100 years of jazz piano

The James Pearson Trio will play a fundraising concert ‘100 Years of Jazz Piano’ for the National Jazz Archive.

Pianist James Pearson, with Sam Burgess on bass and Chris Higginbottom on drums, present a history of jazz piano, featuring Oscar Peterson, Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton, Erroll Garner, Bill Evans and many, many more.

James Pearson is a world-class pianist, composer and raconteur extraordinaire. He is the artistic director at Ronnie Scott’s Club where his trio are the house band. His fine piano playing and arrangements can be heard on over 50 albums. With collaborations ranging from Paul McCartney to Wynton Marsalis, James is one of the country’s most sought-after pianists.

Bass player Sam Burgess is a stalwart of the UK jazz scene. As well as playing on numerous film soundtracks, his driving bass lines can be heard accompanying bands of all styles.

Chris Higginbottom is one of the UK’s top drummers, and is a member of the Kyle Eastwood band and the Ronnie Scott’s All Stars. A Royal Academy of Music graduate, Chris lived in New York for eight years where he played with many of the biggest names in jazz. He has performed all over the world and has released two albums as a leader.

James said: “It seems very appropriate to bring my trio to present a concert telling the story of jazz piano to help raise funds for the Archive, which itself covers the history of jazz. We’re looking forward to it!”