Saxophonist, composer and ECM recording artist, is recognised as “a major international voice” (The Times) and listed in the BBC publication ‘100 Jazz Greats’.
His many career highlights include: Hermeto Pascoal, Loose Tubes, Bill Bruford’s Earthworks, Carla Bley, Cedar Walton, Claire Martin, John Dankworth, Ian Shaw, June Tabor and 'Concerto for Stan Getz’ by Richard Rodney Bennett with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Iain’s remarkable new ‘IBQT’ quartet features uniquely original pianist Rebecca Nash, the soulful Danish bassist Henrik Jensen and a world renowned drummer Jeremy Stacey. Ballamy’s concert repertoire covers great range from new original works, some choice classics and also some unexpected re-workings of the songs that inspired his musical journey.
Line Up: Iain Ballamy – tenor sax, Rebecca Nash – piano, Henrik Jensen – bass & Jeremy Stacey – drums
“Ballamy...leaves you in absolute awe…the sheer virtuosity and sense of joy makes you feel like a kid about to step onto a twinkling, old-fashioned merry-go-round” - BBC
With pre gig menu from Mandira’s Kitchen
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT, SORRY
EVENT INFO
The performance is upstairs in Guildford Pavilion, The Sports Ground, Woodbridge Road, Guildford GU1 4RP
Please note there are no physical tickets, just give your name on the door when you arrive. There’ll be seating reserved for you.
Doors open from 7pm, supper served from 7.15pm, and the performance starts at 8pm. There will be an interval and there is a licensed bar. Seating is cabaret style and there is a lift for disabled access.
Pre-gig “Boogie Biriyani” Menu from Mandira’s Kitchen:
Pea Patties (with tamarind chutney)
Chicken or Vegetable Biriyani
With raita and poppadums
If you have any questions please contact us by emailing info@guildfordjazz.org.uk
TICKETS
Full Price £20 /Guildford Jazz members £18
Students £7 / Student Members £5
Meals £13
WHO'S PLAYING?
IAIN BALLAMY
Touring extensively worldwide he has appeared at most international festivals and venues. Iain can be heard on over 40 CDs. A long-time collaborator with Django Bates, since the days of Loose Tubes and Bill Bruford's Earthworks he is currently a member of Django's Human Chain and Delightful Precipice.
Parallel to his international jazz career, Ballamy has pursued his interest in world music, playing concerts in India and Europe with the Karnataka College of Percussion. He has performed and forged strong working relationships with renowned musicians from Hungary, Norway, Spain, Sudan, Brazil and beyond.
Combined arts projects include tours with contemporary Indian dance group Sankalpam and an acclaimed role as 'Steve the prat' in Simon Black's stage play Out There (UK tour, 1995–6). His distinctive saxophone voice can be heard in his improvisations for the BBC Radio 4 play Signal to Noise by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, the movie Legend and a documentary Joseph Losey - the Man with Four Names. Ballamy scored the award winning film Mirrormask directed by Dave McKean for the Jim Henson company.
Ballamy's wide ranging musical interests add depth and creativity to his music which can be clearly heard on Veggie and Last Supper release by Rune Gramafon (featuring Norwegians Arve Henriksen, Mats Eilertsen and Thomas Stronen).
Ballamy is an agony uncle for jazz UK magazine with his column ‘In the saxophonist’s chair’. In 2001 he was awarded the BBC Radio 3 special award for innovation at the British Jazz awards.
REBECCA NASH - PIANO
Having firmly established herself as a pianist withing the UK, Rebecca Nash is now garnering an international reputation for her distinctive sound, full of artistry and heart.
Redefining Element 78 (Whirlwind Recordings) was commissioned by Bristol Jazz Festival and is Rebecca’s latest project and follow-up album to Peaceful King (Whirlwind Recordings). It presents a new compositional voice of increasing clarity. Distilling elements of her previous album and fusing them together with classical influences such as late Scriabin, Debussy, and Bartok along with free improvisation and post tonal approaches, this music is an exciting new departure.
Rebecca also works closely with singer-songwriter Sara Colman; the pair are currently preparing to release a joint album on Stoney Lane Records entitled Ribbons. She also regularly collaborates with trumpeter/producer Nick Walters with whom she hatched a new band in lockdown called Sarsen Drift. They will be releasing on Dear Old Thing Records in due course.
