Peterborough Jazz Club kicks off its new season at the Boizot Lounge

The club was founded in 1992 by Laurie Jacobs with the aim of bringing the best jazz musicians, both British and international, to Peterborough to enhance the cultural life of the city and to stimulate education, interest and creativity in jazz.

The great Ronnie Scott Sextet performed at a sell-out first concert.

It has, over the years, become one of the few established jazz centres in the Eastern region and has endeavoured to maintain concerts of the highest standard, achieving an excellent reputation on the national jazz scene.

Laurie Jacobs says: “With the Broadway Theatre given a new lease of life as the Peterborough New Theatre, the Peterborough Jazz Club are delighted to continue to present their concerts in the renamed Boizot Lounge at the theatre, honouring the memory of Peter Boizot, who did so much to enhance the cultural life of the city.

“The upcoming autumn season of concerts at the jazz club cover a wide range of jazz styles with all the various bands regarded as some of the finest on the world stage.”

So , kicking off the new season on September 22, is Just East (pictured) – a unique band with an extraordinary synthesis of sound, colour, light and imagery – whose roots go back to 1993.

It will be 20 years since the band last appeared at the jazz club and their return has been eagerly awaited.

Back then Just East gained a reputation as one of the first and best groups to explore the connections between jazz and klezmer, but quickly developed a sound and approach all their own, and over time took in a much wider range of influences.

Their writing embodies their personal and idiosyncratic concept and compositional style, a collective voice which fans recognise and love. The band has a uniquely off-beam take on contemporary jazz, incorporating world, folk, prog and classical influences.

Then, on October 13, it is the turn of the James Copus Quintet featuring Alex Hitchcock.

This powerhouse quintet combines a compelling, adventurous ear for melody with virtuosic improvising.

James Copus (pictured)is an award winning jazz trumpeter who is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most exciting musicians on the London scene. Alex Hitchcock is also highly regarded as one of the finest young tenor saxophonists of his generation.

On November 10, the club welcomes the Gilad Atzmon Quartet.

Gilad Atzmon (pictured) is an acclaimed international saxophonist and clarinetist and tours extensively around the world with his quartet. His album Exile was the BBC jazz album of the year in 2003 and in 2013 his Metropolis album was voted top CD of the year by the Jazz Journal Critics Poll.

Gilad’s fiery, fluent playing and remarkable technique have established him as one of the most talented saxophonists on the world stage, performing a mix of classic jazz standards and originals with an energy and enthusiasm that is hugely infectious.

As a member of the Blockheads, Gilad has also recorded and performed with Ian Dury, Robbie Williams, Sinead O’Connor and Paul McCartney. In 2014 he recorded with Pink Floyd and is featured on their last album The Endless River (Anisina).

The club sees out 2019 on December 1 with a perfrmance by the Vasilis Xenopoulos “Dexterity” Quintet.

Saxophonist, composer and educator Vasilis Xenopoulos is one of the most accomplished Greek jazz musicians of his generation and a genuine representative of straight ahead jazz.

London became his permanent home after graduating with honours from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has worked with some of the best musicians as a band leader, a section leader and as a guest soloist at various projects.

As well as a fabulous rhythm section, the quintet will also feature the brilliant young trumpeter Freddie Gavita, (winner of the British Jazz Awards for Best Trumpet in 2017) joining the band for this concert to celebrate the music of Dexter Gordon, one of the masters in the history of jazz and hence the name ‘Dexterity’.

For all shows, doors open at 7pm, music at 7.30pm. Tickets £15 from www.newtheatre-peterborough.com