The best in Live Jazz at the Royal Hotel, Southend
Every Wednesday
8:30 – 10:30pm
Free Entry
Playing Modern, Be-Bop, Fusion & Avant Garde, featuring Special Guests.
The Venue
Book a table for a fantastic dinner in the lounge or arrive early and choose from the large cocktail menu in the bar downstairs, including original recipes.
Small plates are available with table service whilst watching the live music upstairs.
Getting There
Train
Southend Central (c2c Line) located in the middle of Southend High Street.
Southend Victoria (Greater Anglia Line) located at the opposite end of the High Street.
Bus
Southend Central Bus Depot is approx 4 minute walk
Parking
Alexander Street Car Park is located just behind the Royal Hotel, with a pedestrian pathway through to the main entrance.
Alternatively, street parking can be found locally.
The Royal Hotel,
1 High Street,
Southend-on-sea
SS1 1JE
What's On
"I never practice my guitar... from time to time I just open the case and throw in a piece of raw meat." Wes Montgomery
11th December
Gareth Lockrane Quartet
Gareth Lockrane is the UK’s premier jazz flautist, composer/arranger and educator and has had a richly diverse life as musician since studying jazz at the Royal Academy of Music in the 1990s (and also a masters in film scoring at the National Film & Television School), working in many different collaborations and projects. His own projects have included his big band, his band “Grooveyard” with saxophonist Alex Garnett and his septet, all of which have produced acclaimed albums of his compositions.
He recently featured as a soloist on the soundtracks for the Michael Caine heist thriller “King Of Thieves”, the Steven Soderbergh political satire “The Laundromat” and the widely acclaimed all-star film “Don’t Look Up” directed by Adam McKay. Lockrane has also run the junior jazz program at the Royal Academy of Music since 2011
Gareth Lockrane – Flutes
Nick Tomalin – Piano
Dominic Howles – Bass
Simon Harwood – Drums
18th December
MARTIN HATHAWAY QUINTET
Martin Hathaway is a British jazz performer, composer and music educator who works with many ensembles covering a wide range of styles. He plays saxophones, clarinets and flutes, and occasionally gigs on piano. He composes and arranges his own music for small and large ensembles and leads his own occasional groups. Martin has worked alongside many noted international and UK jazz musicians including; Wynton Marsalis, Randy Brecker, Billy Cobham, Dave Holland, Dave Liebman, Dame Cleo Laine, Alec and Jacqui Dankworth to name a few.
Martin Hathaway – Saxophone
Dave Whiting- Guitar
Tony Gooderham – Piano
Dominic Howles – Bass
Trevor Taylor – Drums
25th Dec / 1st Jan
CLOSED
"I don't care if a dude is purple with green breath as long as he can swing"
– Miles Davis
8th January
MANDALA - Tribute to Clara Bley
MANDALA is a sanskrit word largely meaning ‘Circle’, and that’s really what this group is about, experimenting with different players. The current six piece group morphed from a smaller unit when a larger frontline was required ,and stayed together as it is now because the trumpet, Sax, trombone frontline offers many more possibilities for both past classic jazz as well as original material.
The group has grown its repertoire to include a large range of classic compositions from an eclectic range of musicians such Art Blakey, Mingus, Monk, Wayne Shorter, Roland Kirk, and tonight with Carla Bley’s recent passing they have added more of her music In tribute to one of jazz’s finest performer /composers!
Zak Barrett – Saxophone
Ted Porter – Trumpet
Dave Jago – Trombone
Tony Gooderham – Piano
Geoff Harris – Bass
Trevor Taylor – Drums
15th January
CHRIS BISCOE & KATE WILLIAMS
SPECIAL NIGHT £15
Chris Biscoe has appeared as a featured soloist on more than 50 records, ranging in style from fusion, free jazz and improvised music, through contemporary jazz of the 1970s to the present day. Recent CDs under his name have explored the music of Eric Dolphy, Charles Mingus and the Gerry Mulligan/Paul Desmond partnership.
Pianist/composer Kate Williams has gained a reputation as both a distinctive writer and performer. She has released several CDs, each one to critical acclaim, including Made Up and Atlas And Vulcana (with her septet) and Smoke And Mirrors (with tenor legend, the late Bobby Wellins).
