BTL JAZZ

E15 Jazz Sessions

E15 Jazz Sessions showcase live contemporary jazz from a mix of established international musicians

and bright new talent in Stratford monthly jazz night. 

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DOMINIC HOWLES QUINTET

Friday 24th January  

E15  Jazz Sessions

@Stratford Circus Arts Center 

Doors 7:30 pm - Showtime 8:00 pm

Dominic Howles Quintet

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Gareth Lockrane   -Flutes 

Dave O'Higgins     -Tenor Sax

Nick Tomalin          -Piano

Dominic Howles    -Double Bass

Matt Fishwick        -Drums

Howles’ writing is very much in the hard bop tradition, but his original pieces are all highly effective and his jazz arrangements of outside ‘pop’ material are both intriguing and inventive.

Dominic Howles – double bass, Steve Fishwick – trumpet & flugelhorn, Dave O’Higgins – tenor saxophone, Matt Fishwick – drums, Ross Stanley or Nick Tomalin – piano

Bassist and composer Dominic Howles started his musical career in Bristol playing electric bass in a variety of different bands across a variety of genres including jazz, rock and reggae. His interest in jazz was piqued by seeing Weather Report live at the 1984 Glastonbury Festival with Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clark and Marcus Miller all becoming increasingly influential on a young musician who had previously drawn inspiration from bass players such as Bruce Foxton, Jean Jacques Burnel, Mark King, Larry Graham and Robbie Shakespeare.

Howles’  musical colleagues in Bristol persuaded him to purchase a double bass that had allegedly once belonged to Stanley Clark and Howles subsequently became something of a fixture on the jazz scene around Bristol and Bath. Out of this came the call for him and saxophonist Ben Waghorn to join the then high profile Tommy Chase Quartet and Howles made the move to London in 1990, remaining in the capital ever since. Along the way he obtained a degree from the Jazz Course at the Guildhall School of Music under the tutelage of Pete Churchill and Simon Purcell, graduating in 1992.

The purchase of that double bass obviously acted as a musical turning point and Howles now names Paul Chambers, Oscar Pettiford, Ray Brown, Dave Holland, Wilbur Ware, Sam Jones, Scott La Faro, Christian McBride and Larry Grenadier as his bass heroes.

As a freelance double bassist Howles has played with a wide variety of London based musicians over the course of the last twenty plus years. Among these is Tim Richards, with whom Howles appeared on the pianist’s 2010 trio album “Shapeshifting”, a recording reviewed elsewhere on this site. Howles also played on an earlier Richards trio offering, 2003’s “Twelve By Three”.  In 2015 Howles appeared on “Telegraph Hill”, an album recorded by Richards’ new six piece band Hextet.

BASIL HODGE PIANO TRIO

Friday 14th February

E15  Jazz Sessions

@Stratford Circus Arts Center 

Doors 7:30 pm - Showtime 8:00 pm

Basil’s interest in music and the piano started at junior school. His quest to become a jazz musician started in earnest when he undertook classical training and then private studies with pianist/composer Tim Richards 1986 – 89. He rounded off his training at Goldsmiths College London in 1991.

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His professional career started in the summer of 1993 as a freelance musician and by leading his piano trio. Steadily he rose up the ranks to play with some of the leading UK players such as Jim Mullen, Tony Kofi, Dave O’Higgins, Pete Wareham and RenatoD’Aiello. In November 2003 Basil produced and released his debut CD ‘My Guardian Angel’ featuring his original compositions, which led to a distribution deal with New Note Records. The CD received critical acclaim and airplay.

Basil has been leading his bands (trio, quartet and quintet) since 2000 and he has performed in such venues as Ronnie Scotts, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth and National Theatre Foyers, the Swanage and Ealing Jazz Festivals, The Vortex Jazz Club, The Crypt, Boxford Fleece, Watermills Jazz, The Bonnington Theatre and the Brighton Jazz Club.

His second album ‘Sound Reasoning’ was released in October 2009, distributed by Proper Note Ltd. The CD displays 10 more fresh and exciting originals from Basil’s pen which confirmed his stature as an established composer. ‘Sound Reasoning’ received rave reviews including a 4-star rating from Jack Massarik (Evening Standard). Basil also did a three-year stint – solo piano/piano duos at The Savoy, The Rochester and Claridges hotels.

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Basil appeared on Claire Martin’s Jazz Line Up show (BBC Radio 3) to talk about his new album and musical influences. He also performed a live solo piano piece for the program. Three of the main jazz DJs from Jazz FM, Helen Mayhew, Mike Chadwick, and Sarah Ward have all recently played Basil’s music.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY TRIO

Friday 13th March

E15  Jazz Sessions

@Stratford Circus Arts Center 

Doors 7:30 pm - Showtime 8:00 pm

As part of our celebrations for International Women's Day, Ese Okorodudu, Faye Patton and Michele Drees will be taking the stage for a night of incredible music.
Musician, singer, songwriter and performer Ese's music is inspired by a range of legends, from Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone to Led Zeppelin via The Isley Brothers, Bowie, Prince, Skunk Anansie, and Erykah Badu.
A compelling lyricist as well as singer/multi-instrumentalist, Faye's sound varies from Nu-jazz to blues, soul, and pop, representing a formidable new talent that defies musical boundaries.
Michele is an established drummer, Latin percussionist, vocalist, guitarist, and composer. Active on the music scene for more than 30 years, her music explores the relationship between jazz and tap dancing, and the improvisation and melodic phrases that exist in both art forms.

