The Burt Bacharach Jazz Experience
The Burt Bacharach Jazz Experience: Featuring Alex Steele & Catherine Sykes Quartet
New jazz interpretations of the music of Burt Bacharach featuring Catherine Sykes (vocals), Alex Steele (musical director, piano), Paul Jefferies (double bass), Euan Palmer (drums)
Everyone knows the music of Burt Bacharach, with classics including The Look of Love, Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head, What the World Needs Now, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again and many more. They are classic songs, made famous by singers including Dionne Warwick, Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield and the Carpenters, and explored by jazz greats including Sonny Rollins and Brad Mehldau.
From the 1950’s onwards, Burt Bacharach created a huge catalogue of compositions, featuring a very unique style of chords, harmonies and changing time signatures. It is this creativity in his compositions which has led his music to be greatly explored and appreciated by jazz musicians. Alex Steele leads this new band, with a set of special arrangements of these classic songs, pushing the music more deeply into modern jazz territory. You’ll know the songs, but you won’t have heard them played like this before!
Leading the quartet, Alex Steele is a unique voice in jazz, well-known for his passion, energy and a deep sense of musicality as a jazz pianist. He has been inspired by his heroes, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock and Brad Mehldau, and through his own musical journey, he has found his own unique voice. Alex brings his own special sense of energy to audiences, exploring the beauty of improvisation, zest, passion and creativity in music.
Vocalist Catherine Sykes expresses one of her most significant musical influences as Ella Fitzgerald. Catherine says “I love the freedom and space of jazz music. There are no set rules, no boundaries, no definitive way to sing. Rhythm and melody can be played with, feelings explored, day-to-day worries lost in the wonderful world of the music. I love what I do”. When she’s not with Alex exploring the music of Burt Bacharach, Catherine sings with the Glenn Miller Orchestra UK, she tours around the world, and makes special guest appearances with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Pasadena Roof Orchestra, Nick Ross Orchestra, Manhattan Orchestra, Fat Chops Big Band, Paul Barry Big Band, The Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra, and many more.
Bassist Paul Jefferies has also been very influential in helping shape this quartet’s special project. He’s a musician much in demand with a string rhythmic pulse, lyrical soloing skills and a very direct contact with audiences.
Euan Palmer is a drummer of distinction with a contemporary/bebop style. His tours with USA artists Greg Abate, the great Peter Bernstein and many others mark him out as one of the most promising drummers in the UK today.