Chris Biscoe – Saxophone
Kate Williams – Piano
Dave Whitford – Bass
Jon Scott – Drums
22nd January
DAVID WARREN QUARTET
Dave studied guitar, violin and piano at the Purcell School and at the Guildhall School of Music on the A.G.S.M. course and the Jazz and Studio music program. He also studied at Middlesex University with Stuart Hall and Leon Cohen and in the U.S.A. at the William Paterson College under the tutelage of Bucky Pizzarelli, Vic Juris and Rufus Reid.
He is a freelance player who has played at numerous venues in the UK and Europe, including regular performances at Ronnie Scott’s with his own quartet, Dick Pearce, Renato D’Aiello quartet, Nat Steele and Alison Neale quartet, amongst others.
Elsewhere he has performed as part of the London Jazz Festival with The London Jazz Orchestra and part of Bop Festival & has broadcast on BBC Radio 2 with Sir Ron Goodwin as part of his 70th Birthday celebrations. He was also part of the orchestra for The Music for Monserrat concert held at the Albert Hall which was directed by Sir George Martin, in which he played alongside Paul McCartney, Sting, Elton John, Carl Perkins, Mark Knopfler, and Eric Clapton.
“Great lines, swinging playing …… that’s improvising!” – Peter Bernstein (Internationally renowned Jazz Guitarist)
“Prize winning Guitarist” – The Guardian
“Fine melodic Guitarist” – Time Out
Dave Warren – Guitar
Nick Tomalin – Piano
Dominic Howles – Bass
Simon Harwood – Drums
"I never practice my guitar... from time to time I just open the case and throw in a piece of raw meat." Wes Montgomery
29th January
ROBERTO MANZIN QUARTET
Roberto Manzin was born on 8 July 1966 in Rome, Italy, of Eastern European refugees who were also musicians. His musical life began in Milan where he moved with his family when he was five, he studied music privately and then at the school Civica Scuola di Musica Villa Simonetta.
Manzin became a successful session player, contributing to albums with leading Italian artists as well as featuring in several TV commercials. Manzin performed regularly in Milan with Italian jazz musicians such as Renato Sellani, Bruno De Filippi, Gianni Cazzola, Tullio De Piscopo, Giorgio Buratti and Marco Ratti. He also worked extensively in TV where he played with, among others, James Brown, Zucchero Fornaciari[1] and Manu Katché….
“An expressive player with an attractive sound, his improvisations reveal a skilful strategist, a melodist first and foremost, who gradually unfolds a solo and builds up to a compelling conclusion“ – Charles Alexander, Jazzwise
Roberto Manzin- Saxophone
Jon Gee – Piano
Dominic Howles – Bass
Trevor Taylor – Drums
5th February
C LEVEL - 2
One of great locals bands of the 80’s, C-Level originally included the brilliant Pete Jacobson on piano. They are led by the legendry drummer Alan Clarke & Tony Sandeman on Guitar. Terry Gregory, previously with Steve Hackett is on bass & taking time out of a world tour with UB40, Ian Thompson joins on Saxophone.
Expect some classic Jazz Funk grooves from this tremendous band.
Ian Thompson – Saxophone
Tony Sandeman – Guitar
Sam Edwards – Piano
Terry Gregory – Bass
Alan Clarke – Drums
12th February
PAUL HIGGS plays MILES DAVIS
Ace trumpeter Paul Higgs plays with a sublime tone and breathtaking technique. He has performed with Johnny Dankworth, Lulu, Tony Hatch, John Williams, Peggy Lee and Nancy Wilson. He has also performed in major concert venues around the world, and receives standing ovations on a regular basis.
Paul is renowned for his magical sound and exceptional skill. His great sensitivity, high energy and his own skill as a composer make him a superb proponent of Miles Davis’s music.
Miles Davis, the most revered jazz trumpeter of all time, was at the forefront of several major innovations in jazz from the mid ’40s to the early ’90s – bebop, cool, hard bop, modal, jazz funk and jazz fusion. Paul plays well-known favourites from these styles as well as some less familiar gems.
