Jazz: Sophie Stockham Quartet – Tribute to Lou Donaldson

The Sophie Stockham Quartet pay tribute to the great hard-bop saxophonist Lou Donaldson.  Known for his soulful bluesy approach to the saxophone, Donaldson was one of the pioneering voices in Hard Bop during his time with Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers and Horace Silver.

Saxophonist and composer Sophie Stockham Brown (Starlings, Orphic, Dakhla, Sefrial, Cut Capers) works across a raft of musical styles as a collaborator and in-demand session musician. Her original projects have received national radio play and she has performed for BBC Introducing’s ‘Best of New Jazz’ at Montreal Jazz festival and The BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. Most recently Stockham has released her debut album for sax and string quintet ‘Ria’ and has composed and performed a suite of music for the Bristol Met Orchestra. Her rich tone, great feel, and endlessly melodic soloing draws comparisons with the likes of Paul Desmond and Charlie Rouse.

Adam Stokes is an up-and-coming guitarist blending Jim Hall style melodic development with Thelonious Monk’s angular dissonances. He is known on the Bristol scene as the host of the Stag and Hounds jam session where he has played with the who’s who of Bristol jazz. Ruth Hammond (Hopkins Hammond Trio, Jingu Bang, Starlings, Brass Junkies) is Bristol’s top improvising multi-instrumentalist, equally at home performing at Ronnie Scott’s, The National Theatre or a Serbian Castle on all number of woodwinds and keyboards. Matt Stockham Brown (6161, ex-Run Logan Run, Sefrial, Modulusiii, Orfic) is a busy touring drummer who has performed with the likes of Gregory Porter, Pee Wee Ellis and Andy Sheppard.