Alison Rayner Quintet at Colchester Arts Centre Jazz Club

"Purposeful, full-toned and melodic. Those are the qualities of Alison Rayner's music in her roles as both bass player and composer." The opening comment of Observer critic Dave Gelly from his glowing review of Alison's latest CD, A Magic Life. “Spirited, eloquent and graceful," wrote The Guardian's John Fordham.

Alison has had a lengthy career as a bass player and composer, touring and recording with award-winning all-female band, the Guest Stars, and subsequently working with players such as Tal Farlow, Ian Shaw, Jean Toussaint, John Etheridge and Deirdre Cartwright.

For the past two years, the Alison Rayner Quintet has built a substantial and wide-ranging audience for their music, which focusses on terrific grooves, poignant melodies and fluid improvisation, with influences spanning funk, folk, and Afro-Cuban dance music....

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"Purposeful, full-toned and melodic. Those are the qualities of Alison Rayner's music in her roles as both bass player and composer." The opening comment of Observer critic Dave Gelly from his glowing review of Alison's latest CD, A Magic Life. “Spirited, eloquent and graceful," wrote The Guardian's John Fordham.

Alison has had a lengthy career as a bass player and composer, touring and recording with award-winning all-female band, the Guest Stars, and subsequently working with players such as Tal Farlow, Ian Shaw, Jean Toussaint, John Etheridge and Deirdre Cartwright.

For the past two years, the Alison Rayner Quintet has built a substantial and wide-ranging audience for their music, which focusses on terrific grooves, poignant melodies and fluid improvisation, with influences spanning funk, folk, and Afro-Cuban dance music.

Alison released her first album as a bandleader in 2014, August garnering a plethora of plaudits from the jazz press. It was also a sharp reminder to the British jazz world of the breadth and depth of her often unsung talents.

Alison’s second CD, A Magic Life - released last November - is bursting with melodic and harmonic references, and has also received rave reviews from the jazz press.

A group with a long collective pedigree, whose tight and assured playing is superbly suited to play Rayner’s compositions, ARQ brings to the stage a musical bond that is expressed in such fun and joyful moments, that it is an absolute pleasure to be in the same room with them.

Joining Alison are Steve Lodder (Piano), Deirdre Cartwright (Guitar), Diane McLoughlin (Saxophone) and Buster Birch (Drums) - all virtuoso musicians who offer a masterclass in empathetic playing. Don't miss them!

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