BYRON WALLEN QUINTET

Tickets £10, Doors 7pm, Performance 9pm

BYRON WALLEN

A wonderful trumpet player with an easy and fluent style, Byron is widely recognised as a seminal figure in British jazz.

A creative force in the UK since the early 90’s, Byron’s early career included work with the likes of Courtney Pine, Jean Toussaint and Cleveland Watkiss. As his career progressed, he expanded his versatile performances to include the likes of The Style Council, various rap artists and the seminal “hip-hop” groove bands US3 and Incognito. By the late 90’s his work was receiving world wide attention and his fluent Jazz trumpet could be heard with International artists such as Ronnie Laws, Chaka Khan, David Murray, Andrew Hill, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard and George Benson.

An insatiable musical curiosity and his desire to travel have contributed to Byron’s ever expanding musical foundations, leading to work with the likes of leading African musicians Hugh Masekela and Manu Dibango, Moroccan Si Muhammed, Arabian Rony Barak, Anglo-Indian tabla player Talvin Singh and Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira. As a composer Byron’s output has been equally eclectic, with his soaring Jazz trumpet featured on a series of self-penned albums including the MOBO nominated “Earth Roots” through film music to dance and commissions for the South Bank.

A World Class performer and unique presence on the UK scene. Highly recommended.

“formidably skilful….a world-class trumpeter, with confidence, technical assurance and wide horizons.” Guardian

“graceful, intelligent and consistently creative” Evening Standard

"Wallen manages to grab the best bits of both musics, alloying jazz's off-centre lyricism and compositional elan with the hypnotic rhythms and rootsy pull of world music."  Time Out