Brandon Allen Plays Sonny Rollins
Brandon Allen relocated to London in 2000 from Perth, Western Australia and since then, he has performed extensively with top UK and international artists, in jazz & pop and everything in between. For well over 10 years, Brandon has been the saxophonist with Kyle Eastwood, recording and touring globally with Kyle’s various projects. In addition though, he co-leads OMAR + QCBA, an exciting collaboration with UK trumpet player Quentin Collins and legendary soul singer Omar Lyefook, as well as various other groups, such as ‘Some Kinda Mean’ and ‘Celebrating the Tough Tenors’ with Alex Garnett. He’s also been featured with numerous other high-profile musicians - Eric Clapton, Paloma Faith, Jools Holland, Keith Tippett and many many more - which gives you an idea of just how good he is.
The focus of the show this evening will be a tribute to the remarkable Sonny Rollins. Frequently referred to as a 'saxophone colossus', over his seven decade career Rollins was associated with the legends of jazz such as Miles, Parker & Monk, since becoming one himself. To give some sense of his importance, Sonny received dozens of awards (including a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement), won multiple Downbeat polls and New York City even named 13 November 1995 'Sonny Rollins Day'. It will be a real treat to listen to Brandon, along with pianist Sean Fyfe, bassist Simon Read and drummer Matt Home as they perform these modern jazz classics.
‘…a saxophone heavyweight, at the height of his powers…’ Blues and Soul Magazine; ‘Muscular and robust one moment, warm and soothing another, stretching out with an abrasive edge’ Jazz Journal; 'Brandon Allen is arguably the most exciting tenor player in Britain today. His phrasing is unashamedly emotional, soaked in the blues tradition.' Jazzwise