Alex Hitchcock Quintet at Colchester Arts Centre Jazz Club

Rising tenor sax star Alex Hitchcock leads a youthful powerhouse quintet bristling with talent, and oozing a compelling, adventurous ear for melody with virtuosic improvising.

​When reviewing one of the band's gigs, the JazzMann commented: "If I suggest that it reminded me of Miles Davis’s classic quintet with Wayne Shorter, that will give you some idea of the impact it had on me. It’s tightly disciplined, in the best sense of the word."

​Alex has worked as an Ambassador for the National Youth Jazz Collective, and in 2015 collaborated with promoters Serious to produce concerts at Rich Mix through their Young&Serious programme. In 2016, he completed a postgraduate course at the Royal Academy of Music. ...

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Rising tenor sax star Alex Hitchcock leads a youthful powerhouse quintet bristling with talent, and oozing a compelling, adventurous ear for melody with virtuosic improvising.

​When reviewing one of the band's gigs, the JazzMann commented: "If I suggest that it reminded me of Miles Davis’s classic quintet with Wayne Shorter, that will give you some idea of the impact it had on me. It’s tightly disciplined, in the best sense of the word."

​Alex has worked as an Ambassador for the National Youth Jazz Collective, and in 2015 collaborated with promoters Serious to produce concerts at Rich Mix through their Young&Serious programme. In 2016, he completed a postgraduate course at the Royal Academy of Music.

​As well as leading his own projects, Alex plays in various other bands, including jazz funk outfit Resolution 88 and the Patchwork Jazz Orchestra. He has performed with, among others, Soweto Kinch, Laurence Cottle, Stan Sulzmann, Dennis Rollins and Art Themen.

A young man with remarkable poise and self-assurance, he is a relaxed and natural bandleader who has already made a significant impact on the UK jazz scene within a very short space of time. He also knows how to put together a set list which balances his own original titles with familiar standards.

​Along with Alex himself, the quintet features four of the most creative rising stars of the UK jazz scene - James Copus (Trumpet/Flugelhorn), Will Barry (Piano), Joe Downard (Double Bass) and Jay Davis (Drums) - who have already made their mark as sidemen with an impressive list of jazz luminaries, ranging from Jasper Hoiby and Chris Potter, to Elliot Galvin.

"It’s tightly disciplined, in the best sense of the word, with the frontline of Hitchcock and Copus playing as one, but with a sense of space that allows soloists to explore the themes in any direction they choose." - The JazzMann

​"Sax virtuoso . . . one to watch." – Jazzwise


"Hitchcock blows contemporary post-Coltrane tenor, soaring up into the outer limits." – Bebop Spoken Here

". . . undoubtedly one of the stars of the future." - Jazz FM

". . . effectively mixed a traditional tenor-ballad warmth with a brisk contemporary attack." – The Guardian

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