Musical highlights include: the EFG London Jazz Festival, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, We Out Here Festival, The World Economic Forum, Love Supreme Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival, and Ronnie Scott’s amongst others. Rebecca recently gave a broadcast for BBC Radio 3’s J to Z, as well as a solo performance at Turner Sims for International Women’s Day.
Rebecca regularly works as an educator for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, THSH’s B:Music, National Youth Jazz Collective, Earthsong Flagship Programme, and Cheltenham Festivals. She has also worked as a visiting tutor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
“The clarity of this creative voice that unifies the project marks her out as one to watch both as a composer and musician” ★★★★ JAZZWISE, UK
HENRIK JENSEN - BASS
Henrik Jensen came to London from Denmark in 1997 to study electric bass at The Musicians Institute. He later transitioned to the double bass and studied at the Royal Academy of Music on the Under-Graduate Jazz course.
Jensen leads his own quartet Henrik Jensen's ‘Followed By Thirteen’ which he founded in 2010. The group released their 3rd album 'Affinty' in 2020, which features Rory Simmons-trumpet, Esben Tjalve-piano, and Pete Ibbetson-drums. 'Affinty' has received some outstanding reviews including the Guardian and the Evening Standard.
Henrik Jensen has worked all over world from the Blue Note in Tokyo to concert halls in Moscow while still keeping busy on the London jazz scene.
Jensen has a close working relationship with saxophonist Peter Ehwald from Berlin, they recorded in 2008 the album Songs Of Trees with 'The North Trio' on 33 Jazz and in 2011 the duo album Jensen/Ehwald, recorded in the Union Chapel (London) He has continued to contribute to a great many other projects with artists such as Michael Blake, Elizabeth Shepherd, Hannes Riepler, Gene Calderazzo and Billy Jenkins. Henrik also plays in the 'New Simplicity Trio' lead by Italian drummer Antonio Fusco and UK pianist Bruno Heinen, and they released their debut album 'Common Spaces on BABEL in June 2017.
JEREMY STACeY - DRUMS
As one of the UK’s top session drummers Jeremy Stacey’s long lasting career has filled his CV with some of the biggest names in the music business. Over the yEars he has recorded, gigged and/or toured with the likes of Ryan Adams, Sheryl Crow, Steve Wilson, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Neil Diamond, Tom Jones, Ethan Johns, Eric Clapton, Paul Young, Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow, Sia, Zero 7, The Finn Bros, Chris Robinson’s New Earth Mud, Jason Rebello, Echo and the Bunnymen, Madeleine Peyroux, and many, many more!
DIRECTIONS
The performance is upstairs in the Pavilion building at the Guildford County Cricket Club, The Sports Ground, Woodbridge Road, Guildford GU1 4RP
For sat navs please check the postcode takes you to Wharf Road. There’s a car park alongside, entry from Wharf Road. If you’re approaching from Guildford town centre, Wharf Road is on the left just before the Sports Ground. If you’re approaching from the A3/Ladymead there’s no right turn into Wharf Road, but continue to the next roundabout to double back.
If the car park’s full (please only park in marked bays to leave room for emergency access), there are a few parking bays along Wharf Road which you can use after 7pm, also along the Woodbridge Road on the left as you come from the Town centre.
The overflow car park at the far end of the cricket pitch will also be open unless it’s very wet. Turn left as you come out of Wharf Road and carry on along Woodbridge Road towards the railway bridge, and the entrance to the ground is just before the end of the green fence that runs along the perimeter of the ground, next to the Woodbridge Café.
There’s also a larger public car park at the open air Mary Road Car Park (GU1 4QU) or multi-storey Bedford Road Car Park (GU1 4SJ), which is about 10 minutes walk away.
SEATING
Seating is either in front row settees/armchairs, central round tables, or rear high chairs/tables. Seats will be reserved for you when you book. If you’re a Guildford Jazz member, please let us know if you have a seating preference in on the booking form. Notes on the layout:
Front row: Seats 1, 3 and 4 are 3-seater settees, and seats 2 and 5 are pairs of armchairs.
Middle tables: Tables 6 to 23 and 32 are small tables , each seating 4 (for bookings of 1 or 2 seats, we’ll seat you at a table with others, please let us know if you have friends coming who you’d like to sit with!).
Rear tables: Tables 24 to 29 are tall tables suitable for 2 people, with high stools.
Tables 30 and 31 are lower square tables seating 3 or can be put togther for a group of 8
Groups: Table 33 is suitable for a large group of 8 (or a cozy 10!)