Matt Wates Trio

Described by the late John Dankworth as 'an incredibly talented musician and composer', alto sax player Matt Wates was born in London in 1964 and graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1988. He has appeared with Bucky Pizzarelli, John Colianni, Humphrey Lyttelton, Georges Arvanitas, Helen Shapiro, Don Weller, Bobby Wellins, Dusko Goykovich, Duncan Lamont, Ian Shaw, Norma Winstone and Peter King. He has recorded with Paz, Roadside Picnic, Itchy Fingers, NYJO, the Michael Garrick Big Band, Sax Appeal and Jamie Cullum. The Matt Wates Sextet has recorded twelve albums on the Audio-B label. He won the Rising Star award in the 1997 BT British Jazz Awards, and the Matt Wates Sextet won the Best Small Group award in 2001. The trio also features the fantastic guitarist Nigel Price. Over a career spanning more than 25 years, Nigel has become widely acknowledged as one of the hardest working musicians in the business. Musically, his blend of flowing bebop lines, deep blues sensibility and his mastery of chording continue to delight audiences and fellow musicians alike. His career highlights include a support show for Gladys Knight at The Royal Albert Hall and an appearance on Van Morrison’s recent album Keep Me Singing. Starting his professional career in his early 20s, Nigel toured Europe with various reggae and funk bands before settling on a solo guitar career and turning his attention to jazz. Citing early influences as Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Nigel honed his craft by attending gigs and sitting in with the players of the time. He has played on more than 50 albums including 5 as a leader, spent ten years with acid jazz outfit The Filthy Six, was a member of James Taylor’s band for 3 years (with whom he recorded 5 albums) and performed with the legendary David Axelrod. He has also taught at The International Guitar Foundation at King’s Place, London. He has worked tirelessly to organise his own tours (including a 56 date tour in late 2016) and has picked up a Parliamentary Jazz Award (Best Jazz Ensemble, 2010), a nomination for a British Jazz Award (Best Guitarist, 2014) and a British Jazz Award (Best Guitarist, 2016) along the way. Double bassist Julian Bury has played with Sir Paul McCartney and has been seen playing sophisticated jazz on BBC 1’s Holby City. He has appeared on Top of the Pops 2 playing bass with Gilbert O’Sullivan, and is a well respected player, comfortable with everything from be-bop to jazz standards. He appears regularly in jazz clubs in and around London, from Ronnie Scotts to the 100 Club. His highly rhythmic, swinging approach to the instrument ensures that he is always in work.