Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM – 2 set(s) of music
Line-up:
Sam Norris – Alto Saxophone
Jay Verma – Piano
Will Sach – Double Bass
Harry Ling – Drums
About
‘An extraordinary technique and improvisational flair for one so young.’ – Ronan Guilfoyle
‘Remember too that this is a debut release, and the poise and musical maturity needed to use subtlety as a device are even more remarkable, and themselves a part of the album’s beauty.’– Alexander Hawkins
‘I was particularly impressed by the interaction between Verma and Norris during the latter’s solos.’– Tony Dudley-Evans, London Jazz News
Sam Norris is a London-based saxophonist and composer with a forward-thinking outlook. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Julian Siegel, Stan Sulzmann and Kit Downes, graduating in 2021 with first-class honours.
Moved from an early age by expressive performers and composers with their own musical language, some of Sam’s most significant inspirations have been John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Warne Marsh, Alexander Scriabin and Arnold Schoenberg. He explores these influences in his own groups while also working regularly with some of the UK’s and EU’s finest improvising musicians, including Ronan Guilfoyle, Darren Beckett, Alex Ridout and PHEMO Quartet. He was a finalist in the coveted Musician’s Company Young Jazz Musician of the Year competition last year.
The Sam Norris Quartet brings together some of the most creative and distinctive young musicians on the UK jazz scene- pianist Jay Verma, double bassist Will Sach and drummer Harry Ling. Sam’s compositions fuse exploratory jazz improvisation, driving contemporary grooves and pensive classical chamber music. Weaving a captivating musical narrative, his music showcases not only each musician’s virtuosity but also a deeply balanced approach to ensemble playing.
This concert will mark the release of Sam’s debut album, ‘Small Things Evolved Slowly’, through the Resonant Postcards Collective label. Recorded at Fish Factory studios in August 2023, the album consists of a body of compositions he has worked on over four years and is inspired by his life in the capital. This process is reflected in the album’s title, lifted from a quote by French composer Erik Satie- ‘I took to my room and let small things evolve slowly’.