EFG LONDON JAZZ FEST & BOPFEST: STEVE FISHWICK NONET FT. MICHAEL WEISS

This concert will feature music from the classic 1967 McCoy Tyner Blue Note album 'Tender Moments'. In addition, it marks the premiere of new work by Steve Fishwick specially commissioned by BopFest for this year's London Jazz Festival, as a reflection on the original album.

Tyner recorded this album soon after leaving the John Coltrane group and embarking on a solo career. The music certainly contains the influence of Coltrane, however the sound and style is unmistakably Tyner's, forging a music heavily modal in harmonic structure but with more of a hard bop aesthetic, a style that Coltrane had long since abandoned. This music is rarely performed live and the wide range in timbre and colours available from the unusual instrumentation (similar to Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool band) combined with the energy and excellent musicianship of this stellar ensemble promises this to be a memorable concert.

Steve Fishwick is widely considered to be one of the best jazz trumpet players ever to come from the UK, and is rapidly gaining a global reputation thanks to his flawless technique and his beautifully flowing, harmonically rich improvisations. Steve has released seven recordings on the Hard Bop Records label and has worked with most of the leading European jazz musicians as well as leading musicians from USA such as Cedar Walton, Peter Washington and Anita O' Day. In 2014 he performed in NYC as part of Dave Douglas' Festival of New Trumpet, the first band to appear at the festival that was led by a British musician. Joining him will be NYC pianist Michael Weiss who made his reputation in the big leagues of jazz with a long association with jazz legend Johnny Griffin in addition to Art Farmer, George Coleman, Slide Hampton, Tom Harrell and many others.

Trumpet great Wynton Marsalis recently said: "Steve has his own style. He plays from the bottom to the top of the horn whilst maintaining the integrity of the chords. I can't think of another trumpet player that can do what he does."

Legendary Jazz critic Ira Gitler had this to say: 'My question is where has Fishwick been hiding? Hip middle register melodious bebop, but when Steve lights his wick he becomes a flying fish, soaring above the waves, totally in control!'.