Jazz: Sound of BlueNote

Sound Of BlueNote has performed all over the southwest, including main stage gigs at Swanage, Lyme Regis, and Bournemouth jazz festivals, numerous club gigs at venues such as the Blue Vanguard in Exeter, Sound Cellar in Poole, Southampton, Chichester and Portsmouth Jazz Clubs, The Be-Bop Club and the Future Inn in Bristol as well as Pizza Express Soho, Boisdale Of Canary Wharf, The Bulls Head Barnes and The Half Moon in Putney and more.

The core of the band is the classic quintet format – tenor sax, trumpet, piano, bass, and drums. For some concerts, the band also features a guest instrumentalist with the repertoire expanded to include guitar, trombone, vibraphone, vocals or an additional saxophone. Guests have included Nigel Price, Alan Barnes, Mark Nightingale, Gilad Atzmon, Dave O’Higgins, Jim Mullen, Orphy Robinson, and Ian Shaw.

The repertoire includes some BlueNote classics alongside some rarely heard gems from the vaults, lovingly transcribed by the band members.

Saxophonist Terry Quinney is Canadian and attended the prestigious Humber College in Toronto where he studied with prominent Canadian artists such as Pat LaBarbera and Don Thompson. This led to opportunities to perform alongside major stars such as Randy Brecker, Kurt Elling, and Dave Douglas, and to become a member of the Toronto Jazz Orchestra. Terry moved to the UK in 2009 settling in Somerset, having believed a review on Trip Advisor referring to Wincanton as a major centre for UK jazz.

Andy Urquhart is a powerhouse trumpet player with chops of steel developed by many years of playing in one of the UK’s army bands. Much like Bristol’s Jonny Bruce, he is one of those rare players equally at home playing lead in a big band or improvising in a small group setting. Andy has for many years run the house band at the Jazz Cafe, Sandbanks [near Poole], in which role he has worked alongside most of the UK’s best-known jazz artists as visiting guests.

Phil Doyle is a former Forces musician and works with the famous Joe Loss Orchestra. Known as one of the best jazz pianists working along the south coast, he has accompanied visiting US artists such as Bobby Shew and Scott Hamilton.

Matthew Read graduated with a First from the Guildhall School some years back and has worked with many of London’s top players. He last played at the club with drummer Jack Yardley and saxophonist Duncan Eagles, and also leads his own trio – “Proof indeed that the British Jazz scene at the moment is in incredible form” – Chris Philips, Jazz FM. Matthew has recently relocated to Bristol so is available for gigs in our area.

Andy Hague completes the line-up on drums.