Fairground jazz folk troubadours, THE CLOGGZ, have been described as a wonderful mix of everything by BBC Radio 2’s Clare Teal. The Brighton-based Cloggz were formed in 2014 by pianist Mark Edwards and feature some of the UK’s leading jazz musicians and multi-instrumentalists. The band have slowly been building a devoted following for both their live shows and their recordings; last year they were featured on BBC R3’s ‘Jazz Line Up’. This evening brings together the sweeping range of the band’s inspirations and influences in a whirling, imaginative panoply of musical celebration. The line-up will be: MARK EDWARDS, piano; JULIAN NICHOLAS, reeds; IMOGEN RYALL, vocals; RICHARD JONES, violin; NEIL CORIN, accordion; JAMES OSLER, guitar; TERRY PACK, Bass; DARREN BECKETT, drums.

From the late 1940s to the early 1990s, tenor saxophonist Stan Getz was one of the great individual instrumental artists in jazz. While his accompaniments were elaborately varied, Getz’s playing was always unmistakeable, characterised by his singing, luminescent tone and melodic creativity. Tonight, the CHRIS INGHAM QUARTET interpret a rich and varied selection from the repertoire associated with Stan, playing tracks from their latest CD entitled ‘Simply Stan’. The quartet features CHRIS INGHAM, piano; MARK CROOKS, tenor saxophone; ARNIE SOMOGYI, bass; GEORGE DOUBLE, drums.

RICHARD LEACH, after first playing the trombone at school, embarked on five years of classical training before he ventured on to London’s jazz scene playing alongside musicians like Humphrey Lyttelton, Terry Lightfoot, Johnny Dankworth and many more. He led his own Northside Jazz Band for twenty-six years before forming ‘Richard Leach’s 7 Stars of Jazz’, making a huge impact on the UK jazz club and festival scene. His street band this evening features: RICHARD LEACH, trombone; TONY PIPKIN, cornet; ZOLTAN SAGI, clarinet & alto sax; MARK CHALLINOR, banjo & ukulele; NICK WARD, drums & percussion; and DAVE DEAKIN, sousaphone, providing an evening of glittering musicality.

The JAMES PRIOR BIG BAND was formed in 2017 for a one off charity concert in aid of Cystic Fibrosis, the band then performed again a year later supported by jazz trombonist Mark Bassey and Vocal Fusion Acapella. For our Steyning concert the band will be playing an array of musical styles from Doc Severinsen, Glen Miller, Pat Metheny to Stan Kenton, and are engaging some of the finest names in the business to join this nineteen piece big band including: ANDREAS PANAYI, Lead alto; MIKE HEXT, Lead trombone; PAUL NEWTON, Lead trumpet; PETE CATER, drums; DAVID BROWN, vocals, indulging us in an evening of the thrilling sounds of a Big Band in full flight.

NIGEL THOMAS is a top professional double bass player, composer, bandleader and teacher. He has strong soul and blues influences in his background and an affinity with the swinging Jazz masters of the 40’s and 50’s onwards, through to the ethnic and contemporary Jazz of today. His quartet features NIGEL THOMAS, double bass; PAUL BOOTH, saxophone; MARK EDWARDS, piano; WINSTON CLIFFORD, drums. Their programme will include arrangements of standards and original compositions, music with elements of bebop, blues and world music, but always strongly rooted in the jazz tradition.

Our new 2023 season opens with the internationally acclaimed clarinettist ADRIAN COX, a musician at the top of his game. Adrian is a leading exponent in the New Orleans idiom and has a rich knowledge of the history of the city and its most recognised clarinet figures. As a performer, Adrian has the ability to engage with his audience with an unrivalled feel for the music which, combined with his virtuosic technique, has led him to wide critical acclaim including Time Out declaring him “London’s most charismatic reeds man.” Joined by his core band, JOE WEB, piano; SHANE FORBES, drums; TOM FARMER, bass, they play the music inspired by these great New Orleans musicians.

This January meeting opens our new 2023 season and is our membership renewal evening. Doors open early at 7.00pm, so join us in a glass of fine wine and renew your membership for the coming year: annual membership is £15.

Buster Plays Buster is a show devised by London jazz drummer Buster Birch that debuted in March 2011 and involves The Buster Birch Quartet performing jazz standards live to the screening of a Buster Keaton classic silent movie. The music has been arranged for the group, scored out and sync’d to the movie, but also features plenty of improvised solos from the musicians. This creates a cohesive work which merges the two art forms in to a unique experience for the audience. The movie we will be showing is ‘STEAMBOAT BILL JR’from 1928 and the band line-up will be: JO FOOKS, sax;NEIL CASEY, piano;PETE RINGROSE, bass; andBUSTER BIRCH, drums. Mince pies will be served to further enhance the Christmas spirit.

Charlotte Glasson is a multi-instrumentalist, band leader and session player, playing all the saxophones, flutes, clarinet, bass clarinet, violin and viola. Versatile contemporary jazz and diverse originals are all laced with her bluesy, expressive sax work;indeed,her witty, exuberant, genre defying music restores one’s faith in true jazz. The band line-up will be: CHARLOTTE GLASSON, saxes; MARK BASSEY, trombone; CHRIS KIBBLE, piano; LLOYD COOTE, tuba and double bass; and SAM GLASSON, drums.

Thomas ‘Spats’ Langham was born in 1971 and spent his childhood in Buxton. Inspired by his Grandfather, he started Ukulele as soon as his fingers were big enough, turning to the Banjo at the age of ten. At 14 he was appearing with the Hot Spa Stompers, and soon after with Ged Hones Dixie Boys,who encouraged him to start guitar. With the loss of the outstanding pianist,Keith Nichols, in January 2021, remembered for his peerless interpretation of Ragtime as well as being a master of Fats Waller style stride piano, these ‘Five Nickels’ musicians have come together to keep his memory and music alive with jazz from the 20s and 30s played with the utmost authenticity and virtuosity. The band features: ‘SPATS’ LANGHAM and MARTIN WHEATLEY, guitars/banjos; MICHAEL MCQUAID and TREVOR WHITING, reeds; RICHARD PITE, tuba, bass and drums.

Terry Seabrook’s Quintet explores the music of one of the greatest contemporary jazz composers: Wayne Shorter. Shorter was one of Miles Davis’s most important sidemen and contributed many great original songs for that quintet. He has been a prolific composer throughout his career and written for all of the bands in which he played, including: Art Blakey’s Messengers, The Miles Davis Quintet, and Weather Report, plus those bands which he led. Terry’s outstanding quintet will feature: ANDY PANAYI, sax and flute;ROBBIE ROBSON, trumpet; SIMON THORPE, bass; PETER HILL, drums; and TERRY SEABROOK, piano. The quintet also plays some new music inspired by Wayne Shorter in the form of A Shorter Suite by Terry Seabrook.