ESTHER BENNETT & HANNAH HORTON

QUARTET

Friday 17th April

E15  Jazz Sessions 

@Stratford Circus Arts Center 

Doors 7:30 pm - Showtime 8:00 pm

Singer Esther Bennett and Saxophonist Hannah Horton have joined forces to present a fabulous evening of music.
Esther is one of the jazz scene's most highly respected and widely loved vocalists, juxtaposing sensitivity with a sparkly sense of humor. Singing a mixture of jazz standards, originals, and more modern material, she combines an innate sense of musicality with a studied knowledge of the jazz idiom, leaving audiences utterly compelled.
Multi-instrumentalist and arranger Hannah is highly regarded on the London jazz scene, performing in Europe and the USA with her own and other great jazz artists, including Ian Shaw, John Etheridge, Polly Gibbons and more. Known particularly for her baritone playing, she emanates a lively stage presence and enthusiastic approach for improvisation and creativity.
The collaboration between these two artists includes reworkings of contemporary songs, originals, standards, and instrumentals. The quartet also features Terence Collie on piano and Paul Michael on double bass.

SARA DOWLING QUARTET

Friday 15th May
E15  Jazz Sessions 
@Stratford Circus Arts Center 
Doors 7:30 pm - Showtime 8:00 pm

“Sara is now a real force of nature within Uk jazz with surely a great future ahead of her” Jazz Views

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Sara Dowling is a jazz singer who is deeply inspired by the repertoire of the classic American songbook, her most important influences are Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter. And yet, as the clubs who have been booking her regularly in and over the past couple of years – Ronnie Scott’s, the 606 and the Cinnamon Club – have spotted, there really is something different, special and fresh about her. And that she makes audiences want to come back to hear her again. It is not her heritage, although that is unusual:

she was born in Muscat / Oman with Jordanian and Irish parents. Nor is it her first career: as a professional cellist. So what is it? First, the fabulous fearlessness with which she approaches the act of singing. And the burning conviction, the irresistible communicative power and jaw-dropping musicality she brings to it. She trusts her voice and its range of timbre and her ability both to convey the emotion of very slow ballads - or to bring joy as she rip-roars and scats through faster songs. And above all, she makes a wonderful connection both to the music and to the audience. As Guy Barker has said: “Her voice has all the qualities that you find in the great singers.

Sara was voted best vocalist for the British Jazz Awards 2019 and often guests with the Ronnie Scott’s All Star Band.

Ian Shaw said: “Rarely does a jazz singer grace our scene with such breathtaking authenticity and natural flair. Dowling is this thing.” 

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PAUL WESTWOOD

Friday 26th June
E15 Jazz Sessions
@Stratford Circus 
Doors 7:00 pm
Showtime 8:00 pm

Paul Westwood is a British musician, composer, educator, and author based in London, England. 
In the 1970s, Paul trained with The National Youth Jazz Orchestra, The Guildhall School of Music and The Royal Academy of Music, then spent five years touring in over 25 countries with Sir John Dankworth, Dame Cleo Laine, Lulu, and Charles Aznavour. At the age of 24, he returned to England to fulfill his ambition of becoming a session musician in London’s recording studios.  
As a prolific session musician, Paul worked on numerous albums for artists such as David Bowie, Jose Carreras, Larry Coryell, Steve Gadd, Peter Green, Justin Haywood, Hot Chocolate, Elton John, Nik Kershaw, Leiber & Stoller, Andrew Lloyd Webber, London Symphony Orchestra, Madonna, George Martin, George Michael, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Phil Ramone, The Shadows, Wayne Shorter, Vangelis, Andy Williams, John Williams (gtr). 
Paul has performed on many stages internationally for artists such as Sarah Brightman, Elkie Brooks, Michael Crawford, Cliff Richard, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia. Paul also worked on many West End stage productions, including Cats, Chess, Les Miserables, West Side Story, Whistle Down the Wind. 
He has played on many movie/ film soundtracks/TV shows for composers such as John Barry, Carl Davis, Trevor Jones, Michel Legrand, Henry Mancini, Paul McCartney, The Sex Pistols, Debbie Wiseman, Hans Zimmer, George Benson, Chuck Berry, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, Randy Crawford, Gloria Estefan, James Galway, Janet Jackson, Al Jarreau, Tom Jones, Barry Manilow, Luciano Pavarotti, The Pointer Sisters, LeAnn Rimes, Neil Sedaka, The Stylistics, The Temptations, Dionne Warwick, Barry White, Tammy Wynette. 
Since the 1990s, Paul has been teaching electric bass and music composition in various colleges including London College of Music, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and the Royal Academy of Music. He became an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2006. In 2018, Paul was asked to coach the actor Joseph Mazzello, who played the part of Queen’s rock bassist John Deacon in the Academy Award-winning movie Bohemian Rhapsody.