The Andrew Cleyndert Jazz Quartet

ANDREW CLEYNDERT – double bass
MARK EDWARDS – piano
COLIN OXLEY – guitar
MARTIN SHAW – trumpet/flugelhorn

Invited by Titley Jazz Festival to put a band together for a concert in 2013, the quartet Andrew Cleyndert assembled was so well received it was immediately re-booked and has been working ever since developing a unique ensemble sound and repertoire.

Drawing on the experience of working with a myriad of stellar bands and groups in a career spanning over three decades Andrew has chosen to utilize the talents of the lyrical trumpetist Martin Shaw, widely recognized as one of the very best jazz soloists on his instrument, guitarist Colin Oxley, equally highly regarded and appreciated by his peers and audiences alike, and the phenomenal Brighton pianist/producer/arranger Mark Edwards, leader of highly popular local heroes, The Cloggz.

The quartet eschews the use of drums in favour of the highly adaptive trio of piano/bass/guitar which, in this company, is no less driving whilst providing many musical permutations as each member of the group moves between soloist and accompanist.

For this special concert at St Mary’s the group will play timeless
compositions from Bach, Faure and Villa Lobos, through the exquisite
melodic Brazilian songs of Antonio Carlos Jobim to Jazz pieces made famous by the likes of Miles Davis and Duke Ellington.

Martin Shaw is constantly in demand as a fluent melodic improviser on both trumpet and flugelhorn and possesses a beautiful sound which will ‘fill’ St Mary’s. Colin Oxley, a longtime sideman with vocalist Stacey Kent is both an amazing accompanist and soloist and is now often seen as a member of the John Wilson Orchestra, leading his own group and is one of the most respected guitarists on the jazz scene. Brighton is very fortunate to be hometown for the exceptional Mark Edwards, recently seen on the world stage with Katie Melua; he is a uniquely talented musician. Andrew Cleyndert was fortunate enough to be the last bass player employed with the Ronnie Scott band and then to play for nearly two decades with the ‘Godfather’ of British Jazz, Stan Tracey. He has been a mainstay of the UK jazz scene since the early eighties.

I Want To Be Happy

A snippet from Choral Evensong sung at St Mary's Church, Brighton, by Chichester Cathedral Choir on Sunday, 15th October 2017 - the 139th anniversary of St Mary's consecration as a parish church.

Katherine Prior