Alex Merritt- Tenor Saxophone
Steve Fishwick- Trumpet
Mick Coady-Bass
Matt Fishwick- Drums
The Alex Merritt/ Steve Fishwick Quintet has been together for 5 years and is set to record at the end of August this year following a string of exciting UK dates over the last few months. The quintet has honed a contemporary straight-ahead sound that has been gaining attention around the country and which Alex and Steve are excited to bring to the Vortex just prior to hitting the studio. Expect fresh sounding modern jazz originals from this high calibre quintet with much energy and highly accomplished playing all round.
In relation to Alex’s album ‘Anatta’:
‘Merritt’s rich but dry tone traces a line back to the Cool School jazzers such as Warne Marsh’ Robert Shore, Jazzwise, 4 stars
‘Merritt’s warm, dry, Getzian fluency is a joy, whether intertwining with Turville’s mysterious, unpredictable chordal shifts or bubbling with controlled fervour…….‘ Adrian Pallant, AP Reviews, 5 stars
Steve Fishwick:
Legendary Jazz critic Ira Gitler said about Steve: “My question is where has Fishwick been hiding? Hip middle register melodious bebop, but when Steve lights his wick he becomes a flying fish, soaring above the waves, totally in control!”