Jazz at Progress | Clark Tracey’s The Jazz Champions | Buy tickets
Friday 3 January 2025 | Progress Theatre, Reading | 7: 30pm | £19.00 (£17.00 concessions, £10 under 16) plus maximum 5% booking fee.
Photo by Steve Foster @jazzshots (Instagram & FB)
Clark Tracey’s The Jazz Champions
Clark Tracey has formed this special line up of the UK’s foremost jazz musicians partly to commemorate his father’s compositions, along with jazz favourites. Clark has chosen musicians – all with awesome pedigrees – who he has worked with the longest and who also took part in his quintet tour in Spring of 2024. A new band with a fresh sound, delivered by the most experienced musicians on the scene.
Clark Tracey drums
Alan Barnes alto sax
Simon Allen tenor sax
Dave Newton piano
Andy Cleyndert bass
Clark Tracey is a jazz master. An inventive jazz drummer he’s also a proven group leader, writer and arranger, having appeared over many years with the world’s jazz greats. With this stellar band he has revived the famous jazz suites written by his late father, the great pianist & composer Stan Tracey, bringing masterpieces such as “Under Milkwood” successfully to admiring younger audiences. “For me Tracey is a world-class musician whose mature and distinctive artistry – his own “ snap-crackle” – is right up there with the likes of Philly Joe Jones and Roy Haynes.” Jazz Journal, 2024
Alan Barnes’ range and brilliance have made him a “first call” for studio and live work since his precocious arrival on the scene more than thirty years ago. His recorded catalogue is immense. He has made over thirty albums as leader and co-leader alone, and the list of his session and side-man work includes Bjork, Bryan Ferry, Michel LeGrande, Clare Teale, Westlife, Jools Holland and Jamie Cullum. He has toured and played residencies with such diverse and demanding figures as Ruby Braff, Freddie Hubbard, Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, Ken Peplowski, Harry Allen and Conte Candoli.
Tenor saxophonist Simon Allen leads his own quartets and quintets. In addition, he has recorded and performed with Sir Paul McCartney, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Phil Collins, Jamie Cullum, Beverly Knight and many, many more.
Dave Newton has been voted ‘Best Jazz Pianist sixteen times by the Jazz audience of the UK. His dynamic and lyrical jazz has perhaps been overshadowed by his work as accompanist for singers such as Marion Montgomery, Tina May, Annie Ross, Claire Martin and of course Stacey Kent, with whom he spent ten years recording and touring, travelling all over the world.
Bassist Andy Cleyndert started out in the bands of Don Weller and Bobby Wellins and has since flourished on the jazz scene in the UK and beyond. He has played and toured with the cream of the UK’s musicians and a string of international soloists, including Bud Shank, George Coleman, Ray Bryant, Lee Konitz and James Moody.
