Mark Cherrie/Dominic Grant
Tonight sees the return of two popular musicians here at the Club, Mark Cherrie and Dominic Grant with a new quartet inspired by their Caribbean roots. Brought up in a household surrounded by an eclectic choice of music, Dominic’s talent for the guitar became evident at an early age. With one foot in his father, Cy’s, Caribbean heritage, his journey led him to working with some of the finest musicians in the world, including Courtney Pine, Ronnie Laws and Albert Tootie Heath. A highly regarded performer on Steel Pan, Mark Cherrie is a vastly experienced musician (he is also an accomplished keyboard player) who has developed a unique voice on an instrument that is still a rarity in jazz. Mark himself is also steeped in the Steel Pan tradition: his father, the bass/steel pan player Ralph Cherrie, was one of the founders of the Notting Hill Carnival and Mark cut his jazz teeth “sitting in” with the great Trinidadian pianist/pan player Russ Henderson here at the Club. Joining Dominic and Mark this evening will be Mao Yamada (Dom Pipkin, Cameron Pierre, Nick Meier)-bass and Jose Joyette (Sister Sledge, Lighthouse Family, Billy Ocean, Roachford, Amy Winehouse, Omar)-drums.
“Cherrie…[there] is no doubt about his mastery of the steel pan” Guardian; “a magician…Grant brought some astonishingly creative sounds out of his guitar” UK Jazz News