Pizza Express Live

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Last Show: Tuesday 22 ^nd May 2018

PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)

Sam Leak has been described as “one of the brightest young stars in the jazz piano galaxy, a heavenly improviser and a brilliant prospect for the future” by Helen Mayhew (JazzFM). He is most widely known for his band 'Aquarium,’ whose eponymous debut was one of MOJO Magazine’s 'Top Ten International Releases of the Year.’ His new trio features Simon Read on double bass and Will Glaser on drums, and on this show they will perform music from the new album Adrift, which will be released on Jellymould Jazz in Spring 2018.

"Multi-faceted and smart as a pin, this is poetic chamber jazz of a very high order" - Chris Ingham, MOJO Magazine (☆☆☆☆)

"The Royal Academy of Music's jazz programme has produced a remarkable crop of newcomers in recent times: notably the Mercury-nominated pianists Gwilym Simcock and Kit Downes. Now comes Sam Leak, an artist of comparable promise...Leak is a subtle storyteller who keeps the grooves and colours changing." - John Fordham, The Guardian

The Sam Leak Trio perform contemporary jazz with a gospel-tinged, and folk-inspired, freedom and abandon. Conjuring up the joy and emotion typified by Paul Bley and Keith Jarrett's 1960s trios, the ensemble maintains a sense of the tradition whilst performing music that is very much rooted in the present. Featuring Simon Read on double bass, and Will Glaser on drums, the band perform a mixture of Leak's compositions and some lesser played compositions from their favourite musicians.

The trio are currently showcasing Leak's composition 'Adrift,' recorded for Jellymould Jazz in duet with Dan Tepfer - described by Marcus O'Dair as 'astonishing.' Adrift was originally written for 2014's Steinway festival at the Pizza Express Jazz Club. It is a unique composition for two pianos that explores the range of colours and possibilities offered by the unconventional line up. The success of this performance led the pianists Sam Leak and Dan Tepfer to record the album at the Yamaha Piano Rooms in Midtown New York in January 2016. For the show, Sam has adapted the music for his new trio.

www.samleak.com

Sam Leak (piano)

Simon Read (bass)

Will Glaser (drums)