Davison/Smith Play Basie
This newly formed 7-piece band, fronted by trumpeter James Davison, featuring some of London’s finest will be playing music from the library of Count Basie, specifically from his 1962 album “Count Basie and the Kansas City 7”. With a front line of Trumpet and 2 tenor saxes, often doubling flute and alto flutes, as well as the signature Basie rhythm section of guitar, piano, bass and drums, the Septet will be playing old standards such as “Lady Be Good” and “Shoe Shine Boy” arranged in a fresh and playful way, but always still in-keeping with Basie’s unique sound.
Winner of the Smith-Watkins Trumpet Award (2016) at the Royal Academy of Music and the prestigious 'Young Musician of the Year' Award-presented by the Worshipful Company of Musicians-in 2018, James Davison includes work with the likes of the BBC Big Band, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra and Pete Long’s ‘Jazz at the Philharmonic’ band. Formerly lead trumpet with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), he has since performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and as guest Principal with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the award-winning Misha Mullov-Abbado Patchwork Orchestra. James' own group “Quintet-a-Tete”, co-led with Callum Au and featuring the music of Clark Terry and Bob Brookmeyer, performs regularly at the 606 to great acclaim!
Featured also tonight with this brand new, exciting project will be up-and-coming saxophonist, bass clarinettist and composer Tom Smith. Twice finalist of the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year programme in 2014 and 2016, Tom went on to win the Peter Whittingham Development Award from Help Musicians UK in 2018, a high honour. Tom’s debut album ‘Gecko’ (produced by Tim Garland) released on Basho Records in 2020 further established him as a talent of note, and Tom has worked with a sparkling array of high-profile musicians in both the UK and abroad, including Grammy Award winner Maria Schneider, Donny McCaslin (David Bowie), Ian Shaw and more.
This superb new ensemble, comprised of the finest straight-ahead players in the UK combined with Basie’s magnificent, archetypal repertoire, promises to be a standout event on the EFG London Jazz Festival calendar. "Davison…in particularly fine form with an emotive trumpet solo effervescent… thrilling" The JazzMann; "[James Davison]... his energetic and fluent soloing was highly persuasive, and he also has a great line in witty repartee" London Jazz; “[Tom Smith] …something really special…a player to seek out again” London Jazz