TRIO LIBERO: Andy Sheppard, Michel Benita, Sebastian Rochford, Support: The Ronnie Scotts All Stars Monday 31st January - Wednesday 2nd February

One of the UK’s most compelling and charismatic saxophonists, Andy Sheppard, has been a mainstay of the European jazz scene for over twenty years. A powerful soloist with a distinctive glowing tone he has illuminated the bands of post-war jazz greats George Russell, Gil Evans and Carla Bley as well as recording a series of brilliant albums for Blue Note, Island Records and most recently ECM. Here he explores freer, but always lyrical material with French bassist Michel Benita, and superb Scottish drummer and composer, Seb Rochford (Polar Bear).

Leading UK saxophonist Andy Sheppard, French bass virtuoso Michel Benita and extraordinary drummer Sebastian Rochford, have crossed paths many times, but the idea of this trio took shape in 2008 when they played together in an instrumental celebration of the work of cult French musical genius Serge Gainsbourg.  Here they delve into freer territory, where Sheppard's glowing tone works in tandem with the colourful ideas of Benita and gets sliced and diced by Rochford's dynamic drum attack.

Andy Sheppard

A successful recording artist, bandleader and composer (for film, TV and theatre), Andy Sheppard is one of a very few British jazz artists to have made a significant international impact.  He has worked with an astonishing range of musical partners and is remarkably, one of a very few soloists to have played in the big bands of all three of the greatest post-war jazz composers, Carla Bley, George Russell and Gil Evans.  Andy’s first recording for the ECM label will be released this spring.

Michel Benita

Born in Algeria, Michel came to Paris in the early ‘80s, where he made a series of intense working relationships – with Dewey Redman, Erik Truffaz and Rita Marcotulli among many – and has worked closely with Hilton McConnino, the scenographer for fashion house Hermes, on fashion shows all over the world.  Steeped in jazz, he loves folk and country music, which has shaped his latest album Ramblin’

Sebastian Rochford

Sebastian Rochford is the extraordinary, imaginative and adventurous composer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist who, with his multi-genre output and the help of some key collaborators, has turned British jazz on its head.  Rochford’s open-minded attitude to collaborations of all genres and his presence on the European scene with his own band Polar Bear, has firmly established him at the forefront of the multi-genre zeitgeist currently sweeping the UK music scene