HIS & HERS QUINTET

"Husband and wife in Swinging, straight ahead jazz

with internationally renowned musicians."

His’n’Hers pits Mr and Mrs O’Higgins against each other apparently in the manner of the movie, Mr & Mrs Smith… In reality this is in the good-humoured tradition of the great Johnny Griffin - Eddie Lockjaw Davis group, with some of the best arrangements borrowed from that repertoire, too! Although the two tenors were of different temperaments both musically and emotionally their ideas complemented and enhanced one another. To say it in the words of Eddie Lockjaw Davis: “What we are doing is presenting, side by side, two different styles of playing tenor—a contrast, not a contest.” Expect swinging straight ahead tough tenors in the time-honoured tradition.

Originated in the south of Norway several years ago, the band has transformed from a couple of cute boys playing music they didn't know how to play to young adults entertaining people all over the UK and Scandinavia. The band has performed at all from speakeasy clubs, cocktail bars and jazz clubs to big events, festivals and as street musicians. After some of the members moved over to London to get their master degrees the band has also started performing all over London. Where to afterwards? New Orleans. 

DAVE O’HIGGINS - TENOR SAXOPHONE

JUDITH O’HIGGINS - TENOR SAXOPHONE

ROB BARRON - PIANO

GEOFF GASCOYNE - DOUBLE BASS

SEBASTIAAN DE KROM - DRUMS

Dave O’Higgins (tenor sax) - Ttwice winner of Best Tenor Sax at the British Jazz Awards. Dave is one of the most prolific and creative jazz musicians the UK has ever produced, with 18 albums released as leader since 1993. Much of the material has been original compositions and arrangements, with lineups from small group to big band, acoustic and electric. Having studied music at The City University in London, Dave’s first big breaks were with John Dankworth and Cleo Laine, and Icelandic jazz-funk band, Mezzoforte.

Some of the artists Dave has worked with include:
Roadside Picnic, Jason Rebello (produced by Wayne Shorter), Joey Calderazzo, Joe Locke, Dave Kikoski, Eddie Gomez, Adam Nussbaum, John Dankworth & Cleo Laine, Frank Sinatra, Kyle Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Chico Chagas, Itchy Fingers, Martin Taylor, Jim Mullen, Stan Tracey, BBC Big Band, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra, Eric Alexander, Phil Dwyer, Grant Stewart, Brubecks Play Brubeck, Darius Brubeck Quartet, Jimmy Smith and Ray Charles.

Judith O’Higgins (tenor sax) - Judith is a forensic pathologist, saxophonist and author. Her autobiography/popular science book “Spuren des Todes”, was published by Fischer Verlag in 2013. Judith’s career bears analogy to saxophonist Oliver Nelson, who spent some time in mortuaries as an embalmer and taxidermist before pursuing a full-time career in music. 

Judith produced and played on the critically acclaimed Abstract Truth Big Band recording made under the direction of Jörg Achim Keller at the famous Abbey Road Studio in 2015, and is also part of the group Barnes/O’Higgins and the Sax Section. Described by various internationally renowned saxophonists as evoking the feel of Dexter Gordon and sound of Clifford Jordan, Judith is undoubtedly the best forensic pathologist jazz saxophonist living in London!

 

Geoff Gascoyne (Double Bass) one of the UK's most in demand bass player/composer/arranger/producer/ educators. In a 25 year career he has performed and recorded with Michel Legrand, Georgie Fame, Sting, Van Morrison, Bill Bruford, Peter King, Benny Golson and Jamie Cullum, with whom he was bassist, MD and arranger for 7 years. Geoff has also released 8 CDs as a band leader, produced albums by Jacqui Dankworth and Josh Kyle and teaches at LCCM. Geoff has just released his first iPhone application, Jazz Session Band, a loop based jazz play-along. 

Sebastiaan de Krom (Drums) studied at Berklee School of Music and lives between London & Belgium. He was with Jamie Cullum at the same time as Geoff and there they struck a terrific rapport. He tours with Ray Gelato and is one of the most in demand jazz drummers in Europe. 

Rob Barron (Piano) is considered as one of the finest jazz musicians in Bebop music with regular appearences in the legendary Ronnie Scotts and Jazz Festivals. Drawing influences from the classic groups of the period such as the Wes Montgomery and George Shearing Quartets and more modern groups such as the Peter Bernstein/Mike Ledonne Quartet, Rob plays new exciting arrangements of timeless popular songs from Rodgers and Hart to Stevie Wonder as well as original compositions.

“O’Higgins plays with quite exceptional fluency and his fund of ideas never runs out.”
The Observer

“Patient and cinematic. The trio are really sitting in a beautiful space that is
vast and full of colour.”
The Guardian

“A stunning player in the neo-bop vein, with an apparently effortless flow of coherent ideas,
beautiful time and a highly developed harmonic sense.”
Jazz Guide

OTHER INFORMATION

GENRES: JAZZ

TICKETS: EARLY BIRD TICKETS £10 | AT THE DOOR £15

SEATING IS UN-ALLOCATED AND IS SUBJECT TO 1ST COME, 1ST SERVED BASIS

 

ONLY BAR FOOD & DRINKS AVAILABLE IN JAZZ CLUB

À LA CARTE DINING AVAILABLE IN THE MAIN RESTAURANT PRIOR TO SHOW

PLEASE ALLOW UP TO 2 HOURS FOR DINNER RESERVATIONS.