Head's Up

Xhosa Cole's Rhythm-a-Thing

PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)

Winner of the 2018 BBC Young Jazz Musician of the year, Xhosa Cole is an embodiment of the success of numerous community arts programmes in Birmingham. Having grown up in Handsworth and first played the Tenor at Andy Hamilton's Ladywood Community Music School, he's now among a long legacy of Birmingham Saxophonists including Soweto Kinch and Shabaka Hutchings. In this band Xhosa explores the music of Thelonious Monk with his own unique arrangements that explore different Rhythmic possibilities and dimensions.

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“… Cole expressed a touchingly modest reverence towards his great forebears, but there’s absolutely nothing modest about his playing, which is madly inventive at every moment and remarkably individual for one so young.”

The Telegraph

Book tickets for Xhosa Cole's Rhythm-a-Thing

Critically acclaimed saxophonist, flautist and composer, Xhosa Cole is an embodiment of the success of numerous community outreach arts programmes in Birmingham. Having started playing Tenor Saxophone at Andy Hamilton MBE’s Ladywood Community Music School, Xhosa has now established himself among the long legacy of Birmingham Saxophonists including Soweto Kinch and Shabaka Hutchings. Xhosa’s early career was shaped by a number of musical mentors including the likes of Sid Peacock, Jean Toussait, Mike Williams, John Ruddick and Percy Purseglove, giving him a varied outlook on his approach to development and a deep connection to the lineage and tradition of Jazz music. More recently it has been various collaborative, performance and compositional opportunities that have forged his development and helped to establish him as an emerging name on the UK scene.

Band Line Up

Xhosa Cole (saxophone)

Josh Vadiveloo (double bass)

Jim Bashford (drum set)

Steve Saunders (guitarist)