Tim Whitehead and Tony Woods are two of the UK’s finest saxophonists. Their styles are contrasting yet complementary, and they have been described as “blood brothers in music”. Their close musical affinity is evident in many collaborations, such as their pianoless “Kwartet”.
With fantastic chemistry between these two great players, this will be an evening of exciting and passionate exchanges between two masters. Highly recommended!
Tenor saxophonist Tim Whitehead is renowned throughout the UK, Europe and the USA as a remarkable performer and composer with a dazzling CV. In the 70’s he toured with Ian Carr’s “Nucleus” and “Graham Collier Music” winning the Young Jazz Musician of the Year Award on the way. In the 80’s he was a member of the ground breaking big band Loose Tubes and in the 90’s he made several critically acclaimed albums, winning The Andrew Milne Award for Jazz, as well as the BBC Music Magazine Jazz Album of the Year.
"Whitehead has a highly personal, always gorgeous sound on tenor and an infinite vocabulary - in a country of fine saxophonists he is one of the finest.” Peter Bacon, Jazz CD of the Week, Birmingham Post *****
”There are many fine tenor players on the current British scene but Tim Whitehead is undoubtedly one of the best we have” Peter Lund - Crescendo
A graduate of Leeds College of Music and The Guildhall School of Music,alto saxophonist Tony Woods received awards for saxophone, outstanding performance and the soloist’s prize at the Dunkirk International Jazz Festival. In the mid 90’s, the Tony Woods Project was formed. It has recorded four highly acclaimed albums of original, folk inspired compositions: High Seas (1997), Lowlands (2004), Wind Shadows (2009) and Hidden Fires (2017). The band has attracted airplay on BBC Radio 3, Jazz FM, UK Jazz Radio, has toured the UK extensively and performed at festivals across the country
With Simon Cook on piano, Martin Pyne on drums and percussion and Marianne Windham on bass
Pre gig menu from Mandira’s Kitchen (please see the Event Info tab for the menu)
Please click the tabs for more information
EVENT INFO
The performance is upstairs in Guildford Pavilion, The Sports Ground, Woodbridge Road, Guildford GU1 4RP
Please note there are no physical tickets, just give your name on the door when you arrive. There’ll be seating reserved for you.
Doors open and supper available from 7pm, performance 8pm to about 10:15pm (with interval). Licensed bar. Seating is cabaret style and there is a lift for disabled access.
Pre-gig Menu from Mandira’s Kitchen: (please select chicken or vegetarian )
Vegetable samosas served with tamarind chutney
Punjabi Murgh Masala - Tender chicken cooked in a rich, spiced tomato gravy with aromatic Punjabi flavors.
Or Navratan Korma- A Royal Mughal dish of nine vegetables representing the jewels of King Akbar’s Court
Yakhni Pulao Fragrant basmati rice cooked in a flavorful, aromatic brothand spices
TICKETS
Full Price £20 /Guildford Jazz Members £18
Students £7 / Student Members £5
Meals £15.50
WHO'S PLAYING?
Tim Whitehead - tenor sax
During his career, Tim has played extensively throughout the UK and Europe, and more recently in the USA with American pianist Phil DeGreg. In the 70s he toured with Ian Carr’s Nucleus and Graham Collier Music and won the Young Jazz Musicians of the Year Award with his own band South of the Border in 1977.
In the 80’s he was a member of the groundbreaking big band Loose Tubes, and continued to develop his own music, recording for Spotlite Records and Editions EG - English People (1983) and Decision (1987) with his own bands, featuring at different times John Parricelli, Django Bates, Nic France and Pete Jacobsen. In the 90’s he recorded Authentic and Silence Between Waves, on Ronnie Scott’s Jazz House Label with Dave Barry, Pete Jacobsen and Arnie Somogyi, and received The Andrew Milne Award for Jazz, as well as several other commissions during this period. In 1999 Tim released Personal Standards, an album of soul and pop tunes arranged for jazz quartet, which received widespread interest and critical praise including Jazz Album of the Year in the BBC Music Magazine, and led to an educational project at Trinity College of Music under the same title. In 2000, Contemporary composer Colin Riley and Tim won the Peter Whittingham Award to complete and record Tides with the Homemade Orchestra. This was the beginning of a long term collaboration. Since then the HomeMade Orchestra have toured extensively and received several awards and commissions as well as releasing their second album, Inside Covers in 2005.
