The best in Live Jazz at the Palace Hotel, Southend
Every Wednesday
8:30 – 10:30pm
Free Entry
Playing Modern, Be-Bop, Fusion & Avant Garde,
featuring Special Guests
The Venue
Find Jazz825 on the first floor bar at the Park Inn Palace Hotel, to the right as you step out of the lift. Grab a table or bar seating, with food and drink served all evening.
Getting There
Train
Southend Central (c2c Line) located in the middle of Southend High Street.
Southend Victoria (Greater Anglia Line) located at the opposite end of the High Street.
Bus
Southend Central Bus Depot is approx 4 minute walk
Parking
The Royals Shopping Centre Car Park is directly opposite the venue and is open 24hrs.
Alexander Street Car Park is close by, with a pedestrian pathway through to the high street.
Alternatively, street parking can be found locally.
Palace Hotel (was Park Inn)
Church Road, Southend-on-sea
SS1 2A
What's On
“Jazz is there and then it’s gone. It happens. You just have to be present. It’s that simple”
- Keith Jarrett
30th September
Aled Thomas Quartet - Play COLTRANE
Aled is a London based Jazz & Blue musician, singer & composer. Tonight he is joined by Zak Barrett to celebrate the music of John Coltrane. Aled is a lifelong devotee to the music of Coltrane & provides a intersting & often amusing selection of anecdotes about Coltranes life. A towering musical genius of the 20th Century, saxophonist John Coltrane rose to fame with Miles Davis & reset the parameters of jazz during his decade as a band leader
Aled Thomas – Piano
Zak Barrett – Saxophone
Terry Gregory – Bass
Simon Harwood – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
"I never practice my guitar... from time to time I just open the case and throw in a piece of raw meat"
- Wes Montgomery
7th October
The Dominic Howles Septet
Hailing from Somerset, Dominic Howles has been a regular on the London Jazz scene playing with many artists who include Don Weller, Stacey Kent, Anita Wardle, Christine Tobin, Gareth Lockrane, Gary Smulyan, Nick Brignola, Pete King, Jim Mullen and many others.
The main influence for the Dominic Howles Septet is the work of Oliver Nelson and Duke Pearson. Both were great arrangers/composers/musicians during the 60’sand into the early 70’s but both careers were cut short due to ill health. Oliver Nelson recorded ‘Blues and The Abstract Truth’ in 1961 and Duke Pearson arranged a session for Lee Morgan in 1967 called ‘Standards’. Both have the same septet line up with Trumpet, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax plus rhythm section.
Chris Coull – Trumpet
Jamie O-Connell – Alto sax
Adam Bishop – Tenor sax
Mick Foster – Baritone sax
Nick Tomalin – Piano
Dominic Howles – Bass
Simon Harwood – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
14th October
Qunitret
Dynamic Scottish saxophonist Rob Hall teams up with one of Germany’s most outstanding jazz musicians, the renowned guitarist Philipp van Endert and pianist Tobias Weindorf to present a programme of lyrical & adventurous new music with their extensive touring experience, they have produced dozens of recordings with the participation of luminaries such as Kenny Wheeler, Jon Mullen, Lee Konitz, and composed new music from pot-pots to orchestras. They played a highly regarded gig at Jazz Centre UK recently in their Trio TMET with German pianist Tobias and now its your chance to hear them at the Palace!
Rob Hall – Saxophone
Phillip van Endert- Guitar
Tobias Weindorf – piano
Alex Keen – Bass
Trevor Taylor – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
21st October
In all Languages - The music of Ornette Coleman
Martin Speake & Alyson Crawley
After previously doing Ornette for us a number of years ago at the Royal Hotel gig, Martin returns with his all star quartet alongside the terrific Alyson Crawley, together they make a perfect team to play the jagged, raw melodic lines of one of the most controversial saxophonists in jazz! but a master of melody and line. The band is completed by the wonderful Tristan Maillot on drums and Matt Ridley on double bass.
Martin Speake – Saxophone
Alyson Crawley – Saxophone
Matt Ridley – Bass
Tristan Maillot – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
When I was a little boy, I told my dad.. When I grow up, I want to be a musician
My dad said: You can’t do both, Son....
― Chet Atkins
28th October
The Nick Tomalin Qrt - plays CHICK COREA
Tonight we celebrate Jazz legend Chick Corea. In 2010, the legendary keyboard virtuoso and 23-time GRAMMY Award winner was inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame-a milestone honouring more than 50 years of remarkable creativity and influence. His work spanned an extraordinary range of styles: from straight-ahead jazz to the avant-garde, from bebop to fusion, from children’s songs to chamber music. Across it all, he maintained a standard of artistry and excellence that continues to inspire musicians and listeners alike.
Zak Barrett – Saxophone
Nick Tomalin – Piano
Dominic Howles – Bass
Simon Harwood – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
4th November
The Art Themen Organ Trio
An exciting and inventive saxophonist, Art Themen has been an inspirational presence on the British jazz circuit for over 50 years. A previous winner of the tenor sax category in the British Jazz Awards, recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Worshipful Company of Musicians and shortlisted for the Jazz Instrumentalist of the year in the recent Parliamentary Jazz Awards. This living legend has famously combined his role as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with saxophone duties in the bands of Alexis Korner and Jack Bruce and even gigged with Jimi Hendrix.
Described by the OBSERVER as “One of a tiny handful of undeniably perfect jazz musicians,” he remains as brilliant and inimitable as ever.
Art Themen – Saxophone
Pete Whittaker – Organ
George Double – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
11th November
The Music of Keith Jarrett
There are few Jazz Pianists who come close to the virtuosity of Keith Jarrett. For decades he has played endless concerts across the world and made exquisite recordings in many different settings, as well as developing a career as a brilliant classical pianist! Today’s music will feature the music of both his main American and European bands and Nick will explain his life and fantastic music!
