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The Matt Wates sextet is currently one of the 'hottest' small groups in British jazz, winning Best Small Group in the British Jazz Awards in 2001 (Matt himself won the Rising Star Award in 1997), and the group is a fixture at many jazz festivals around the country. Having won a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music in Boston in the late 1980s, he played with Duncan Lamont, Humphrey Lyttelton, Don Weller, Itchy Fingers and Paz before leading his own groups. His current sextet was formed in 1998, and its personnel has remained fairly consistent. It now consists of Canadian tenor saxophonist Steve Kaldestad (who was taught by Lee Konitz), the redoubtable Martin Shaw on trumpet, pianist Leon Greening, bassist Malcolm Creese (who owns the recording label Audio-B and who leads the group Acoustic Triangle), and the outstanding drummer Steve Brown. The recent Ghost Dance is the group's seventh CD.  Matt
Wates' fluent and lyrical style of playing has been likened to Canonball
Adderley (whose small groups of the late 1950s offer perhaps a stylistic
blueprint for Matt's own group) and Paul Desmond. His compositions - which
are the mainstay of the group's repertoire - are concise, can be tender
or dramatic, and at all times flow with a natural swing and airy grace;
his skillful and understated arrangements never swamp the composition. Smallbills
GarageAudio-B, 1999 CD £11.99 further details  Between
The LinesAudio-B, 2002 CD £11.99 further details  The
Miller's TaleAudio-B, 2003 CD £11.99 further details  Ghost
DanceAudio-B, 2005 CD £11.99 further details |
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© Jazzscript 2002 Wendover Bookshop, 35 High Street, Wendover, Bucks, United Kingdom HP22 6DU tel / fax: +44 (0)1296 696204 | email |
