Jazz: Martin and Andy Play The Real Book

To launch the 26/27 season, we start with the front-line pairing of saxophonist Martin Kern and trumpeter Andy Hague. For tonight's gig, they will be ditching the printed arrangements and playing a selection of standards and Blue Note era classics they both know from memory, in homage to the famous Real Books. For the non-players out there, the Real Books are collections of jazz tunes used for repertoire by many jazz musicians since the early 1980s. Martin Kern grew up in Bülach near Zürich in Switzerland and later studied in Paris at the Cèntre d´'Information Musicale and at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern before spending some time in New York. He then moved to Berlin where he became a part of the vibrant jazz scene. It was there that he recorded his first albums as a bandleader, 'Visions' and 'Now Is The Music'. He later moved to Vienna where he recorded his most recent CD 'Live At The ORF', a live radio concert at the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation. Martin's music is a striking blend of bebop, hard bop and contemporary jazz, his sound reflecting those of legendary saxophonists Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and others. Pianist Tom Berge is a graduate of Leeds College and besides being incredibly busy with live jazz gigs is building a career as a composer, having written music for the BBC, Sky, ITV and other production companies. Will Harris holds a Masters in jazz bass from the Royal Academy, but is also a medical doctor. We've seen a little less of drummer Ryan Thrupp recently since he is now based in London, so great to have him back for this opening gig.