6:45 doors for 7:30 start of two sets each featuring emerging professional jazz artists and students, with 20min interval.

Set 1: “A Tribute to Chet and Gerry": 

George Hilliam (trumpet), Noah Chiari (sax), George Balmont (bass), Oscar Williams (drums)

After leaving New York in late 1951, Baritone Saxophonist Gerry Mulligan headed to California and would go on to form an iconic chordless quartet that firmly put him on the map. Although there weren’t a great deal of albums produced of the quartet’s work, Noah Chiari and George Hilliam have transcribed many of the tracks from various recordings to recreate what it would have been like to see the band live at their regular stomping ground, ‘The Haig Club’. As well as this, the band will take you through some of the history and context of the group and its music to put a spotlight on these musical innovators.

Set 2: Nat²:

Nathaniel Evans (saxes), Nat Littlechild (d.bass), Michael MacCourt (drums)

At the end of Set 2 we look forward to all the players joining together in a jam.

Hosted by Arran Shanghavi, BJazz Committee Member and professional jazz pianist.

Bios of the players:

Nat Littlechild (b) is a music scholar at the University of Birmingham who has studied under Simon Woolf, Nick Jurd and Mark Hodgson. The tutelage of these three UK greats has given him a unique insight into the instrument using a modern sensibility to try and understand the role of the bass in jazz. During the last few years he has played with Percy Pursglove, Soweto Kinch and Mark Lockett. He looks up to modern bassists like Tyrone Allen II and Larry Grenadier whilst admiring the work of the greats, specifically, Paul Chambers and Scott Lafaro. These insights and his studies have created a clear and boisterous presence from his personality and playing on the bandstand.

Nat Evans (s): As a performer and a writer, Nat is known for his unique ability to draw the listener into the music. His style is likened to that of Immanuel Wilkins’ flexibility, joined with a deep language coming from the jazz of Parker, Adderley, and Coltrane. He’s currently celebrating the release of Squared, his latest Nat² album.

As a recent graduate from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, he is taking the UK jazz scene by storm, having performed at prestigious jazz festivals including Cheltenham, London, and Birmingham. He has also performed internationally at the LAVA Jazz Festival (Portugal), the Velo Swing Festival (Germany), as well as a bespoke performance at the Eastman School of Music (New York).

Michael MacCourt (dr) An emerging voice on the Birmingham jazz scene, Michael MacCourt is a long-standing member of the award-winning Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra. After studying at the Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, he has gone on to read Geography at the University of Birmingham, recently completing his second year.

Immersing himself in the city's vibrant musical landscape, Michael collaborates with a diverse range of musicians and explores a broad spectrum of genres, from ABBA shows and incidental recordings to performing with Percy Pursglove of the NDR Big Band and recording with Tom Ward’s Septet for his debut album slated for release in August. Drawing on his extensive big band background, he is intent on pushing the boundaries of jazz, carving out a distinct creative space that defies convention and reflects his evolving artistic vision.

https://www.natevansmusic.co.uk/squared

Noah Chiari (s) Currently in his second year of study at the Royal Academy of Music, Noah is from Southampton where he found a love of Jazz in his early teens and subsequently moved to London to study at The Purcell School for Young Musicians at 16 to further develop his skills. Despite the fact he started out as an Alto player, he specialises in the Baritone, having been inspired by players like Nick Brignola, Gary Smulyan and Ronnie Cuber. Noah has performed in many highly regarded locations, such as Pizza Express Live in Soho, Vortex Jazz Club, Glastonbury Festival and The Barbican with the Jules Buckley Orchestra. Alongside his performances, he has had the privilege of collaborating with The Commonwealth Resounds organisation, arranging and producing a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, which was broadcast on national radio.

George Hilliam (trumpet): was born in Leicestershire and first learned the trumpet with Jon Eno as a pupil at Derby Grammar School. His love of jazz developed playing with the Hot House Big Band, GCHQ (the George Christopher Hilliam Quartet) and the National Youth Jazz Collective. In 2023 he started to study on the jazz course at the Royal Academy of Music where his teachers include Nick Smart and Tom Walsh.

George Balmont (b) Moving to London from Southampton in 2022 to study at the Royal Academy of Music, George Balmont is a busy electric and double bassist. Performing in a wide range of musical situations and genres, he has appeared at festivals including Brick Lane Jazz Festival, Cheltenham Jazz Festival and Kendal Calling and has been seen alongside the likes of Ivo Neame, Derek Nash, Tony Kofi and Huw Warren.
“A tight band sound in which George Balmont’s imaginative precision was notably prominent” - Jazzwise

Oscar Williams (d) Born in Manchester, Oscar started playing drums at age 11. After his first professional gig playing a friends’ parents birthday party at age 15, Oscar fell in love with Jazz and is currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music developing his craft. He has played a variety of venues with different bands spanning from Oliver’s in Greenwich and Glastonbury to playing West Side Story in the Bridgewater Hall and Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Oscar is an active part of the London Jazz Scene and in November is playing as part of London Jazz Festival.