In 2009 he was the first ever musician Artist in Residence at Tate Britain (funded by an award from The Leverhulme Trust), to research and compose music in response to the work of JMW Turner. During the residency he wrote 'Colour Beginnings', a series of compositions written from transcribed improvisations performed in front of and in response to a selection of JMW Turner's watercolour sketches. The work was performed at Tate Britain in November 2009 following a series of lecture demonstrations in October. The performance was also recorded for release in 2010 and filmed for a profile on the project by Gwynhelek Productions. December 2009 saw a collaboration with Colin Riley and The Royal College Of Music String Orchestra, to perform 'Landscapes With Birds' by Riley for tenor and soprano saxes, which Tim performed with them at St James Church Piccadilly in London , and which was also performed at The Royal College Of Music in January 201
Tony Woods - alto sax
Tony began playing folk music with his father at the age of five. A graduate of Keele University, Leeds College of Music and The Guildhall School of Music, Tony received awards for saxophone, outstanding performance and the soloist’s prize at the Dunkirk International Jazz Festival.
In the mid 90’s, the Tony Woods Project was formed. It has recorded three highly acclaimed albums of original, folk inspired compositions: High Seas (1997), Lowlands (2004), and Wind Shadows (2009). The band has attracted airplay on BBC Radio 3, Jazz FM, UK Jazz Radio, has toured the UK extensively and performed at festivals across the country including Manchester, London, Swanage, Ealing, Ascot and Teignmouth. To explore the possibilities of improvising on English classical music Tony formed the Avalon Trio with Pete Churchill and the debut album Forlana was released in 2011 to great critical acclaim resulting in interviews on BBC Radio 3 and Jazz FM. Tony has also performed at the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room, Pizza Express Jazz Club and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. He has worked as a session musician in many of London’s studios including Lansdown Studios, Angel Studio, Abbey Road and Maida Vale Studios.
Tony has frequently performed with Michael Garrick, both live and on disc, in large and small ensembles, often with his wife: singer Nette Robinson. In 2010 Nette’s Little Big Band released its debut CD The Little Big Band Plays and in 2012 Michael Garrick’s Lyric Ensemble, which features Nette and Tony, released “Home Thoughts” - Michael Garrick’s final album. 2012 also saw the release of “Seventh Daze”, the debut album from Kwartet -Tony’s collaboration with long time musical associate Tim Whitehead.
Simon Cook - piano
Martin Pyne - drums
Marianne Windham - bass
DIRECTIONS
The performance is upstairs in the Pavilion building at the Guildford County Cricket Club, The Sports Ground, Woodbridge Road, Guildford GU1 4RP
For sat navs please check the postcode takes you to Wharf Road. There’s a car park alongside, entry from Wharf Road. If you’re approaching from Guildford town centre, Wharf Road is on the left just before the Sports Ground. If you’re approaching from the A3/Ladymead there’s no right turn into Wharf Road, but continue to the next roundabout to double back.
The car park next to the Pavilion holds about 40 cars (to enable emergency access, cars can only park in the marked bays). Unless it’s very wet, the overflow car park at the far end of the Cricket ground will be open.
To access the overflow car park, turn left as you come out of Wharf Road and carry on along Woodbridge Road towards the railway bridge, and the entrance to the ground is just before the end of the green fence that runs along the perimeter of the ground, next to the Woodbridge Café.
You might prefer to use one of the larger public car parks which are just a few minutes walk away: the open air Mary Road Car Park (GU1 4QU) or multi-storey Bedford Road Car Park (GU1 4SJ)
SEATING
Seating is either in front row settees/armchairs, central round tables, or rear high chairs/tables. Seats will be reserved for you when you book. If you’re a Guildford Jazz member, please let us know if you have a seating preference in on the booking form. Notes on the layout:
Front row: Seats 1 to 5 are sofas or armchairs
Middle tables: Tables 6 to 23 and 32 are small tables , each seating 4 (for bookings of 1 or 2 seats, we’ll seat you at a table with others, please let us know if you have friends coming who you’d like to sit with!).
Rear tables: Tables 24 to 29 are tall tables suitable for 2 people, with high stools.
Groups: Table 31 and 32 are suitable for larger group of 6 or more
High stools : 30 and 34 are single high stools (no table) , suitable for 1 to 3 people