Paul Higgs – Trumpet
Zak Barrett – Saxophone
Andy Watson – Guitar
Terry Gregory – Bass
Alan Clarke – Drums
“Jazz is the only music in which the same note can be played night after night but sound different each time”
- Ornette Coleman
19th February
The 2 Tenors
Paying tribute to the Greatest Tenor sax players in the history of Jazz. Zak Barret, one of the most “in demand” jazz saxophonists & is joined by none other than Mike Austin, leader of the Kent Youth Jazz Orchestra who has played with Chris Corcoran, Wynton Marsalis & Bob Brookmeyer. They will duel together & conjure the spirit of Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane & Michael Brecker.
Mike Austin – Saxophone
Zak Barrett – Saxophone
Dan Banks – Piano
Terry Gregory – Bass
Simon Harwood – Drums
“It's taken me all my life to learn what not to play” – Dizzy Gillespie
26th February
TOM REMON's BYRO
Tom Remon is an up-and-coming Guitarist born, raised and based in North London. Tom is an Alumni of the artist development programme Tomorrow’s Warriors and the Middlesex University jazz degree.
Born in 1997 Tom took intrest in performing music straight away after taking Guitar lessons in high school, after following the usual adolescent trends of playing Classic Rock, Metal and Blues Rock, by the age of 16 Tom eventually swayed over to the dark side after his teacher Carlos Olmos showed him guitarists Wes Montgomery, Peter Bernstein, Grant Green, Pat Martino, Jim Hall, George Benson and Pat Metheny.
After High School Tom enrolled on to the ICMP Music College in Kilburn and recieved a full scholarship for his second year funded by Gibson Guitars. .
Tom went on to record his debut album with legendary Jazz Guitarist Jim Mullen entitled “Duality ” on Lunaria Records in March 2021 which was launched at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club. Tom recorded his second album Eagle Peak feturing fellow warrior Lauence Wilkins, UK Organist Mike Gorman and powerhouse Drummer Shaney Forbes which was released on Lunaria Records in Feburary 2022. and launched at Pizza Express Dean St.
Tom Remon – Guitar
Neil Yates – Trumpet
James Owston – Bass
Jim Bashford – Drum
8th March
Wayfarer
Wayfarer pay tribute to the brilliant Norwegian saxophonist & composer Jan Garbarek. European innovators in jazz are few and far between. Those who have innovated consistently for twenty or thirty years and transcended each new wave of style and genre as it comes washing through are much, much rarer.
Raphaele Bizzoca – Guitar
Martin Hathaway – Saxophone
Tony Gooderham – Piano
Dominic Howles- Bass
Trevor Taylor – Drums
12th March
Imogen Ryall + Julian Nicholas
SPECIAL GIG £15
Julian Nicholas has had a significant role in the Brighton and South Coast scene as an innovating artist, organizer and educator. Julian was the first promoter to bring artists such as Dudu Pukwana, Django Bates, Jason Rebello, Chris McGregor, Louis Moholo, Sarah Jane Morris, Steve Arguelles, and Viklický to Brighton. He is co-director of South Coast Jazz Festival which he founded in 2015 with Claire Martin O.B.E.
Widely considered an important voice on the UK jazz scene Imogen Ryall has performed at many of the major UK jazz venues and festivals as well as with some of the most highly regarded musicians around. She was featured on the much-acclaimed CD ‘In Time’ alongside Roy Ayers, Carleen Anderson and Jocelyn Brown, and her most recent release “The Mingus/Mitchell Songbook” was included in the list of “Best Albums of 2023” by five independent reviewers.
Imogen Ryall – Vocal
Julian Nicholas – Piano
Mark Edwards
Nigel Thomas
Darren Becket
19th March
BLACK CODES
Black codes was a seminal Jazz album from the masterful Wynton Marsalis. Tonight we celebrate his music with Paul Higgs on trumpet & in addition Paul pays tribute to the legendary Tom Harrell, Dizzy Gillespie & Kenny Wheeler.
Paul Higgs – Trumpet
Martin Hathaway – Saxophone
Dan Banks – Piano
Dominic Howles – Bass
Trevor Taylor – Drums
I
26th March
The Brothers HEARN
Alex and Ben Hearn have been playing together since they were 10 yrs old. Both consummate professionals covering all styles of Jazz, Blues and Rock. Tonight, for the first time at JAZZ825 they combine forces with a Fusion Project featuring solo tracks from both brothers.
Alex Hearn – Guitar
Ben Hearn- Bass
Michael Horner – Piano
Simon Harwood – Drums
