Serious

Andy Sheppard

The man who has emerged as one of Britain’s foremost tenor and soprano saxophonists was introduced to the music of John Coltrane at the age of nineteen and immediately went out and bought his own saxophone.  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. 

Sheppard’s new performing priority is Trio Libero with French bassist Michel Benita and UK drummer Sebastian Rochford. Their first album has just been released on ECM - click here for more info, and a European tour will follow - click here for details.

"This is an album of stately elegance and beauty....a truly gorgeous piece of music-making." **** Jazzwise

"Every swoop of the sax, every pluck of the bass, every brush of the cymbals is carefully calibrated, so the cooly moody tunes seep through your speakers like a series of poetic mists that form suddenly before just as quickly and mysteriously dissolving again. Performing the graceful trick of being both airy and weighty, it's a spare, wintry treat." **** Metro

"This mix of spontaneity and familiarity infuses everything the trio play with improvisational tension, each player clearly having a firm grasp on the outline of each piece, but able to plot his own highly distinctive and original path within it. The resultant music incorporates not only Sheppard's great strengths - a sure ear for an affecting melody, a sculptural approach to his saxophones' sound, an ability to move seamlessly between freedom and structure - but also Benita's extraordinary versatility and Rochford's uncanny ability to choose precisely the right cymbal/skin stroke to push the music along and subtly embellish the band sound. ... Trio Libero's strength comes from the grace and elegance with which three utterly distinctive talents have been able to gel to form a unit that consistently lives up to its name." LondonJazz Blogspot

In July 2012, there will be a special version of Andy Sheppard's Saxophone Massive – a fanfare for massed saxophone choir consisting of players of all ages and abilities – at Somerset House in London. This is part of River of Music – the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad programme supported by National Lottery funds through the Olympic Lottery Distributor and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.