31 January – Alex Merrett Quartet

”This exciting quartet by Bristol-based saxophonist and composer Alex Merritt brings together four distinctive improvisers, and voices on their respective instruments, to interpret original material of Alex’s that draws inspiration from both classical composers such as Maurice Ravel, Olivier Messiaen and Henri Dutilleux as well as a host of contemporary jazz influences. The band will also play choice arrangements of music by jazz favourites Joe Henderson, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk.

The line-up features the wonderful Rebecca Nash on piano (Iain Ballamy, Ed Jones, Sara Colman), Will Harris on bass (The Jazz Defenders, Matt Anderson, Simon Gardner) and Jay Davis on drums (Nikki Illes, John Paricelli. Stan Sulzmann, Laura Jurd).

This quartet builds on the success of Alex’s former quartet release ‘Anatta’ (2016) a record that featured legendary American drummer Jeff Williams, received critical acclaim as a “promising debut, of striking quality” from the Guardian’s John Fordham and was praised as “one of the best UK jazz recordings I’ve heard this year” by Marlbank’s Stephen Graham on its release. Since this time Alex has also released two albums for the prestigious Barcelona-based label Fresh Sound New Talent; ‘Mind-Ear-Ladder’ in a co-led quintet with trumpeter Steve Fishwick (2022) and ‘Common Threads’ with the Fresh Sound Ensemble (2023). Alex is now relishing the opportunity to get back to the classic quartet format with this brilliant line-up and is excited to bring some new quartet material to Calstock Arts as part of a larger nationwide tour in January- February 2026.”