Founder of e17 jazz, Carlos Lopez-Real is an in-demand saxophonist, composer and educator based in London. His current bands are Mandorla, featuring guitarist Justin Quinn, a quartet with young singer Fini Bearman, and a new quintet collaboration with Brigitte Beraha and Will Collier. In addition to jazz, his writing is influenced by classical composers such as Steve Reich and John Adams, the singer Bjork and North Indian improvised music.

Carlos has been involved with the F-IRE collective over a number of years, having recorded and toured with many bands such as Justin Quinn's Bakehouse (featured on their award-winning album 'Before I Forget'), Tom Arthurs' Centripede, Jonathan Bratoeff's Quintet, Barak Schmool's Meta Meta, and the F-IRE large ensemble for whom he composed several tunes. Additionally, he has collaborated with Zoe Rahman, Gary Husband and the Nicolas Meier Group, and held the sax chair in John Mayer's classic band Indo-Jazz Fusions. He also features with salsa greats Roberto Pla, Machito jnr and Tito Rodriguez jnr.

www.carloslopez-real.co.uk

Currently Chairman of e17 jazz, Jez has played, recorded and toured with a variety of ensembles in jazz, pop and world music including F-ire Collective member Tom Arthurs’ ‘Centripede’, Russell Van den Berg, Asaf Sirkis’ ‘Inner Noise’, ‘Centreline’, Rick Astley, Henry Lowther, Gerard Presencer and Johnny Mayor (Indo-jazz fusion) with recordings for Babel, 33 records and FMR and performances for Jazz on 3. He is a Senior Guitar Lecturer at Leeds College, and the Royal Academy of Music, London. His group 'Compassionate Dictatorship' is borne out of his long-standing collaboration with Tori Freestone, the two having played and written together since 1993 with performances including the London Jazz Festival, Haskovo Jazz Festival (Bulgaria) and various UK tours.

http://www.compassionatedictatorship.co.uk/

Coming Soon

Joe has performed with The James Taylor Quartet, Madness, Lemar and The Pipettes as well as jazz musicians Gwilym Simcock, John Parricelli, & Mark Lockheart. As well as writing music for this group, Joe is an integral part of other e17 Jazz projects such as the Will Collier Septet, and Brigitte Beraha’s trio.

http://www.myspace.com/joeaucklandmusic

After completing the Jazz Postraduate course at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Brigitte recorded her debut Album "Prelude to A Kiss" (FMR) with a first class band including Ingrid Laubrock-tenor sax, Barry Green-piano and guest vocalist Anita Wardell. The album received rave reviews and extensive international and national radio play. She is also a member of Pete Billington's Nonentity and Dave Manington's Quintet, and on top of playing alongside established jazz musicians (Julian Siegel, Liam Noble, Paul Clarvis...), she often guests with younger generation rising stars such as Ivo Neame (on his album Swirls and Eddies [Loop Records]) and John Turville (on his album Midas [F-Ire].

In 2007, Brigitte toured the UK (18 dates) with her new trio-Joe Auckland-trumpet/fluegelhorn and Ivo Neame-piano- and following the success of the tour, a new album was recorded, Flying Dreams (F-ire Records/Proper Distribution), and promoted during another 20-date tour of the UK in October 2008. It has already received very good reviews and radio play (Jazz FM, BBC Radios, and radio stations in Europe and beyond).

New projects on the horizon include a band co-led with Barry Green: Babel Fish, featuring Chris Laurence and Paul Clarvis (to be recorded in February 2010), a sextet, Solstice, featuring Tori Freestone and Jez Franks (1st gig at E17jazz January 2010), and a project of melodic songs co-written with Will Collier

http://www.brigitteberaha.com/

Gavin studied on the Classical course at the Guildhall. After graduating he went on to study on the jazz postgraduate course.

He has worked with, Gareth Lockrane big band, Robin Jones King Salsa, Robin Jones Latin jazz sextet, 606 big band, The Heritage Orchestra, Chris Bowden, Combustible Alarms big band, Omar Puente, Mulatu Askate, NYJO Tomorrow’s Faces, Bobby Lamb big band, the London Jazz Orchestra

His Pop and session work include Jonathan Jeramiah –Deodato, McflY, Dwight Tribble, Maximo Park, The Guillemots, Cinematic Orchestra, Josh Ritter, Noah and the Whale, The Streets, The Bays, U.N.K.L.E, Heliosectrics, Pupini sisters, Beardy man, Dj Switch, Dj Yoda.

During his time as a classical player he worked under the batton of Sir Richard Hicox , Sir Colin Davis, Mstislav Rostropovich, Sir John Eliot Gardner and Daniel Harding .

