Legendary Boston-based saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi comes to town on 8 February

Jerry Bergonzi: major coup for Jazz Hastings

Jazz Hastings has pulled off a major coup for its February session, which will feature the legendary Boston-based saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi, widely known around the world as ‘the saxophonists’ saxophonist’. Julian Norridge reports.

Angela Coffey, sadly missed.

Bergonzi will play at Jazz Hastings on Tuesday 8 February. The gig will be dedicated to the memory of Agatha Coffey, the much-loved co-founder of Jazz Hastings who died in February last year. For 15 years she was a driving force behind the club, a not-for-profit organisation which aims to bring national and international jazz stars to Hastings once a month.

Few jazz musicians have been bigger than Jerry Bergonzi. He got his introduction to the wider jazz world in the early 1970s through one of its reigning legends. “I had been playing on some avant-garde gigs in Boston with Dave Brubeck’s son Darius, who called me to be in a band that would open for Dave and then close concerts with Dave’s trio,” Jerry recalls.

“This was the Two Generations of Brubeck band, which I toured with for three years. Then, after a break, I did another three years as the saxophonist in Dave’s quartet.” Bergonzi’s complex, assertive tenor saxophone improvisations brought a more contemporary element into Brubeck’s established style.

Between 1973 and 1981, Bergonzi recorded nine albums with Brubeck. He has also performed and recorded with other major stars such as Bill Evans, Paul Desmond, Dave Holland, Gerry Mulligan, Jack DeJohnette, Roy Haynes and many more.

Michael Brecker, another legendary saxophonist who won 15 Grammy Awards, was once asked by an interviewer how it felt, at the peak of his powers and with the world at his feet, to be the king of the tenor saxophone. Brecker replied: “I don’t know. You’d better ask Jerry Bergonzi.”

Bergonzi is renowned for his innovation, mastery and integrity as a performer and composer. In an endless series of rave reviews, he is credited for his relentless drive, inner fire, total command, awesome technique, elastic lyricism, rich resonance and musical vision.

He is also an acclaimed author, having written a series of books on improvisation, and educator, teaching at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. And during his visit to Hastings, local musicians will have a chance to benefit from his learning. He will be holding a workshop for instrumentalists of all kinds in the afternoon between 3pm and 5pm. Tickets for the workshop cost £20 and are only available here.

For both the workshop and the evening session Bergonzi will be joined by hugely respected American pianist Bruce Barth, the highly experienced British bass player Mark Hodgson and the Barcelona-based Irish drummer Stephen Keogh.

Jerry Bergonzi  and Friends Jazz Hastings, Tuesday 8 February, East Hastings Sea Angling Association (on the Stade behind the lifeboat station). Doors open 7.45pm for 8.30 start, tickets £15 on the door.

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