
when & where
- Jan 31, 2020, 19:30 Jan 31, 2020,22:00
The Mount, Christchurch Road, Reading RG1 5HL.
about Jazz in Reading
ticket information
- £16.00 (£14.00 concessions) plus max 5% booking fee from www.jazzinreading.com