Liane Carroll - internationally acclaimed vocalist
Multi award-winning vocalist and pianist, Liane Carroll was born in London, raised in Hastings, and has been making music since she was three. Her singing and piano playing have made her well known the around the world. She has performed and recorded with artists such as Charlie Haden, Gerry Rafferty, Ladysmith Black Mombasa, Ian Shaw, Claire Martin OBE and Paul McCartney. She has also recently toured extensively with drum and bass band ‘London Elektricity’.
Equally at home in intimate jazz venues and vast performance spaces, in summer 2016 Liane took part in the BBC Proms with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland. She is a great supporter of young and emerging artists and is much in demand by youth orchestras, ensembles and colleges for her inspirational approach to teaching. She runs regular workshops for aspiring vocalists at all levels of experience and teaches at the revered Guildhall School Of Music and Drama. Liane’s teaching is inspirational and embodies the same passion and brilliance she displays as a performer.
“Without a doubt one of my all time favourites. She has a remarkable delivery, powerful and soulful but at the same time she can sing a ballad to make you cry. And a personality to die for (one of the most entertaining performers we have here)". Steve Rubie, 606 Jazz Club, London.
Find out more about Liane Carroll at her Official Website
Julian Siegel - award winning saxophonist and composer
Julian Siegel is a BBC jazz award-winning saxophonist on the UK and European jazz scene. His current bands are the Julian Siegel Quartet featuring pianist Liam Noble, bassist Oli Hayhurst and drummer Gene Calderazzo and Partisans whom he co leads with NYC based guitarist Phil Robson. The Julian Siegel Trio with US stars, drummer Joey Baron and bassist Greg Cohen was formed as a result of a major commission from Cheltenham Jazz Festival in 2006 and in recent years he has toured his newly formed Jazz Orchestra supported by Arts Council England and in February 2018 he guested his music with the NDR Big Band, in Hamburg directed by US Trumpeter/composer Tim Hagans.
The rosta of artists that Julian has performed with is comprehensive including Kenny Wheeler, Andrew Hill, Hermeto Pascoal, Mike Gibbs (alongside Bill Frisell, Steve Swallow and Adam Nussbaum), Django Bates, Jazz Jamaica, Stan Sulzmann, Sir John Dankworth, Colin Towns, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow and Rita Marcotulli, Diane Schuur, Gary Husband’s ‘Drive’, Mulatu Astatke, Simon Purcell’s ‘Red Circle’, Laurie Anderson, Kirk Lightsey, Norma Winstone, Nigel Kennedy, Mike Stern, Robert Mitchell, Byron Wallen, Jason Palmer, Jeff Ballard and Oren Marshall's 'Charming Transport Band' featuring musicians from Ghana and Nigeria, John Taylor and Diana Torto.
Julian is an immensely experienced educator and is professor of jazz saxophone and improvisation at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, London.
You can find out more about Julian Siegel at his OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Simon Purcell - pianist and composer
Although best known as an educator, since the mid 1980s, Simon has performed with amongst others Red Rodney, Kenny Wheeler, Eddie Henderson, Martin Taylor, Stan Sulzman, Jean Toussaint and Julian Arguelles. His current band “Red Circle” features Julian Siegel, Chris Batchelor, Steve Watts and Gene Calderazzo, recently appearing opposite Archie Shepp at the EFG London Jazz Festival.
Combining a career as performer and educator, Simon Purcell has mentored many of Britain’s talented young jazz musicians, receiving the award for Jazz Educationalist of the Year from the Parliamentary Jazz Committee in 2006. Simon was appointed International Chair in Improvisation at the Guildhall School of Music in London in 2019, formerly Head of Jazz at Trinity-Laban Conservatoire from 2005-2017 and member of the Pop and Jazz Steering Group for the Association of European Conservatoires from 2009-2018. Simon’s research into student-centred learning in jazz was published by Ashgate in 2005 and current work investigates the integration of mindfulness directly with musical practice - the 4Ps.
Find out more about Simon Purcell at his OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Will Glaser live!
Will Glaser - drums
For 2022 we are delighted to welcome another of the UK’s and increasingly Europe’s first-call drummers, Will Glaser.
Will was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire and since Graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2014 has become very much in demand as sideman to a vast array of the British Jazz scene; performing with musicians such as Soweto Kinch, Cleo Laine, Stan Sulzmann, Kit Downes, Nikki Iles, Dinosaur, Alex Garnett, Martin Speake, Josephine Davies, Yazz Ahmed, Eddie Parker, Freddie Gavita, Henry Lowther, Babelfish, Liam Noble, Rick Simpson, and Sam Leak to name a few.
Will’s influences are eclectic from across jazz history, improvised music and anywhere else, from Baby Dodds to Milford Graves, Max Roach to Paul Motian, Roy Haynes to Joey Baron or Ed Blackwell to John Bonham. He can be heard playing anything from traditional Jazz, straight ahead settings, improvised music or avant rock!
Will is an experienced teacher and is currently a drum tutor and ensemble coach at Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London.
"Great Beard!" Wynton Marsalis 2018 (true!)
"Glaser's sense of fun extends to his website" Chris May in All About Jazz 2021
Find out more about Will at his OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Sophie Bancroft - acclaimed Scottish jazz singer and songwriter
Sophie Bancroft
Heralding from one of Britain’s top jazz families, with brothers Tom and Phil Bancroft, Sophie’s early part of her career saw her performing jazz vocals around Britain and Europe at major jazz festivals and clubs, and on regular broadcasts for the BBC. She has gone on to have a highly successful career as a singer-songwriter with a unique blend of jazz and folk influences. Her most recent CD ‘Monday Nights’ with her duo Bancroft & Lyne is receiving critical acclaim. Sophie regularly performs with her partner, bassist Tom Lyne, in their duo Bancroft & Lyne, including a recent performance at the Rochester International Jazz Festival in New York, where they were heralded as a ‘must see’ act.
Collaborations with electronic band Spylab led to her songs being used on US hit TV show ‘Six Feet Under’ whilst her acoustic songs have been recorded by various award-winning artistes including vocalist Liane Carroll and pianist Louis Durra. A renowned and highly sought after vocal teacher she currently teaches at Aberdeen University and The Reid School of Music at Edinburgh University alongside a busy private teaching and workshop tuition schedule. She also leads her local community choir – The Pathhead Choir.
In recent years Sophie has expanded her creative practice to include writing spoken word, poetry and prose and producing short film poems. She was awarded a Creative Writing Masters with distinction in 2019 and now has various pieces of writing published. One of her film poems is being screened at the ‘Women Over Fifty Film Festival’ 2021.
Loz Garratt - double bass and bass guitar
Another new tutor but well known to the course as a past student and assistant-tutor - during his very young days! Since graduating from Trinity Laban Conservatoire in 2011, Loz quickly established himself as one of the UK’s most sought after bass players through performing with top UK jazz musicians such as Bobby Wellins, Geoff Simkins, Liane Carroll, Pete Churchill, Simon Purcell and Mark Lockheart, as well as the emerging younger generation - Leo Richardson, Chris Eldred, etc. Since 2013 has played bass for Jamie Cullum, taking him on tours of the USA, Asia and Europe and including playing at venues such as Madison Square Garden, the Royal Albert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. He has recorded with Jamie Cullum, Gary Barlow, Liane Carroll and Samantha Barks as well as West End work such as Wicked.
Alongside performing, Loz is a committed educator and has been worked with the International Jazz Summer School, National Youth Jazz Collective and the jazz education programs run by Notivate,
