Alex Garnett "Blues for Sweet Poppa Lou"
“Alex Garnett…one of Great Britain’s most accomplished post bop musicians”
All About Jazz
Alex Garnett’s powerful, flowing, hard bop sax has been heard with leading musicians of world renown, including Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Elling, Van Morrison, Seth McFarlane and Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones), while he's also a pivotal member of the Ronnie Scott’s All Stars. As such, he has performed in over 30 countries appearing at such prestigious venues as the Blue Note, Lincoln Center and Birdland as well as playing at Umbria Jazz, Cork, Rochester NY, Barcelona, Montreux, and Oslo Jazz Festival and the North Sea Jazz Fest, to name but a few. Against that backdrop, Alex brings to the Club a special programme in honour of the late legend of soul jazz, “Papa” Lou Donaldson. Best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone along with the deep influence of bebop courtesy of Charlie Parker, Lou reached out to audiences beyond the realm of hard-core jazz fans, long before the critics coined the term "crossover" music. Sharing Lou’s ethos, Alex’s shows offer first-rate musicianship as well as a great night’s entertainment and for this, he will be accompanied by the excellent pianist Rob Barron (Phil Woods, Al Jarreau, Dave O’Higgins, Claire Martin) & his Trio. Highly recommended.
“Alex Garnett…one of Great Britain’s most accomplished post-bop musicians” AllAboutJazz; “…Garnett's combination of a brusque, hard-punched sound has a rare conviction – suggesting early Coltrane, the work of such elegant long-gone hard-boppers as Ronnie Scott and 60s Blue Note sideman Hank Mobley.” John Fordham Guardian; “Alex Garnett held the audience spellbound” The Jazz Mann