The Joy Of Sax

An exceptionally gifted composer, Mercury/MOBO award-winning saxophone colossus Denys Baptiste is adept at drawing audiences in and taking them on enthralling musical journeys. Melodic, free-flowing, contemporary compositions emerge from the continuous metamorphosis of the artist's thoughts providing the perfect setting for the fiery solo improvisations, and tight ensemble playing of this formidable, highly intuitive band.

Born in London of St Lucian parents in 1969, Denys, whose talent could be viewed as God-given, took his first lessons in music at the age of 13. At the age of 14 he began to play tenor sax. His introduction to jazz came from videos of Morrisey-Mullen and from listening to recordings by Charles Mingus and Count Basie.

After several years of study and gigging he joined Gary Crosby's Nu Troop as the tenor saxophonist after attending an open jam session organized by Tomorrow's Warriors. In 1993 Denys joined the Jazz Warriors.

Since then he has toured the UK with Bheki Mseleku, Julian Joseph, Jason Rebello, Omar, and Orphy amongst others and has recorded with artists as diverse as Incognito, Jazz Jamaica, Ernest Ranglin, Gregory Isaacs, Juliet Roberts, Montage, and J-Life.

With such an illustrious Denys has secured his place in a distinguished line of African and African-Caribbean musicians crucial to the evolution of British jazz since the 1950s.

Here the tenor/soprano returns to classic quartet format, presenting a new set which is by far his most progressive to date and yet which remains entirely accessible, referencing the many cultural impressions and expressions of Europe, North America and the Caribbean which have come to define him. Featuring Andrew McCormack (piano); Gary Crosby (double bass) and Rod Youngs on drums.

See the Denys Baptiste Quarter on Sat 6 March at Lakeside Theatre, University of Essex, Colchester at 8.30pm. Adm: £10, conc £7 Info: 01206 573948 / www.essex.ac.uk/artson5

Weis Is Great

"Isn't she great! Now there's a vocalist," said Michael Bublé of singer songwriter of Tammy Weis who launches her latest album at Ronnie Scott's just days before she takes to the stage at The Kenton Theatre, Henley-on-Thames this month.

The singer, who turned her back on a promising singing career in her native Canada to make it on the London scene, comes from a fifth generation musician with country roots. Influenced in her early years by great singers like Tammy Wynette (after whom she is named by her mother who loved the country singer) and Bonnie Raitt, gives her voice an original 'edge' not common in many jazz performers to-date.

"I was first influenced by jazz about eight or nine years ago when I heard a version of Sarah Vaughan singing 'Over the Rainbow'," said Tammy, whose love of Vaughan and Peggy Lee can be heard in her subtle intonations and inflections. "I had grown up with country music, rock and pop in a small town, so jazz was a really big thing with me. At that point I really started researching and listening and because Sarah Vaughan's voice was so incredible I thought, 'wait a minute, I want to do that'!"

But she more or less gave up thinking about singing as a vocation in her twenties and settled into a "normal" career in sales and marketing. It was her mum's sudden death from a heart attack in 1994 that turned her priorities around.

"When my mum passed away it was like, 'life is too short, what do you really want to do?'" she says.

Whilst going through her mum's possessions Tammy discovered a handwritten songbook of all the songs her mum, a country singer in her own right, liked. Tammy decided to do the album her mother would have liked to record, but giving everything a jazz treatment: From Everly Brothers, Carpenters and Ray Charles through to Gershwin.

Recorded in Vancouver with Canadian jazz musicians, this became her debut album Legacy (later issued in the UK on 33 Records).

The album proved a hit in Canada, with national media attention, great gigs and major Canadian jazz festival appearances, but Tammy then upped sticks to settle in London. "I just wanted to be challenged more," she said.

Recent highlights in Weis' career include collaborations and appearances with Jamie Cullum at the Jazz Cafe, with Bobby McFerrin at the Royal Albert Hall, with Ian Shaw and Lianne Carroll at the Royal Opera House and singing opposite Curtis Stigers at Ronnie Scott's.

Composer/pianist and BBC Radio 3 Jazz presenter, Julian Joseph calls her, "A master of the ballad".

Joining Weis at her forthcoming gig is a quartet drawn from the cream of the UK Jazz Scene. At the core is pianist Tom Cawley - with whom Tammy co-wrote most of the tracks on her new album and highly respected for his work with Curios and the influential Acoustic Ladyland.

Alongside Cawley is the brilliantly vibrant guitarist Al Cherry, described as, "A genius at creating the right setting"; bassist Arnie Somogyi - one of the busiest players around with appearances on over 30 albums; and superb drummer Seb de Krom, Jamie Cullum's main rhythm man for several years.

See Tammy Weis on Sunday 28 Feb at The Kenton Theatre New Street Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 2BP. 3pm. Adm: £12. Info: 01491 575698 or www.kentontheatre.co.uk.

JAZZ on the THAMES

Sun 25 April
JOHN ETHERIDGE'S SWEET CHORUS
The Guitarist performs with Christian Garrick on Violin. Venue: The Kenton Theatre New Street Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 2BP. 3pm. Info: 01491 575698 or www.kentontheatre.co.uk.

Sun 23 May
MARK LOCKHEART'S IN DEEP
Give these unique Sunday Afternoon Jazz Sessions by the River Thames your fullest support - it's a 'grand day out' with a beer and perhaps a local lunch in idyllic waterside Henley setting! Keep up to date with Local Jazz on the Concert Jazz Forum Calendar below. Venue: The Kenton Theatre New Street Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 2BP. 3pm. Info: 01491 575698 or www.kentontheatre.co.uk.