John Williams, John Etheridge, Gary Ryan - 'Six Hands’ (early closing time) +support: Sam Braysher/Michael Kanan Duo

Doors:                                     5.30pm

Support:                                 6.15 - 7pm

Main act:                                7.30 - 9pm

Close:                                      9.30pm       

After many years of playing together John Williams and John Etheridge, classical guitarist and composer Gary Ryan joins them in a colourful and varied programme of solos, duos and trios.

‘The great Classical guitarist John Williams and celebrated John Etheridge have played internationally as a duo for many years and are now joined by the brilliant Gary Ryan to form a unique trio .Drawing on all the talents and experience at their command “Six Hands ‘ creates, in a combination of solos ,duo a ,trios a feast of virtuoso guitar playing that takes in Classical ,Jazz ,African and universal influences as well as compositions by all the members .All fans of music and great guitar playing will thrill to this Trio .’

ABOUT JOHN WILLIAMS

John Williams was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1941 and moved to London with his family in 1952. He was taught the guitar by his father from the age of five, afterwards attending summer courses with Segovia at the Academia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy and studying music at the Royal College of Music in London from 1956-59. Having already played in London, Paris and Madrid he toured Russia in 1962 and in 1963 began regular tours of Japan and the United States. Since then he has toured widely, both solo and with orchestra and is heard often on radio and television. The complete collection of his 58 CD’s (and one DVD) for Sony/CBS was issued in 2016. In 2007 he was presented with an Edison lifetime achievement award.

John Williams has collaborated with many musicians including Julian Bream, Itzak Perlman, Andre Previn, Cleo Laine, John Dankworth and Daniel Barenboim. Other musical activities have included the group Sky, collaborations with Richard Harvey, a duo with John Etheridge and the music of Latin America and Africa. He recently performed and recorded a DVD with the Palestinian duo Sabil;  an example of the particular importance to him of the role of the guitar outside the confines of the purely European tradition.

In 2010 he started his own label, JCW Recordings, with the latest release being ‘Vivaldi etc! ‘

Supporting Artist/Band

+support: Sam Braysher/Michael Kanan Duo

Sam Braysher’s debut album Golden Earrings (Fresh Sound New Talent Records), a collaborative effort with celebrated New York pianist Michael Kanan, was released to a warm critical response in September 2017, with a number of jazz journalists including in their ‘best of 2017’ lists. Following on from their album release tour that year, the duo toured again in 2019, with performances in the UK, Holland and Switzerland. Young London alto saxophonist Sam Braysher has recently been heard playing with Jorge Rossy (of Brad Mehldau Trio fame), Barry Green’s Sextet, Elaine Delmar, the London Jazz Orchestra and ECM recording artist John Warren’s Nonet. Michael Kanan is a real master with an exquisite touch, a world-class interpreter of standards who has collaborated extensively with jazz royalty including Jane Monheit, Jimmy Scott, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Peter Bernstein. Expect a fresh and swinging approach to the timeless material of the Great American Songbook from these wonderfully melodic improvisers in an intimate and conversational duo setting.

‘Trying to second-guess a long-gone composer’s intention is a risky exercise, and jazz improvisers usually exercise a free hand in interpreting the Great American Songbook. But the warm-toned young London saxophonist Sam Braysher is a prize-winning investigator of the early recordings and published music of Jerome Kern, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington and many others, and imagines a new jazz closely attuned to an old world.’ John Fordham, the Guardian

 ‘delightful and surprising’ Dave Gelly, The Observer

'Braysher's cool, modernist twist on old songs is just superb' Simon Adams, JazzJournal (selecting Golden Earrings as one of Critics' Poll albums of the year 2017)

‘utterly swinging, with the restraint that comes from complete self-assurance, and hip as a New York minute’ Eddie Myer, JazzViews