Zak Barrett – Saxophone
Nick Tomalin – Piano
Dominic Howles – Bass
Trevor Taylor – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
“You should never be comfortable, man. Being comfortable fouled up a lot of musicians”
- Miles Davis
18th November
CROSSWIND
Crosswind play a fusion of jazz & funk featuring the music of legends such as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea & Pat Metheny.
Tonight features Dan Parker on guitar & the great Zak Barrett, classically trained and a master of the Jazz Saxophone and Clarinet. On piano we have Michael Horner who is a graduate of the Guildhall School of music and a tutor at the original UK Jazz summer school. he is much in demand on the London scene.
On Bass we have none other thanTerry Gregory. Terry is a founder member of Basstech (part of The Guitar Institute, now ICMP), who has spent much of his international career recording and performing as bassist of choice for some of Britain’s finest musicians, including jazz virtuoso Martin Taylor (Spirit of Django), and Steve Hackett (Genesis).
Zak Barrett – Saxophone
Dan Parker – Guitar
Michael Horner – Piano
Terry Gregory – Bass
Simon Harwood – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
25th November
Dave Jago's Pier Pressure
Dave Jago is a professional trombone player who plays in a wide variety of jazz and world music styles. A long-standing member of the Bollywood Brass Band, he also leads or plays in a variety of groups covering a broad musical range.
Dave will be familiar to regulars from his arrangements of music by Carla Bley, Roland Kirk, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago (amongst others) presented at the club. Tonight he has assembled a crack team of improvisors to perform his own compositions, which he likes to describe as “quite varied and slightly unusual” (whatever that means!). Jazz 825’s aim is to feature “Modern, Be-Bop, Fusion & Avant Garde” – expect all of this and more from this band.
Adrian Northover – Saxophone
Dave Jago – Trombone
Tony Gooderham – Piano
Alex Keen – Bass
Trevor Taylor – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
2nd December
REWIRE featuring Martin Hathaway
REWIRE is a project formed last year to explore material using a Saxophone/Guitar front line. Since then they have been slowly building a varied repertoire featuring music as diverse as Dave Brubeck, Joe Lovano, John Scofield and any others. Martin Hathaway is well known in the area as an Altoist of extremely fine calibre (and here tonight on Baritone) to say nothing of his excellent and masterful playing of the flute, an instrument becoming far too rare in Jazz. Dave Whiting is a London guitarist of rare sensitivity while the rhythm section is in the capable hands of Dominic Howles bass, Trevor Taylor Drums and the effortlessly creative Tony Gooderham on piano.
Martin Hathaway – Saxophone/Flute
Dave Whiting – Guitar
Tony Gooderham – Piano
Dominic Howles – Bass
Trevor Taylor – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
9th December
The Aled Thomas Trio
with special guest Dave Warren
Dave has played at numerous venues in the UK and Europe, including regular performances at Ronnie Scott’s with his own quartet, Dick Morrissey quartet, John Critchinson quartet and Allison Neale quartet amongst others.
Elsewhere he has performed as part of the London Jazz Orchestra with The London Jazz Orchestra and part of Bop Festival & has broadcast on BBC Radio 2 with Sir Ron Goodwin as part of his 70th Birthday celebration concert held at the Albert Hall which was directed by Sir George Martin, in which he played alongside Paul McCartney, Sting, Elton John, Phil Collins, Mark Knopfler, and Eric Clapton.
Aled Thomas – Piano
Dave Warren – Guitar
Terry Gregory – Bass
Simon Harwood – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
16th December
The TONY WOODS Project
Born in Southampton, Tony Woods grew up in Chilworth Old Village and began playing folk music with his father at the age of five. A graduate of Keele University, Leeds College of Music and The Guildhall School of Music Tony received awards for sax performance, outstanding performance and the soloist’s prize at the Dunkirk International Jazz Festival. In the mid 90’s, Tony Woods Project was formed. It has recorded four highly acclaimed albums of original, folk inspired compositions: High Seas (1997), Lowlands (2004), Wind Shadows (2009) and Hidden Fires (2017). The band has attracted airplay on BBC Radio 3, Jazz FM, UK Jazz Radio, has toured the UK extensively and performed at festivals across the country including Manchester, London, Swanage, Ealing, Ascot and Teignmouth.
Tony Woods – Saxophone
Ted Porter – Trumpet
Dan Banks – Piano
Alex Keen – Bass
Trevor Taylor – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
23rd December
SEVEN STEPS featuring Alex Hearn
For our Christmas special we welcome Seven Steps at Jazz25. They play a fusion of Funk, Latin & Rock. On guitar they feature the brilliant Alex Hearn, a fine player of all styles of jazz and fusion. Tonight they are joined by John Woodham on Percussion, so we can expect some thrilling drum / percussion “battles” as John & Simon go head to head !!
Alex Hearn – Guitar
Mike King – Piano
Terry Gregory – Bass
John Woodham – Percussion
Simon Harwood – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
30th December
The Sounds of ECM
Tonight Jazz25 will be presenting something a little different, the sounds and style not of a particular individual jazz musician, but from the ECM, the German record company that has produced world wide jazz stars such as Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Gary Burton, with a 50 year history and over 3000 releases. The label, (run by Manfred Eicher) has established itself as not just one of the most creative and successful in Europe but all around the world. One things for sure, you won’t hear endless bebop releases! its contemporary music of the highest musical class they are also renowned for their outstanding recording quality!
Ted Porter – Trumpet
Zak Barrett – Saxophone
Daan Banks – Piano
Alex Keen – Bass
Trevor Taylor – Drums
Free Entry (Band donations welcome)
13th August
