Billy Marrows' Grande Família (12-piece) at Crookes Social Club

This gig is a rare chance to hear Billy Marrows and his chamber jazz group Grande Família play music from their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Penelope’. Recorded as a surprise for Billy’s mother Penny during her struggle with pancreatic cancer in summer 2023, it was released in her memory in January 2024. It features the group as a 12-piece ensemble and in smaller combinations, interspersed with intimate solo guitar vignettes. Their inventive contemporary jazz spans a wide emotional spectrum, with strong narrative and melodic solos and compositions at its heart. This melodic narrative shapes a beautiful evening of original music, not to be missed!...

read more

This gig is a rare chance to hear Billy Marrows and his chamber jazz group Grande Família play music from their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Penelope’. Recorded as a surprise for Billy’s mother Penny during her struggle with pancreatic cancer in summer 2023, it was released in her memory in January 2024. It features the group as a 12-piece ensemble and in smaller combinations, interspersed with intimate solo guitar vignettes. Their inventive contemporary jazz spans a wide emotional spectrum, with strong narrative and melodic solos and compositions at its heart. This melodic narrative shapes a beautiful evening of original music, not to be missed!

“I could not recommend Billy Marrows’ incredible album ‘Penelope’ any higher. It’s among the most beautiful, rich, textured and emotive music I’ve heard in years” – Jamie Doe, aka The Magic Lantern

The album launch at Pizza Express in London sold out over two months in advance. All proceeds from the album are going to World Child Cancer, a charity helping children in developing countries to beat cancer. It includes one of Penny’s nephews Jonas on bass, great-niece Dijan on flute and Billy’s girlfriend Teresa on viola, alongside eight diverse musicians special to Billy. Penny was an artist and the album and single artworks showcase her striking paintings. The extended family rallied around to support the project financially and make it happen.

‘The Penelope Album Live’ album will be released on Discus Music https://discus-music.org/ on 28th March. This is the Northern launch date of the album and 10% of proceeds of this album will also go to World Child Cancer.

Billy Marrows is a London-based jazz guitarist and award-winning composer who leads the Billy Marrows Band and Big Band. He is a member of a number of projects across a broad spectrum of the London jazz scene including the Patchwork Jazz Orchestra and Tom Ridout Quintet. He has toured in the UK and Europe with Chelsea Carmichael, Tom Barford’s Group, OK Aurora and Tom Ridout and has appeared on a number of albums, as well as releasing his critically acclaimed debut album in 2024. https://www.billymarrows.com/grande-familia

“An exhilaratingly original sound, at once intimate and expansive” – ★★★★ Editor’s Choice in JAZZWISE

“…with his Grande Família project Marrows has created a spectacular new ensemble… The album is a triumph …and the arrangements prepared by Marrows are rich in colour and detail“ – Jazz Views

“What I really like about the album is how its 10 separate pieces, for all their variety of means and approach, behave as though they belong together, like a family” – Richard Williams, thebluemoment.com

“Marrows plays with such lyrical melodicism…you can’t help but be seduced into his charmed world” – ★★★★ Jazzwise (Grande Família Sextet EP review)

show less