Two of the UK!s most acclaimed saxophonists, Denys Baptiste and Tony Kofi, reunite for a dynamic project celebrating one of the most iconic front-line partnerships in jazz history: Julian "Cannonball” Adderley and John Coltrane.
The original LP was while Cannonball and Coltrane while working with Miles Davis. Miles had gone AWOL and Cannonball used the free time to cut a disc with classics including, Limehouse Blues, Stars Fell on Alabama and Grand Central. The album was created in the same year as both Kind of Blue and Giant Steps, two of the most important jazz records in jazz history.
First collaborating in the early !90s as members of Gary Crosby!s influential Nu Troop, Baptiste and Kofi now bring their outstanding musicianship, deep rapport, and commanding stage presence to a fresh tribute honouring the classic Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago recording.
Pre gig menu from Keeley’s Kitchen (please see the Event Info tab for the menu)
Please click the tabs for more information
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 and supper available from 7pm, music 8pm to approx 10pm. Licensed bar. Seating is cabaret style and there is a lift for disabled access.
Pre-gig Menu from Keeley’s Kitchen:
Beef Stroganoff (Thinly sliced beef sauteed and simmered with onions in a rich creamy mushroom sauce served with white & wild rice and fresh parsley)
OR
(v) Mushroom Stroganoff (Sliced mushrooms sauteed and simmered with onions in a rich creamy sauce served with white & wild rice and fresh parsley )
Please note the new seating plan below!
TICKETS
Full Price £20* /Guildford Jazz Members £18
Students £10* / Student Members £8
Meals £15.50
*Ticket price includes £2 temporary membership of Guildford Jazz for this event
By purchasing a ticket, you confirm to Guildford Jazz that you have read, understood and agree to be bound by our terms and conditions which are available here
WHO'S PLAYING?
Denys Baptiste – Tenor Saxophone
Denys Baptiste is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary British jazz. Emerging from the Tomorrow!s Warriors programme in the 1990s, he quickly established himself as a formidable improviser, composer, and bandleader. His early albums earned major acclaim, with nominations for the Mercury Music Prize and wins at the MOBO Awards and British Jazz Awards, marking him as a leading creative force.
Baptiste!s playing combines technical authority with emotional depth, drawing from the Coltrane tradition while forging a personal, contemporary sound. He has collaborated widely across the jazz spectrum—from international greats to groundbreaking UK artists—and is celebrated for projects that blend spiritual jazz, Afro-Caribbean influences, and deeply melodic lyricism. His commanding tone and adventurous approach make him an ideal interpreter of the Coltrane legacy.
Tony Kofi – Alto Saxophone
Tony Kofi is renowned as one of the UK’s finest alto saxophonists, known for his powerful sound, fearless improvisation, and deep-rooted connection to the jazz tradition. A graduate of the legendary Berklee College of Music, he has built an extensive career performing with the likes of the World Saxophone Quartet, Courtney Pine, Abdullah Ibrahim, Branford Marsalis, and many leading UK ensembles.
Kofi has released a string of acclaimed albums, including tributes to Thelonious Monk and Cannonball Adderley, and has been recognised with numerous awards including Best Instrumentalist at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards and multiple wins at the BBC Jazz Awards for his quartet album The Silent Truth. His dynamic stage presence and commitment to musical storytelling place him firmly within the lineage of great post-bop saxophonists—making his partnership with Denys Baptiste both historically aware and electrifyingly fresh.
Bruno Heinen – Piano
Equally at home supporting Lee Konitz or Roy Hargrove at the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club as he is playing with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, Bruno Heinen comes from three generations of classical musicians. Bruno Heinen started playing piano at the age of four and started composing pieces early on. He was introduced to the world of jazz through the music of John Coltrane and Bill Evans by his uncle (jazz pianist Johannes Heinen) in his late teens. His compositional voice has been informed by his love of composers from Duke Ellington to Béla Bartók and from Wayne Shorter to György Ligeti. Professor of jazz piano and composition at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music, Bruno has been described by The Guardian as "eclectic, eccentric and unobtrusively erudite"
Mikele Montolli – Bass
Italian-born bassist Mikele Montolli has become a key figure in London!s contemporary jazz and improvised music community. His warm tone, rhythmic strength, and ability to move seamlessly between groove and abstraction provide a solid yet flexible foundation for the front line.
Winston Clifford – Drums
Winston Clifford is one of the UK!s most in-demand jazz drummers, celebrated for his creativity, responsiveness, and deep swing feel. His intuitive sense of dynamics and interaction ensures that the music remains vibrant, propulsive, and continually evolving.
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.
The car park next to the Pavilion holds about 40 cars (to enable emergency access, cars can only park in the marked bays). Unless it’s very wet, the overflow car park at the far end of the Cricket ground will be open.
To access the overflow car park, 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.
You might prefer to use one of the larger public car parks which are just a few minutes walk away: the open air Mary Road Car Park (GU1 4QU) or multi-storey Bedford Road Car Park (GU1 4SJ)
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 to 5 are sofas or armchairs
Middle tables: Tables 6 to 23 and 31 to 33 are small round 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 with high stools.
Groups: If you have a group of 4 or more please let us know and we will try to seat you together