The Tony Woods Project kicks off its Jazz Services Tour at Quay Arts with an eclectic programme of accessible folk/jazz/rock/world influenced originals from the new album ‘Wind Shadows’.
The second album ‘Lowlands’ received four stars from John Fordham in The Guardian.
Tony Woods decided to form his own band the Tony Woods Project to provide an outlet for his own folk inspired compositions building on years of previous successes.
Tony was born in Southampton and grew up in Chilworth Old Village where he began playing folk music with his father at the age of five. Classical studies on clarinet and piano followed, becoming principal of Southampton Youth Orchestra in 1979, and a member of the British Youth Wind Orchestra in 1980.
During the 1980s he gave frequent performances as a student at Keele University with the New Music Ensemble (directed by Roger Marsh,) including ‘Screaming in the Sky’ by Tom Williams, a piece written especially for Tony. He studied jazz at Leeds College of Music, winning prizes for saxophone, outstanding performance, and also the Associated Board’s Lloyd Hartley Memorial prize for piano. Also winning the soloist’s prize at the Dunkirk International Jazz Festival in 1986 and the following year graduated from Leeds with a First with Distinction.
As post-graduate student at the Guildhall School of Music he played in the Guildhall JazzBand with fellow students John Harle and Jean Toussaint (of Jazz Messenger fame), performing at Ronnie Scott’s, the Bass Clef (with Kenny Wheeler) and closed the decade by winning the 1989 BBC Big Band Competition. He has played with band Within The Word which performed at various jazz festivals including Soho, Southampton, Swanage, Bath and London, and completed a tour in 1992, sponsored by Jazz Services
He has worked with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and has worked extensively as a session musician at many of London’s major studios including Angel Studios, Lansdown Studios, Abbey Road, BBC Maidavale (with the BBC Radio Big Band) and for Paul Hardcastle.
What others have said:
“a deceptively reserved player with all kinds of hidden fires…full of surprises”
(John Fordham- the Guardian)
“delightful and charming”
(Derek Ansell- Jazz Journal)
“….. the best of contemporary British Jazz”
(Musician Magazine )
The delicious Jazz Cafe Menu for July will follow shortly.
Bits and Bobs:
Performance Date/Time: Fri 10 Jul Performance 8pm Bar & Menu from 6:30pm onwards
Location: Cafe Bar, Quay Arts Ticket Price: £10 / *£9 (*Friends Concession) Box Office 01983 822490
