Events

This duo of guitar, banjo and washboard play footstomping blues, ragtime, swing and folk like it was on the street corners of America in the 1920s, 30s & 40s. The band has played many gigs, including Huddersfield Food & Drink Festival, C FAB Folk Festival in Lincolnshire and many pubs and bars.

The Luca Brasi Group is a Lancaster-based band immersed in a spirited re-exploration of the straight-ahead swing, be-bop and Latin jazz classics of the mid-twentieth century and later. We share a belief that the melodies and the improvisational opportunities hidden within the changes that shape the American song-book standards strike a deep and resonant chord with audiences young and old alike. This music touches people. It makes them move, it makes them think, it makes them feel, and as musicians we move and think and feel right along with them. That's what the band strives for: finding that moment when music, band and audience merge as one. The well-known melodies of these songs open the door, but it's the improvisation that takes the band and audience through it. When it happens, it's magical. There's nothing like it. That's why we do it.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLucaBrasiGroup

Band Members:

• Heavily influenced by Brecker, Rollins, Getz, guitarists Metheny & Stern, & pianist McCoy Tyner, Paul Froggatt took up the saxophone at the age of 14 and studied with Blackpool legend, Ray Wilkes, before moving on to Leeds College of Music. He made his career teaching woodwind supported with performance engagements, both in the UK and Europe.

• Originally from California, guitarist Tim Hickman studied music performance at the University of Oregon with Don Latarski. Later, he studied with Sid Jacobs in Los Angeles and Trefor Owen in Manchester. Among his influences are Pat Martino, Johnny Smith, George Benson, and Kenny Burrell.

• From a misspent youth hammering out the riffs in rock, prog and indie bands, to playing for local soul band @thegroovecutters, or instrumental funk outfit @GoKojak, Scott Montgomery has always made the bass line his study. Now Ray Brown and Ron Carter have inspired and sustain his new focus on the double bass.

• Drummer Richard Rushton, hails from Australia and played in several pop, jazz and funk bands in Sydney before moving to Lancaster. He also played in the Lancaster-based jazz group, Swerve Trio. His playing is influenced by the drummers who played with Miles Davis over the years - Max Roach, Tony Williams, Jack Dejohnette and Al Foster - as well as Elvin Jones and Paul Motian.

• Born and bred in Lancaster, Paula Williams studied classical piano until the age of 17. Fast forward to her late 40's when she recommenced her musical journey, exploring the jazz world, guided by local music educators including Ian Gray, Paul Froggatt and Dave Shooter. Musical influences are many but Bill Evans will always be special.

The quality of Kirk McElhinney’s song writing, his voice and guitar playing is recognised by any who come across his work.

His sound once described by Nitin Sawney as “a melting pot of sonic bliss”, Kirk himself calls urban folk.

His songs and his delivery have an uncanny ability to capture people’s hearts and move minds and bodies.

John Ellis has played and recorded with quite a few well known artists such as Corinne Bailey Rae, Tom Jones, Lily Allen, James Yorkston, John Squire (Stone Roses) and The Cinematic Orchestra to name but a few.

Playing straight-ahead tunes and originals with a guitar-centric approach.
Jiannis Pavlidis is a Greek-Swedish guitarist who has been gigging for over 40 years. Having performed with David Liebman, Gregory Hutchinson, Adam Nussbaum, and Ari Hoenig, he recently released his first guitar trio album, ‘Another Place’, with Ntinos Manos and Alexandros Spanidis.
Harry Souter is a guitarist and double bassist from Leeds, who, after having graduated from Leeds Consevatoire in 2023, has been working on various projects around the UK and abroad, playing in Denmark, Iceland, and Hungary in the autumn of 2024. Focusing on developing a melodic concept, he is playing regularly with his trio at clubs to cut new material.
Elliot Roffe is a double bassist, performing in the critically acclaimed Ancient Infinity Orchestra, with whom he recently performed as part of Gondwana Records’ showcase in Berlin, as well as with Mu Quintet, and with Bostonian piano player Michael Kanan. He recently started playing with Harry’s trio, and his expansive, lyrical approach has helped to develop the musicians’ interplay.
Louis Berthoud is a versatile drummer from Devon, working in the north with Harry’s trio, as well as with Chris Sharkey and Nathalia Rakotoson. He has a distinctive, focused drum style, which is an integral part of the band’s feel.

Our local girl is making another really classy performance along side quality player - Ben Lawrence.

Northern neo-soul duo Esk perform tracks fromtheir debut album People In Their Simplicity at Zeffirelli's mixed with a Christmas blend of tracks too. Having grown up in Ambleside and the wider Lakes, this is our pleasure to have ESK return to us.

Their music video was shot on and around Loughrigg Fell, which has been an important place of influence for them and their music. Known for their ‘beautifully-crafted songs of deceptive simplicity’, emerging artists Evie Hill and Ben Lawrence combine the rural soundscapes in which they grew up with the jazz influences they discovered later in life. Heavily influenced by D’Angelo, Moonchild, and Bon Iver, audiences can expect a night of subtle vocals and beautiful keys playing.
Quote: "a refreshing debut album, with beautifully-crafted songs of deceptive simplicity. Esk captures the spirit of contrasts sitting side-by-side. It’s reassuring to hear such confident new music created by young creatives with a clear sense of purpose." Steve Mead, Artistic Director, manchester jazz festival