Mel Gaynor's Jazz Fusion Project ft Denys Baptiste, John Watson & Issy Brown
A powerhouse behind the kit, Mel Gaynor has been a driving force in global pop and rock for over four decades, boasting over 109 million albums sold across his storied career. Best known as the longtime drummer for Simple Minds, his session and live credits span a remarkable range of music royalty, including Gary Moore, Brian May, Peter Gabriel, Elton John, Tina Turner, and The Pretenders. But on the way to this remarkable success, when Mel was a young musician coming up in London he played, toured and recorded with numerous soul and funk acts, before his introduction to Simple Minds. And in 2006, he released a jazz fusion album, described at the time as "a mix between progressive rock and jazz-fusion”, with Mel citing the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra as his primary influences. This 606 show will showcase these roots, with intricate rhythms, searing grooves, and boundary-pushing interplay. Mel will be joined by the outstanding keyboard player John Watson (Sister Sledge, Imagination, Mica Paris), bass phenomenon Issy Brown and the renowned, MOBO & Mercury Prize award-winning saxophonist Denys Baptiste for an electrifying evening of world-class musicianship!
“I have worked with Mel for nearly twenty five years and that alone has been one of the major highlights from my life time. Quite simply apart from being one of the finest drummers… Simple Minds became a different beast from the moment of his arrival!” Jim Kerr