The Button Band

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Last Show: Tuesday 20 th June 2017

PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)

Following their critically acclaimed debut album in 2015 the Button Band, are embarking on a UK wide tour in May 2017, to promote the release of their second album 'Emilie'. This quartet of in-demand young players was founded in 2012 by inventive guitarist Andy Button, alongside Andy Woolf on tenor sax, Dave Manington on bass and Marek Dorcik on drums. Between them they have worked with such luminaries as Gwilym Simcock, Kenny Wheeler, Mark Lockheart, Mark Anthony Turnage and Marius Neset. The group blends melodic content with sophisticated forms and incorporates elements of various genres from country, blues and South-African township jazz, to angular post bop. The Button Band play highly melodic, unpretentious, accessible, modern British instrumental jazz.

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“Gently exploratory, unfolding folk tinged melodies rich in dexterity”

The JazzMann

The bands eponymous debut album was released in 2014 to critical acclaim followed buy a arts council supported UK wide tour. The band recorded their second Album 'Emilie' in May 2016 and are back on the road in May 2017 to promote its release.

Featuring some of the most active and in demand young Jazz musicians on todays scene The Button Band are:  

Andrew Button – Guitar and Composition

Andrew Buttonattended Middlesex University studying Jazz with Chris Batcholor and Stuart Hall. Graduating in 2005 he then went to New York to study with Guitarist Brad Shepic. Andrew has been an active part of the London music scene for more then 15 years and has performed with many top jazz musicians such as Martin Speak, Gareth Lockrane, Jim Mullen, Led Bib, James Alsop, Tori Freestone, Dave Manington, Tim Giles, NYJO, and many more as well as performances in the west end and playing in many different rock and pop projects. He recently travelled to Kenya to play with many fine musicians in Nairobi.

Andy Woolf – Tenor Sax

After graduating from the guildhall Andrew Woolf has dedicated himself to exploring and performing in a variety of musical styles. Initially classically-trained, he has expanded his musical landscape and now performs regularly on saxophone and clarinet in a variety of settings, ranging from modern jazz and improvisation ensembles such as Soma Quartet, Madwort Saxophone Quartet and more recently his own quintet, to projects embracing other musical cultures such as traditional Brazilian group Clube do Choro UK and modern Afrobeat bands Afrik Bawantu and Ozi Ozaa. He is also a singer with the London Vocal Project, which has performed with Bobby McFerrin, Kenny Wheeler and Norma Winstone.

“… warm-toned mellifluous tenor saxophone… with elegant phrasing” LondonJazz review

Dave Manington – Double Bass

Dave composed for and led his own jazz septet for several years, and now leads a quartet which is part of London’s ‘LOOP’ collective, whilst also contributing music to many other projects. Dave’s music has recently been heard on Radio 3 and on television.  He has also accumulated extensive studio experience recording albums and sessions as a sideman playing with luminaries like Mark Lockheart, Pete Wareham, Gwilym Simcock, Pete King, Martin Speake, Alan Barnes, Tim Whitehead, Salena Jones, Roberto Pla, Martin Shaw and John Etheridge amongst others. He’s played all around Europe and appeared in the Katmandu jazz festival, Cyprus Paradise jazz, Swanage, London and Brecon jazz festivals.

Marek Dorcik - Drums

Marek started playing drums at the age of 13 and studied classical music between the ages of 14 and 20 at the Conservatoire in his home town in Slovakia. But it was in jazz where he found his true passion. Since moving to the UK in 2006, Marek has been in constant demand from Britain’s top jazz artists, such as Mike Walker, Alan Barnes and Stuart McCallum, and has toured Europe many times with a range of different jazz projects.

Band Lineup

Andy Button (guitar) 

Andy Woolf (tenor sax)

Dave Manington (bass)

Marek Dorcik (drums)