We Free Kings

Sun Oct 10: We Free Kings featuring Toby Greenwood tenor sax, Kevin Holbrough trombone, Jim Corry  baritone sax, Jamil Sheriff on piano, Garry Jackson string bass and Chris Sykes drums

The gig will feature music from the debut album of Leeds-based saxophonist Toby Greenwood "A dove in every pocket".  We Free Kings is a gifted 6+-piece acoustic jazz ensemble. Recorded at the Leeds Media Centre in Chapeltown, the album features some of the best jazz musicians in the north, including Kev Holbrough on trombone, Jim Corry on baritone sax, Jamil Sheriff on piano, Garry Jackson string bass and Chris Sykes drums.

Greenwood's a fan of the American greats Charlie Mingus and Theolonius Monk and Latin American and South African jazz, and these influences bleed through into horn-fuelled compositions which are a rich blend of style and substance, free of any of the challenging surprises that pepper the work of some boundary-pushing jazz artists.

His aim with the album was to keep things accessible and melodic while maintaining a bedrock of solid jazz, and he pulls this off with ease. Although there are tracks that are, in Greenwood's own words, "a slightly echopractic tribute to Wayne Shorter", "a strident celebration of schadenfreude" and "a loose sanguine samba", listeners who aren't jazz purists will just hear a fine selection of sumptuously mellow, head-noddingly groovy and impeccably performed numbers.

A Dove in Every Pocket: the album is available to sample and order at www.myspace.com/tobygreenwood It was released by GLP music on May 18 2010

Seven Jazz has a good vibe, friendly people and a fun raffle with seven (of course) prizes. Families are welcome. Why not have your Sunday lunch served for you while you watch the music

Date: Sunday Oct 10th.  Doors open 1pm, music starts 1.30pm-4pm. Cost £5/4 concessions. Kids under 16 free.