Tori Handsley Trio + Ollie Howell Quintet at Vortex Jazz Club

Barely into his mid-twenties, Ollie Howell is a multi-award winning drummer, composer, bandleader and international recording artist. Now signed to Whirlwind Recordings, Ollie’s debut album, ‘Sutures and Stitches’, was released in September 2013. Recorded in London, and mixed and mastered by New York based, 4-time Grammy nominee Tyler McDiarmid, ‘Sutures and Stitches’ contains a collection of Ollie’s original compositions, and features some of the brightest emerging stars on the British jazz scene.

“A fine debut” John Fordham, The Guardian

“A delicious dynmaic flow and an almost elegiac beauty” Mojo...

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Barely into his mid-twenties, Ollie Howell is a multi-award winning drummer, composer, bandleader and international recording artist. Now signed to Whirlwind Recordings, Ollie’s debut album, ‘Sutures and Stitches’, was released in September 2013. Recorded in London, and mixed and mastered by New York based, 4-time Grammy nominee Tyler McDiarmid, ‘Sutures and Stitches’ contains a collection of Ollie’s original compositions, and features some of the brightest emerging stars on the British jazz scene.

“A fine debut” John Fordham, The Guardian

“A delicious dynmaic flow and an almost elegiac beauty” Mojo

Since 2009, Ollie has also become the mentee of musical legend Quincy Jones. Quincy and Ollie first met in 2009, whilst Ollie was studying a bachelor degree in Music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Quincy recalls their first meeting:

“When I arrived at the school, the jazz department had arranged a musical performance from its best students. Obviously, this happens to me a lot when I travel. But what doesn’t normally happen is for me to be floored by the performance of one of the musicians.”

After first watching Ollie perform, Quincy quickly became Ollie’s mentor, and in the years since then, is still continually helping to propel his career and introducing him to stalwarts of the international jazz scene.

In 2012, The Ollie Howell Quintet were awarded the prestigious Peter Whittingham Development Award, administered by the Musicians Benevolent Fund, which has become one of the most sought-after jazz awards in the UK.

OLLIE HOWELL – Drums/Compositions
MAX LUTHERT – Double Bass
MATT ROBINSON – Piano
DUNCAN EAGLES – Tenor Saxophone
MARK PERRY – Trumpet

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