Sam Braysher with Michael Kanan
The Award-winning saxophonist Sam Braysher has received international acclaim for his warm, delicate sound and deep knowledge of the standard repertoire and American Songbook. His 2017 debut album, ‘Golden Earrings’, a duo recording with NYC pianist Michael Kanan, was awarded four stars by the Observer with a number of jazz journalists selecting it in their ‘Best of 2017’ lists, while his subsequent trio record with Jorge Rossy (Brad Mehldau Trio) and Tom Farmer (Empirical) received high praise from Jazzwise as “a triumph of intelligence and sentiment”. Sam’s latest album sees him taking a swinging look at the songs of German-American composer Kurt Weill. But for this show, Sam will reunite with US pianist Michael Kanan for their first live collaboration since 2020. Best known as an accompanist of star vocalists, Michael has worked as MD for Jane Monheit and before that the legendary singer Jimmy Scott. He has also played with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Lee Konitz, Peter Bernstein and many others, appearing at major jazz clubs and festivals around the world. Sam and Michael will perform imaginative and spontaneous interpretations of beloved songs by George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin and more.
“The combination of Braysher’s airy sweet tone, and Kanan’s rhythmic elegance makes for a lovely, unhurried and yet swinging set…passages of intricate counterpoint…captures [the] freshness of approach and something of the energy and empathy which flows between these two great artists” UK Jazz News; "Braysher’s cool, modernist twist on old songs is just superb" Jazz Journal; “…a warm and engaging pianist with taste, warmth, chops, feeling up the wazoo and the ability to get inside the tunes”. 52ndStreet.com