Super project…Top class – Gilles Peterson

Eclectic, eccentric and unobtrusively erudite – Guardian

A sound of genuine freshness and subtlety **** – Jazzwise

The W is a newly established contemporary jazz quartet of outstanding musicality, featuring some of the UK’s hottest and most in-demand players, including Heidi Vogel, vocalist with The Cinematic Orchestra. Like the four equal lines that make up the letter W, the four members of this group come together as one voice in performance to create chamber jazz that is as exciting and inventive as it is elegant and sophisticated. Working with a range of musicians from Shabaka Hutchings to the LSO, The Independent describes Bruno Heinen as a “consistently intelligent linking voice”, a fair summation of the way in which he brings these four unique musicians together through his original compositions. Expect memorable lines, melodic grooves and diverse references brought together by the consistently intelligent linking voice of composer and improvising pianist Bruno Heinen.

As vocalist for the Cinematic Orchestra for over 15 years and the go-to vocalist for acts such as Thundercat and Soweto Kinch, Heidi Vogel has long been a critics choice for her extraordinary voice and velvet tone. Her sublime vocals bring a contemporary, stylish sound to The W. On drums is London-based New Yorker Gene Calderazzo, a leading figure on the international jazz scene whose vast portfolio includes performances with Pharoah Sanders, Radiohead and Freddie Hubbard to name a few. On double bass is Italian Andrea Di Biase who has performed with many leading figures in British jazz such as Stan Sultzman, Norma Winstone and Kenny Wheeler. The group is led by composer and improvising pianist, Bruno Heinen, who has worked with the likes of Shabaka Hutchings, ESKA, and the London Symphony Orchestra. The Independent describes him as a consistently intelligent linking voice, a fair summation of the way in which he brings these four unique musicians together through his original compositions.

http://www.brunoheinen.com/

Support (7.30-8pm) is from the Leeds Conservatoire band William Palmer Jones Trio (William Palmer Jones guitar, Iris Casling bass and Esther Easthope drums) – music drawing inspiration from jazz, rock, spirituals, and Scandinavian/European folk traditions.

Bruno Heinen’s The W – at Seven Arts, Thursday 6 February 2025, Doors 7.00pm  Music 7.30pm

Support

Support is from the young Leeds band William Palmer JoneTrio William Palmer Jones guitar, Iris Casling bass and Esther Easthope drums