Clark Tracey's
Jazz Champions

Prepare yourself for a cracking evening's jazz, courtesy of  award-winning drummer, bandleader, composer, and arranger Clark Tracey and his Jazz Champions! 

 

Clark, who originally performed with his late, great father, Stan Tracey (CBE), has gone on to establish himself in his own right as one of the country’s leading modern jazz drummers.
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A five-time winner of the Best Drummer category in the British Jazz Awards, Clark has built a reputation since the early 80s as someone who could spot future jazz stars; Guy Barker, Alex Ridout, Daniel Casimir, Zoe Rahman, and Mark Armstrong are just a few whose talent he nurtured.
 
Awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to music and the promotion of jazz, Clark's latest group, The Jazz Champions, features a stellar line-up of well-respected top-drawer musicians from the UK jazz scene with CVs to match: Art Themen, Simon Allen, David Newton, and Andrew Cleyndert.

Formed in April 2024, the Jazz Champions  will perform tunes from their recently released CD Sound For Sore Ears, along with an assortment of Stan Tracey favourites.

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ART THEMEN

​An exciting, playful and inventive saxophonist, Art has been a beloved character of the British jazz  scene for a staggering  60 years, combining his role as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon with saxophone duties in the bands of Mike Westbrook, Michael Garrick, Graham Collier, Alexis Korner, and Stan Tracey - an association that would last 25 years. 

Art's early session work included backing Joe Cocker on his classic With a Little Help from My Friends, as well as recording sessions with George Harrison and Eric Clapton.

 

SIMON ALLEN

A former finalist in the Young Jazz Musician of the Year competition, tenor saxophonist Simon leads his own quartets and quintets, is a member of the Laurence Cottle All Star Big Band and Colin Towns Mask Orchestra.

 

First spotted in the ranks of the youth band Pendulum by Clark more than 30 years ago, he has recorded and performed with Sir Paul McCartney, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Phil Collins, Robbie Williams, Beverley Knight, Katie Melua, and Jamie Cullum.

DAVID NEWTON

Voted Best Jazz Pianist no less than 16 times by UK jazz audiences, David's dynamic and lyrical playing has arguably been overshadowed by his work as an accompanist for singers such as Marion Montgomery, Tina May, Annie Ross, Claire Martin, and, of course, Stacey Kent, with whom he spent 10 years recording and touring the world.

ANDREW CLEYNDERT

Bassist Andrew began his career working in the bands of Don Weller and Bobby Wellins and has since flourished on the jazz scene in the UK and beyond, playing and touring with the creme-de-la-creme of UK musicians. He was another regular with Stan Tracey, with whom he toured and recorded for 30 years, and later bacame first-choice accompanist to international soloists such as Bud Shank, George Coleman, Lee Konitz, and James Moody.