Mark Crooks Organ Quartet
A terrific, tasteful player on both saxophone and clarinet, Mark Crooks has forged an unrivalled reputation in a variety of settings, from jazz club to concert hall and West End theatre. A member of the award-winning Back to Basie Orchestra and the John Wilson Orchestra (who have been featured annually at the BBC Proms since 2009), Mark’s considerable talent has also seen him performing alongside celebrated artists such as Tony Bennett, Sir Simon Rattle, Lady Gaga and Dame Cleo Laine. For this 606 show, Mark has teamed up with the fantastic organist Pete Whittaker to “explore some of the grooviest tenor sax/organ repertoire from the likes of Stanley Turrentine, Shirley Scott and Jimmy Smith.” Well known for his work with the Filthy Six, John Etheridge’s Blue Spirits Organ Trio and similar outfits, Pete will join Mark along with the excellent Colin Oxley-guitar and Matt Home-drums as they bring this funky mix of soul-jazz & hard bop music to life.
"The phenomenally gifted Mark Crooks...the quartet is everything you could wish for – swinging, supple and, most importantly, always appropriate” Jazz Journal; "Crooks's tenor rises to the challenge...a performance that strikes a balance between muscle and lyricism" Sunday Times; “virtuoso perfection” Jazzwise