Jean Toussaint Quintet Event
For more information regarding this event, please email Ben Oliver at B.Oliver@soton.ac.uk .
Event details
We welcome to Southampton a very special band led by a former Jazz Messenger. Grammy-winning saxophonist Jean Toussaint who first came to prominence when he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in 1982. Since moving to London in 1987, Toussaint has released ten critically-acclaimed CDs as a leader. He came to London to teach for three months at the Guildhall. That was 30-odd years ago and, happily for us, he’s still here. During that time he has taught at some of our leading music colleges and mentored many of our best young players.
For this concert he presents his 11th album, Brother Raymond, as part of a UK tour with a truly all-star quintet.
The music of Brother Raymond builds on the legacy of Art Blakey but above all confirms Toussaint’s place as an accomplished composer at the forefront of modern jazz. Stand-out tracks include the opening ‘Amabo’, an African groove dedicated to Barack Obama. The title track draws upon the influences of Toussaint’s favourite composers, “Duke” Ellington and Wayne Shorter.
“Art used to say “it doesn’t matter how complex you want to play as long as you swing and play from the heart” then he’d cite the great John Coltrane as an example. I owe it all to the great Art Blakey and I’ll be a Jazz Messenger for life.” …Jean Toussaint
Band
Jean Toussaint - Sax
Byron Wallen - Trumpet
Alberto Palau - Piano
Daniel Casimir - Bass
Ben Brown - Drums
