PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)

The Jazz Defenders are a group born out of a deep love for Blue Note Jazz, drawing on a wealth of inspiration to craft their own raw and vibrant compositions. George Cooper is one of the UK's most formidable Jazz pianists, who at only 29 years old has already amassed a comprehensive repertoire of working partnerships including Hans Zimmer, Nigel Kennedy, U2 and The Haggis Horns. In 2015 George set about choosing some of the finest musicians Bristol has to offer to form a group that have since wowed audiences around the Southwest with their superb musicianship and virtuosity. As musicians in their own right the members of the band have worked with Chris Potter, Clark Tracey, Get The Blessing, Pee Wee Ellis and Nostalgia 77. The music that they will present is a modern Soul Jazz slant on classic Hard Bop, effortlessly channeling the spirit of the golden Blue Note era of Jazz.

"A classy five star quintet to keep an eye on... "

Bristol 24/7

The Jazz Defenders are a group born out of a deep love for Blue Note Records – specifically the hard bop recordings of Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan and The Jazz Messengers. Those records were highly regarded for a reason – catchy horn lines and incredible musicianship combined with Rudy Van Gelder’s engineering skills mean they will forever be regarded as classics of the genre. The Jazz Defenders are a group that would ‘defend’ the legacy of those recordings whilst creating its own original identity and distinction.

The group was initially conceived by vibrant Bristol composer George Cooper who in 2015, set about choosing the right musicians for the individual qualities and style that they would bring to the group. Then followed an all-original set of tunes written between Cooper and each member of the ensemble, featuring some of Bristol’s finest players. The music that they produce together is a modern Soul Jazz slant on classic Hard Bop, effortlessly channeling the spirit of the golden Blue Note era of Jazz.

As session musicians in their own right, the five members of the band have worked with a variety of internationally acclaimed artists such as Chris Potter, Nigel Kennedy, Massive Attack, Clark Tracey, Pee Wee Ellis, Andy Sheppard, Get The Blessing, Rodriguez & Nostalgia 77.

Band Lineup

George Cooper - Piano

Will Harris - Double Bass

Matt Brown (drums)

Nick Dover (tenor sax)

Nick Malcolm (trumpet)