Osian Roberts & Nat Steele Quintet [Jazz]

Prague-based tenor saxophonist Osian Roberts (originally hailing from Wales) returns to the UK for a short run of gigs as part of a quintet with leading UK vibraphonist Nat Steele, following on from their highly successful 7 day residency for the Passau Jazz Festival (Bavaria) in the summer of 2022. They’re playing a mix of bebop, arrangements of standards, hard bop, some of Osian’s originals, and more! Expect high-energy, swinging music from start to finish.

“…the star of the show is Roberts, whose booming, old-school tenor sound is magisterial and concise” – John Fordham, The Guardian

“Osian Roberts’ warm tenor sound and long, twisting lines are at times almost uncannily similar to those of the Sonny Rollins of the early 1950s.” – Sam Braysher, Jazz Journal 

Nat Steele is a vibraphone player based in London, specialising in playing swinging bebop and hard bop. His last album “Portrait of the MJQ” garnered rave reviews in the press, winning album of the month in BBC Music Magazine and placing him as one of the top vibraphonists in the UK. He’s currently in the post-production stages of two new albums, one a follow-up to the MJQ album featuring Scott Hamilton, and the other a tribute to Milt Jackson, which was recorded in New York with Jackson’s old band. He’s worked both as a bandleader and sideman with artists like Grammy winner Alan Broadbent, prodigy clarinetist Julian Bliss and Dave Newton.

“A remarkble young vibraphonist in the Milt Jackson tradition.” – Dave Gelly, Observer

“Creative brilliance.” – Peter Vacher, Jazzwise Magazine

Pianist Sean Fyfe is a new face to the UK jazz scene, having moved to the UK from New York (originally hailing from Canada) in 2021. Grounded in the traditions of jazz luminaries like Bill Evans, Bobby Timmons, Wynton Kelly, and Cedar Walton, Sean has already made quite a name for himself as a sideman and a bandleader, regularly working with big names like Dave O’Higgins and Alex Garnett, and has played at all the major jazz clubs in New York, Canada and the UK.

On drums Mark Taylor needs no introduction, having been spotted by Miles Davis’ tenor saxophonist George Coleman while playing at Ronnie Scott’s and invited to join his band full-time in New York, he’s had an unbelievable career working with absolutely everyone of note in jazz in the past 40 years, from Ray Brown to Benny Green, to spending several years in the drum chair with pianist Monty Alexander’s trio. In recent years he’s returned to living in the UK after 25 years in NYC, invigorating the jazz scene here with his presence.

Jeremy Brown is bassist in the BBC Big Band and the John Wilson Orchestra, and has played all over Europe, the UK and further afield with a wide range of the UK’s most prominent artists, such as Stacey Kent, Peter King, Julian Joseph and also backing up visiting US artists like Charles McPhearson and Curtis Stigers.

Confirmed line-up
Osian Roberts – tenor sax
Nat Steele – vibes
Sean Fyfe – piano
Jeremy Brown – bass
Mark Taylor – drums

We apologise to anyone who expected to see Mike LeDonne playing this gig as per our printed program. Mike unfortunately had to cancel and has postponed the tour.