Growing up in rural North Devon, Emma didn't discover jazz until the age of 15, and didn't pick up a tenor saxophone until a year later. She had spent her childhood immersed in music but it was largely folk and classical music. In the space of just 5 years, she has gone from novice saxophonist to one of the most exciting new young emerging artists on the UK jazz scene. Emma is a natural performer. Her music has a unique sound fusing all her many influences, and her compositions range from hypnotic Afro-Cuban inspired grooves to hard hitting modern jazz and funk numbers. Emma's influences range from modern jazz and fusion to folk and soul with key figures in her musical development including Chris Potter, Wayne Shorter, Ari Hoenig, Kenny Garrett, Joe Henderson, Chick Corea and more.
Support band is Mangorata, our very own Leeds next generation rising jazz stars. A 6-piece jazz fusion collective, they combine original tunes and improvisation, creating high energy with lively rhythms inspired by legends like Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, and more recent artists such as Nubiyan Twist and Nubya Garcia.
Driven from the back by fiery drummer Miles Pillinger, they also feature another young virtuoso horn player in trumpeter Olivia Cuttill, just 19 years old and already blowing people away with her incredibly mature soloing/playing. With fellow boss horn player James Absalom by her side on tenor sax, they make a formidable brass section. Miles also has heavy company in the rhythm section from pianist Liam Mason, percussionist JJ Petrie and double bass player Chris Williams. They play mainly original music, like their first two singles "Bad Apple" and "Woolly Mammoth", with occasional tasty covers like "Sweetie Pie" by Stone Alliance. Two singles so far, supported Theon Cross, played all the Leeds jazz clubs/gigs several times already and still only music students in their late teens, this band has so much more to offer the jazz world. Get down early to see what all the fuss is about.
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