Saxophonist Xhosa Cole returns to Hastings

“And this time he’ll be appearing with a special guest, a bona fide New York tap dancer,” says spokesman Julian Norridge.

“Xhosa recently featured as the cover star of a Guardian article about the six brilliant young musicians who are transforming the UK Jazz scene. He first came to prominence as the BBC Young Jazz Musician in 2018. Since then he has received the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best New comer in 2020 and was named as Jazz FM’s Breakthrough Act of the Year . At just 26, he has already performed twice at the BBC Proms.

“For this session he’ll be appearing with his latest quartet, who are all Birmingham-based. They feature composer and improviser Steve Saunders on guitar, Josh Vadiveloo on double bass and Nathan England Jones on drums. Together they have performed at such prestigious venues as Ronnie Scott’s, the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho and both the Manchester and Edinburgh Jazz Festivals.

“For Jazz Hastings they’ll be performing their new project Rhythm-a-ting, in which they explore contemporary arrangements of the music of Thelonious Monk. Energetic and filled with humour, the y are trying to reconnect jazz with tap-dance with the help of Harlem-based singer and dancer Liberty Styles. It’s perfect music for the live setting.

“Xhosa Cole has been playing the saxophone since he was 12. Brought up Handsworth, he is an embodiment of the success of numerous community arts programmes in Birmingham, including the Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra, Jazzlines Ensemble and Birmingham Music Service. He is also a flautist and a teacher. He has now expanded his career to include recording and composing. His debut album K(no)w Them, K(no)w Us was critically acclaimed and his second Ibeji was released late last year. It features a series of disparate saxophone and percussion duets." Doors will open at 7.45pm for an 8.30 start. Tickets are £15 on the door.