At BBs

Tori Freestone attended the Leeds College of Music Undergraduate and Guildhall Postrgraduate jazz courses and was regional finalist of Young Jazz Musician of the Year in 1996. She co-leads 'Compasionate Dictatorship' Quartet with guitarist Jez Franks, having released a debut album in 2007 on the FMR record label. The band have toured the UK extensively in the past few years and are soon to release a second album. She has played saxes/flutes/violin with many groups in varying styles including Andy Sheppard, country legend Lee Hazlewood, Cuban group 'Orquesta Timbala', the Dave Mannington Septet, Loop Collective Member Rory Simmons' 'Fringe Magnetic' with performances including the RFH mainstage, the National Theatre, the 606, the Vortex, the Loop Collective Festival (London), Glastonbury, the 'Big Chill' and the London, Cork, Jersey, Manchester and Haskovo Jazz Festivals. She has also recorded with Melanie Blatt, singer songwriter Pete Aves and DJ Levan J with releases for De Wolfe Music, SFP (USA), Soul Star (Germany), Cool Sound Music (Spain), United (NL) and VI music (Puerto Rico). She has performed workshops for the Welsh College of Music, Kingston Uni and Truro College and is sax/flute tutor at Leeds College of Music.
http://www.myspace.com/torifreestone

A finalist in the first National Jazz Piano Competition in 2008, Tom has been playing piano since the age of seven, and has trained classically throughout his life. He was awarded the titles of Kent Junior Young Pianist of the Year in 1996 and Kent Young Pianist of the Year in 2001 for his classical playing, and studied Music at New College, Oxford University in 2003, gaining an instrumental scholarship. Whilst at Oxford he played regularly as a classical pianist (including solo recitals, chamber music and as a vocal accompanist) whilst also playing in and then directing the Oxford University Jazz Orchestra for over a year. He completed his Masters in Jazz piano at Trinity College of Music in 2009, and has played at some of London's top venues including the Purcell Room, Southbank Centre and the 606 Club.

www.tomhewson.com

Josh has studied at the Guildhall and Trinity College of Music, and has a lyrical and melodic sound on tenor sax. In 2007 he released the CD 'Animus' on 33 records and is currently working on a new album. Josh also works regularly with singer and pianist Ruth Applin (who is also his wife), and runs Fulltone studios. He has performed with Dick Pearce, Spike Robinson, NYJO and others.

http://www.joshkemp.com/

Dave studied composition at Nottingham University before moving to London to play jazz and study bass at the Guildhall school of music. His music has recently been heard on Radio 3 and on television. Performances around the country have seen him playing with jazz luminaries like Mark Lockheart, Pete Wareham, Gwilym Simcock, Martin Speake, Alan Barnes, Tim Whitehead, Salena Jones, Roberto Pla, Martin Shaw, John Etheridge and Russell Van den Berg amongst others. He's played all around Europe and appeared in the Katmandu jazz festival, Cyprus Paradise jazz, Swanage, London and Brecon jazz festivals over the last few years. He was also nominated for a Worshipful Company of Musicians jazz medal award in 2006.

http://www.myspace.com/davemanington

A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Trinity College of music, Rachel has been fortunate enough to study with teachers such as Julian Siegel and Liam Noble. She currently performs with bands such as the Olie Brice Quartet, the Vortex Foundation Big Band, and the e17 large ensemble, as well as running her own group, Skein. In the past, Rachel was a member of Caroline Kraabel’s Mass Producers, an early member of Polar Bear and her own quartet, After Breakfast, which she co-ran with drummer Federico Ughi. After breakfast received jazz services funding for a UK tour, and also toured Italy. Rachel is currently writing for her own project, Skein, which is a quintet, and features Alcyona Mick, Will Collier, Javier Carmona and Corrina Silvester.

http://www.myspace.com/rachelmusson

Naadia Sheriff graduated from the Post Graduate Jazz course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2002 and since then has been busy working as a performer, teacher and musical director.
From 2002 to 2005 she lived in Leeds where she ran her own Jazz quartet which performed to wide acclaim at several well known jazz venues and festivals in the North of England including 'The Wardrobe' and 'The Hi Fi' clubs in Leeds, 'The Puzzle Hall Inn' and Hull and Cleethorpes Jazz festivals.
She has also worked in Theatre as both a performer and musical director. In 2005 she was the pianist for Newcastle 'Live' theatre's performance of Lush life.

Nick is a graduate of Leeds College of Music and in 1993 completed the post-graduate course in Jazz at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since then he has been working as a freelance pianist and music teacher in London. He has played with some of the country’s leading jazz musicians including Jim Mullen, Don Weller and Stan Sulzman. Currently he works with the Gill Cook Quintet and the group Triessence run by saxophonist Mark Allaway. The group has just released its first album called ‘Catch the Wind’.
www.nicktomalin.co.uk

John has toured with Gilad Atzmon, Matt Wates, Dylan Howe and Renato D'Aiello. He draws heavily on the influence of Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock as well as more contemporary players like Fred Hersch.

www.myspace.com/johnturville

Coming Soon