Dave O'Higgins

Undoubtedly one of this country’s finest modern jazz sax players, Dave O'Higgins has worked with the likes of Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Jimmy Smith and Annie Lennox. The winner of a multitude of awards, he has produced 19 albums to date of his own solo material and appeared on innumerable sessions and festivals around the world. A composer, arranger, educator and latterly recording engineer and producer, his current projects include work with one of New York’s leading sax players, Eric Alexander (in a classic two sax “hard bop” quintet performing on both sides of the Atlantic) as well as the internationally renowned Darius Brubeck Quartet and the Gascoyne/O’Higgins Quartet. Dave is also the writer and arranger of the Two Minds Big Band, which he co-leads with long time associate Pete Wraight. When not performing himself, Dave is a highly regarded jazz educator, teaching at the London Centre of Contemporary Music (LCCM), and has previously been on the music faculty at renowned institutions including the Royal Academy of Music and the Universities of Natal and Cape Town. Tonight, along with his band of Gabriel Latchin-piano, Geoff Gascoyne-bass and Sebastiaan de Krom-drums, Dave will be performing material from their latest CD “It’s Always 9.30 in Zog”, which has been described as "fizzing with life and panache". This is a brilliant gig led by one of the most respected musicians on the international jazz scene.

…exceptional fluency...one of Britain’s finest musicians” Observer; “...virtuoso jazz/fusion saxophonist” Time Out; “….world class player” BBC Music Magazine; “…dazzling” Guardian; "A stunning player in the neo-bop vein, with an apparently effortless flow of coherent ideas, beautiful time and a highly developed harmonic sense.” Jazz Guide