Studio Jazz: The Ellington Piano Project

Mark Edwards – piano

Arnie Somogyi – bass

Gideon Tazelaar – sax

Matthew Holmes – drums

This performance, as well as drawing on harmonies and improvised phrases heard on Ellington’s final album, “Eastbourne Performance”, which inspire new compositions and spontaneous improvisations, also sees re-imaginings of Ellington classics.

Mark Edwards has been at the top of the UK jazz scene for 30 years or so, and has worked with musicians of the calibre of Adrian Utley (Portishead), Seb Rochford, Johnny Dankworth, Bobby Wellins, Scott Hamilton and Ken Peplowski. Anglo-Hungarian Arnie Somogyi is one of the top European bass players, and has led his own successful bands and projects, including Improvokation and Ambulance, as well as collaborating with and appearing on 60+ other albums with the likes of Eddie Henderson, the Mingus Big Band, Steve Grossman, Arturo Sandoval, James Moody, Amy Winehouse, Tom Jones, Omar and Charlie Watts. The band features New York-based rising tenor star Gideon Tazelaar, one of the hottest saxophonists on the scene, and drummer Matthew Holmes.

The Ellington Piano Project’ album was launched by Arnie and Mark in 2025 to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the release of Ellington’s last album, ‘Eastbourne Performance’, at the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne – the very same venue that hosted Ellington’s historic concert. The album, featuring the rediscovered piano, received rave reviews ,including a Jazzwise magazine gong as one of the ‘Albums of 2025’, and the band’s live performances, have received similarly enthusiastic write-ups.

[Ellington] “would have found in Edwards, Somogyi, Talezaar, Oschlag and all of the musicians an adherence to the creative credo that remained constant throughout his five-decade career: that a performer should make a piece their own, shape it as only they can, and leave those listening in no doubt as to who they are”  – Simon Spillett, award-winning saxophonist and jazz writer

With pre-show Q&A at 7.45pm to 8pm