TIME: 8.00 – 11.00PM

TICKETS: £12

PERSONNEL

Alex Clarke – sax
Eddie Gripper- piano
tbc – bass
tbc – drums

Alex Clarke returns to the East Side but this time teaming up with rising piano star Eddie Gripper

After a short stint of gigs in 2023, the quartet reunites for a swift, heavy hitting UK tour of hard-bop and straight-ahead swing. The quartet explores music from the likes of Wayne Shorter, Kenny Garrett and Cannonball Adderley, as well as choice original compositions inspired by the Great American Songbook.

Having “already garnered comparisons with the greats” (Jazzwise) after the release of his debut album ‘Home’, Eddie Gripper has been rapidly establishing himself as another young contender on the national jazz circuit. He has worked as a performer, promoter and producer alongside top musicians in his field, including Huw Warren, Iain Ballamy, Laura Jurd, Alex Merritt and Yuri Golubev. As a composer, he has collaborated with Welsh folk artist Angharad Jenkins in a handful of projects, exploring the various aspects of folk, jazz and contemporary classical traditions.

Alex is known to be one of the most in-demand and versatile saxophonists to have emerged on the UK jazz scene. A finalist in the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2020 and winner of the Rising Star category in the 2019 British Jazz Awards, she was also a nominee in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2021 & 2022. Praised for her intelligent ear for harmony and a deep knowledge of repertoire across a broad spectrum of styles, Alex’s sound is steeped in the tradition of bebop, “leaving the listener captivated by every phrase and nuance” (Jazz Views).

Her respect for the heritage of the music can be heard in a melodic and fiercely swinging approach reminiscent of Phil Woods, Cannonball Adderley and Vincent Herring.
In summer 2022, Alex released her latest quartet album “Only A Year” on Stray Horn Records, featuring some of the UK’s finest musicians: David Newton, Dave Green and Clark Tracey. This led to two sell-out tours in in 2023 across renowned UK jazz clubs and festivals such as Southport & Scarborough.
As well as working as a bandleader, Alex performs alongside many notable names such as Alan Barnes, Mark Nightingale and Dave O’Higgins, and regularly works with big bands such as The Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra and The Simon Spillett Big Band. She is also a member of The Clark Tracey Quintet, who have an upcoming CD release and tour in Spring 2024.
As an educator, Alex has worked at Warwick School for three years, as well as tutoring on workshops and Summer Schools for organisations such as AB Workshops and the National Youth Jazz Collective.

Quotes about Eddie Gripper

Brecon Jazz Club (13/06/23)
“Gripper’s original material was thoroughly convincing in the live environment and the trio’s imaginative treatment of their chosen standards was also genuinely impressive” – The JazzMann (★★★★)
London Launch Party @ Pizza Express, Soho (20/08/23)
“Rising piano talent Eddie Gripper gets Soho swinging with album launch” – – Tom Spargo (Jazzwise)
Black Mountain Jazz – Wall2Wall festival (29/09/23) – “He’s an articulate, intelligent and informative communicator and the very real and personal inspirations behind his compositions resonate with audiences.” – The JazzMann (★★★★)
“A composer of refreshing originality but with roots deeply embedded in the post-modern jazz piano tradition” – Nigel Jarrett (Wales Art Review)

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