Adam Glasser's Sa Jazz Sextet Featuring Chris Batchelor at 606 Club

Adam Glasser is a fluent and impressive jazz pianist leaning towards the “township” feel of his South African background. However, in more recent years, as well as continuing and developing his piano playing, he has reinvented himself as one of Europe’s leading jazz chromatic harmonica players. And just in case you think of the harmonica as the thing that wild-eyed musicians beat into submission on blues gigs, then you must check out this gig, a virtuoso on the instrument Adam’s playing is eloquent, subtle and constantly inventive. He has released two critically acclaimed recordings, winning the “Best Modern Jazz Album” award at the 2010 South African Music Awards with his wonderful album “Free at First” while the follow-up, “Mzansi” was also short listed by SAMA in 2012 for “Best Jazz Album”. Adam has performed or recorded with a wide range of artists including Sting, Joe Zawinul, the Eurythmics, Incognito and the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera. Strongly influenced by his SA roots, Adam is a founder member of the Township Comets and was for many years musical director of the legendary SA vocal group The Manhattan Brothers. In 2014 Adam had the honour of playing several piano dates with iconic SA musician Hugh Masekela (often referred to as the “Father of South African jazz”), which included the opening of the Commonwealth Games. For this 606 date, he is reuniting with fellow Township Comets member, trumpeter Chris Batchelor (Loose Tubes, Pigfoot) to continue their exploration of Hugh Maskela’s extraordinary musical legacy after the passing of the latter in January of this year, in addition to that of fellow South African, saxophonist/ composer Dudu Pakwana whose material has been a significant inspiration to their style. The sextet includes the brilliant saxophonist & Whirlwind Recording artist Josephine Davies, leading UK guitarist Mike Outram (Tim Garland, Gareth Lockrane), up-and-coming Royal Academy of Music graduate bassist Daisy George and exciting contemporary jazz drummer Corrie Dick (Laura Jurd’s Dinosaur, Elliot Galvin). For this 606 performance, in addition to material from his prior albums and melodic South African jazz township standards, Adam & the band will be exploring selected compositions by John Coltrane....

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Adam Glasser is a fluent and impressive jazz pianist leaning towards the “township” feel of his South African background. However, in more recent years, as well as continuing and developing his piano playing, he has reinvented himself as one of Europe’s leading jazz chromatic harmonica players. And just in case you think of the harmonica as the thing that wild-eyed musicians beat into submission on blues gigs, then you must check out this gig, a virtuoso on the instrument Adam’s playing is eloquent, subtle and constantly inventive. He has released two critically acclaimed recordings, winning the “Best Modern Jazz Album” award at the 2010 South African Music Awards with his wonderful album “Free at First” while the follow-up, “Mzansi” was also short listed by SAMA in 2012 for “Best Jazz Album”. Adam has performed or recorded with a wide range of artists including Sting, Joe Zawinul, the Eurythmics, Incognito and the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera. Strongly influenced by his SA roots, Adam is a founder member of the Township Comets and was for many years musical director of the legendary SA vocal group The Manhattan Brothers. In 2014 Adam had the honour of playing several piano dates with iconic SA musician Hugh Masekela (often referred to as the “Father of South African jazz”), which included the opening of the Commonwealth Games. For this 606 date, he is reuniting with fellow Township Comets member, trumpeter Chris Batchelor (Loose Tubes, Pigfoot) to continue their exploration of Hugh Maskela’s extraordinary musical legacy after the passing of the latter in January of this year, in addition to that of fellow South African, saxophonist/ composer Dudu Pakwana whose material has been a significant inspiration to their style. The sextet includes the brilliant saxophonist & Whirlwind Recording artist Josephine Davies, leading UK guitarist Mike Outram (Tim Garland, Gareth Lockrane), up-and-coming Royal Academy of Music graduate bassist Daisy George and exciting contemporary jazz drummer Corrie Dick (Laura Jurd’s Dinosaur, Elliot Galvin). For this 606 performance, in addition to material from his prior albums and melodic South African jazz township standards, Adam & the band will be exploring selected compositions by John Coltrane.

"[Adam Glasser]... has brought a truly unique voice and idiom to the constantly evolving language of jazz... a challenge to equal for sheer scope of virtuosity, musicality and surprise" AllAboutJazz; "the virtuosity and panache associated with practitioners on more conventional instruments… a wholly impressive evening's music from a man in complete control of his considerable resources" VortexJazz; “Batchelor, a fine trumpeter who intriguingly blends Miles Davis's shrewd pacing and evocative long-note sounds with something of Harry Beckett's bubbly phrasing" Guardian

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