This festival I’m looking forward to playing a rare gig with my long-time friend, the unique and highly distinctive saxophonist, Steve Williamson as part of a Tomorrow’s Warriors Takeover at The Cockpit, London. We’re being hosted by JazzFM presenter, Jez Nelson – also a great friend – who has put on an extra date in his Jazz In The Round season to mark almost 25 years of Tomorrow’s Warriors, the programme I founded all those years ago with my partner, Janine. Also on the bill are Tomorrow’s Warriors String Ting (a young string quartet I’m supporting) and the Tomorrow’s Warriors Youth Orchestra conducted by Binker Golding.
I did an interview with Jez for his programme, Somethin’ Else broadcast on JazzFM on Saturday 13 November. We talked about some of the great jazz musicians that have graduated from the Tomorrow’s Warriors programme and, of course, my forthcoming set with Steve. Have to say, I was surprised, actually very humbled, to be described by Jez earlier in the show as ‘one of the most important people on the British jazz scene ever’! Hmmmm, anyway, he played some tracks from back in the day by several of the Tomorrow’s Warriors alumni, all of which still sound great today.
If you missed the interview, you can ‘listen again’ here – the interview kicks off at 0:55:25 with Jez playing Gorée Island, a piece I wrote for my band, Nu Troop on the album, Migrations (DUNECD01)…lots of fond memories working with a great bunch of musicians. Must root out the CD and give it another spin!
You can catch Steve and me, and lots of musicians from the Tomorrow’s Warriors community at The Cockpit on Saturday 19 November at 8pm. Hope you can make it, and enjoy the rest of the festival!
gary crosby 