Trumpeter and band leader CHRIS COULL leads his octet in a “Tribute to the Duke” where he has faithfully transcribed original 20’s, 30’s and 40’s Ellington gems into a distillation of tunes arranged for this four horn front line to create a fitting musical eulogy to the great man. Expect a chronological, informed and sophisticated journey from The Duke’s beginnings at the Cotton Club, through to his popular war time hits. The line-up will be: GABRIEL GARRICK & CHRIS COULL, trumpets; ANDY PANAYI, alto sax and clarinet; MIKE PILLEY, trombone; TERRY SEABROOK, piano; RHYS LOVELL, double bass; PETE CATER, drums; and LUCY PICKERING, vocals.

The Pete Letanka trio make a welcome return to Steyning Jazz Club playing a blend of standards and originals with influences of Oscar Peterson and Abdullah Ibrahim with an exciting line-up of: PETE LETANKA, piano; SAM BURGESS, bass; and CHRIS HIGGINBOTTOM, drums. Pete Letanka is a jazz pianist, composer, educator and presenter. He enjoys performing with numerous ensembles and leads his trio who perform regularly in a wide range of venues including Ronnie Scotts, the Purcell Room and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. He is signed to the award-winning record label, Zephyr Records who released his debut album, “Afrostocracy”.

ALBUCA comprises four of the UK’s most highly regarded improvising musicians: BEN CASTLE, saxophone; MARK EDWARDS, piano; ARNIE SOMOGYI, bass; and DARREN BECKETT, drums. Between them they have led their own critically acclaimed projects and performed with many of the world’s leading jazz musicians. The band provides their own unique spin with fresh arrangements on jazz standards, as well as original compositions and music drawn from the outer edges of their eclectic influences and experience.

International bassist DANNY MOSS Jnr, son of the much loved tenor player, returns to Steyning with his highly acclaimed quartet featuring: DANNY MOSS Jnr, bass; DAVE CHAMBERLAIN, guitar; LEON GREENING, piano; and MATT FISHWICK, drums. These “in demand” musicians have performed with the best including, John Dankworth, Buddy Greco and Mark Murphy. In a packed schedule the quartet has also been touring the UK, with music dedicated to the great bassists Ray Brown, Oscar Pettiford and Charles Mingus; awesome musicians who will set the Steyning club alight with their infectiously exciting music.

A line-up of NICK TOMALIN, piano; NAT STEELE, vibraphone; DAVE WARREN, guitar; DOMINIC HOWLES, bass; and MATT FISHWICK drums, will celebrate the distinctive sound of the classic George Shearing Quintet as well as highlighting the work of this influential and important British pianist, whose fame came to the fore when he settled in the US in the late 1940s. The band’s repertoire will include some of Shearing's best known compositions and arrangements including ‘Lullaby of Birdland’ and ‘September in the Rain’ as well as some of Shearing's less familiar tunes.

Fairground jazz folk troubadours, THE CLOGGZ, have been described as a wonderful mix of everything by BBC Radio 2’s Clare Teal. The Brighton-based Cloggz were formed in 2014 by pianist Mark Edwards and feature some of the UK’s leading jazz musicians and multi-instrumentalists. The band have slowly been building a devoted following for both their live shows and their recordings; last year they were featured on BBC R3’s ‘Jazz Line Up’. This evening brings together the sweeping range of the band’s inspirations and influences in a whirling, imaginative panoply of musical celebration. The line-up will be: MARK EDWARDS, piano; JULIAN NICHOLAS, reeds; IMOGEN RYALL, vocals; RICHARD JONES, violin; NEIL CORIN, accordion; JAMES OSLER, guitar; TERRY PACK, Bass; DARREN BECKETT, drums.

From the late 1940s to the early 1990s, tenor saxophonist Stan Getz was one of the great individual instrumental artists in jazz. While his accompaniments were elaborately varied, Getz’s playing was always unmistakeable, characterised by his singing, luminescent tone and melodic creativity. Tonight, the CHRIS INGHAM QUARTET interpret a rich and varied selection from the repertoire associated with Stan, playing tracks from their latest CD entitled ‘Simply Stan’. The quartet features CHRIS INGHAM, piano; MARK CROOKS, tenor saxophone; ARNIE SOMOGYI, bass; GEORGE DOUBLE, drums.

RICHARD LEACH, after first playing the trombone at school, embarked on five years of classical training before he ventured on to London’s jazz scene playing alongside musicians like Humphrey Lyttelton, Terry Lightfoot, Johnny Dankworth and many more. He led his own Northside Jazz Band for twenty-six years before forming ‘Richard Leach’s 7 Stars of Jazz’, making a huge impact on the UK jazz club and festival scene. His street band this evening features: RICHARD LEACH, trombone; TONY PIPKIN, cornet; ZOLTAN SAGI, clarinet & alto sax; MARK CHALLINOR, banjo & ukulele; NICK WARD, drums & percussion; and DAVE DEAKIN, sousaphone, providing an evening of glittering musicality.

The JAMES PRIOR BIG BAND was formed in 2017 for a one off charity concert in aid of Cystic Fibrosis, the band then performed again a year later supported by jazz trombonist Mark Bassey and Vocal Fusion Acapella. For our Steyning concert the band will be playing an array of musical styles from Doc Severinsen, Glen Miller, Pat Metheny to Stan Kenton, and are engaging some of the finest names in the business to join this nineteen piece big band including: ANDREAS PANAYI, Lead alto; MIKE HEXT, Lead trombone; PAUL NEWTON, Lead trumpet; PETE CATER, drums; DAVID BROWN, vocals, indulging us in an evening of the thrilling sounds of a Big Band in full flight.

NIGEL THOMAS is a top professional double bass player, composer, bandleader and teacher. He has strong soul and blues influences in his background and an affinity with the swinging Jazz masters of the 40’s and 50’s onwards, through to the ethnic and contemporary Jazz of today. His quartet features NIGEL THOMAS, double bass; PAUL BOOTH, saxophone; MARK EDWARDS, piano; WINSTON CLIFFORD, drums. Their programme will include arrangements of standards and original compositions, music with elements of bebop, blues and world music, but always strongly rooted in the jazz tradition.