Xhosa Cole – BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2018.

Jazz Hastings welcomes Xhosa Cole Quartet for first gig of 2020

The BBC’s 2018 Young Jazz Musician of the Year, saxophonist Xhosa Cole, will be leading his own quartet for Jazz Hastings’ first session of the year on 14 January. Julian Norridge reports.

Just over a year ago, the 22-year-old from Birmingham won the prestigious BBC title with a “heartfelt” performance which featured John Coltrane’s Moment’s Notice, Johnny Green’s I Cover the Waterfront and his own composition Moving Ladywood at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Xhosa has been playing the saxophone since he was 12 and has appeared with the Jazzlines Ensemble, the Birmingham Schools Symphony Orchestra and Midland Youth Jazz orchestra. He is also a flautist, composer and teacher.

For this his first UK tour he will be joined by Vancouver-born but London-based trumpeter Jay Phelps, who created and co-led the hip jazz sensation Empirical and has performed and recorded with artists such as Courtney Pine, Wynton Marsalis, John Hendricks, George Benson, Jamie Cullum, Sir John Dankworth, Amy Winehouse, Hugh Masakela and Jazz Jamaica.

Xhosa Cole is on his first UK tour.

On bass will be fellow BBC Young Jazz Musician finalist James Owston, who is also the bass player for Clark Tracey’s latest quintet. And on drums will be powerhouse drummer Jim Bashford, who has played with such greats as Drew Gress, John O’Gallager, Jean Toussaint and Hillary Jensen.

The quartet will aim to embody the spirit of the Bebop and Hard Bop greats.

With a repertoire inspired by the great music of Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown and Gigi Gryce, the band hope to light up the stage with all the charisma, passion, edge, chemistry and spontaneity reminiscent of this great era.

They will feature classic arrangements, contemporary takes on standards and some original works written by members of the band.

Xhosa Cole Quartet Jazz Hastings, Tuesday 14 January, East Hastings Sea Angling Association (on the Stade behind the lifeboat station). Doors open 7.45pm for 8.30 start, tickets £10 on the door, £3 for under 18s.

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