Paul Jackson Trio - London Jazz Festival

Bass legend and founder member of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters leads new trio for this special album launch show featuring Xantone Blacq (keys) and Tony Match (drums). Part of London Jazz Festival '14

Bassist, vocalist, composer-arranger, producer, and educator Paul Jackson is known as a “Musician’s Musician.” A founding member of Herbie Hancock’s The Headhunters, Paul’s creative output has shaped a new direction in contemporary music. He is one of the world’s most important and influential electric bassists - certainly one of the most studied and copied - and generations of bass players around the globe have been inspired by his signature infectious grooves.

After years of touring the globe with Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, George Benson, Chick Corea, and countless other visionaries, Jackson has finally assembled a new trio featuring multi-instrumentalist Xantoné Blacq and first-call drummer Tony Match. The Paul Jackson Trio has recently toured to sold-out club and festival audiences in Asia and Europe during which they have developed a new program of Paul’s original music. The result is Groove or Die, the trio's debut release, recorded at WAX studio in London.

Jackson couldn’t be more pleased with his new trio. “I am super happy. When we’re improvising I get the same feeling that I felt when playing with Herbie and The Headhunters. This band has everything I need." Indeed, Jackson's new trio is able to cover all the bases that the repertoire on Groove or Die requires. From soulful vocal ballads, samba, and driving improv to rock, P-funk, jazz, breakbeat, drum and bass, and beyond, Groove or Die is an eclectic mix of emphatic vocals and embroiling instrumentals straight from the maestro himself and an an amalgamation of Jackson’s decades of music-making at the highest level. For fans of Paul's bass playing specifically, the album doesn't disappoint- it's chock full of grit, grime, and soul, delivered in the way that only Paul is capable of, complete with his trademark sound and nuances. No doubt a few of these infectious grooves will be added to the 'Paul Jackson bible of bass lines'!