Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM – 2 sets of music
Line-up:
Vaughan Hawthorne-Nelson – Alto saxophone
Mark Mondesir – Drums
Robert Mitchell – Piano
Larry Bartley – Double bass
About:
Vaughan Hawthorne-Nelson has led bands including some of the leading lights of jazz including Julian Joseph, Jason Rebello, Bheki Mseleku, Mark Mondesir, Aldo Romano and Gary Husband. He has also performed with legends of jazz including Kenny Kirkland, Branford Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Courtney Pine and many others. He released a suite of albums in the mid-nineties, the aptly titled ‘Emergence’ being the first. It has been described as “an accomplished, powerful and spiritually uplifting album”. In 1999 Vaughan released ‘See You There’, featuring the great South African pianist Bheki Mseleku, Mark Mondesir on drums and Jeremy Brown on acoustic bass. The album and subsequent tour cemented Vaughan’s reputation as a world class performer and was followed in 2001 by the live release of the band in fiery form ‘Live at The Wardrobe’. In 2005 Vaughan wrote ‘The Freedom Suite’ which receiving its premier performance at The Purcell Room in London featuring Julian Joseph on piano and Gary Husband on drums. Redemption released in 2025 is Vaughan’s seventh album as a leader.
Larry Bartley is a bassist/composer who has been a staple of the London & internautional jazz scene since the 1990s, and has played and/or recorded in the bands of: Abdullah Ibrahim, Denys Baptiste, Steve Williamson, Courtney Pine, Bheki Mseleku, ingrid laugbrock, Jean Toussaint, Chris Briscoe, Basil Hodge, Adrian Reid (Jazz Warriors) Stanley Turrentine, Steve Grossman, Bennie Maupin, Harold Mabern, Chico Freeman, Donald Brown (of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers), David Murray, Orinn Evans, Gary Bartz and many others.
Mondesir began his career in 1984 as part of Ian Carr’s workshops at the Weekend Arts Center. Mondesir worked with Courtney Pine between 1985 and 1989 and recorded with Kevin Eubanks in 1991. I n the 1990s, Mark Mondesir accompanied musicians who were visiting the UK; these included Art Farmer, Hermeto Pascoal and John Scofield. Mondesir played with Pee Wee Ellis’s Assembly in 1996. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he was part of bands led by pianist Julian Joseph. Mondesir was part of guitarist John McLaughlin’s 4th Dimension Band for their “To the One” album, which was recorded in 2009. He played with the Jazz Warriors, the Jazz Crusaders, the Marsalis-Bothers, Julian Joseph, John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, Art Farmer, Joanne Brackeen, Kevin Eubanks, Gary Thomas, McCoy Tyner, Joe Zawinul, Barbara Dennerlein, John Scofield, John Serry, Orphy Robinson and theLoose Tubes.
Mitchell has forged a formidable reputation as a pianist and composer. As part of the F-IRE Collective, Robert won the Jazz on 3 Innovation Award at the 2004 BBC Jazz Awards; he has also been nominated twice: for Rising Star in 2002, and Best New Work in 2003. He has worked with Norma Winstone, Steve Coleman, Greg Osby, Courtney Pine, Steve Williamson, Iain Ballamy, Mark Wingfield, Jeremy Stacey, David Lyttle, Ty, 2 Banks of 4, and IG Culture, in addition to leading the 4/6-piece Panacea, his trio (with Richard Spaven and Tom Mason), performing in duo with Omar Puente (Bridges), and performing as a solo pianist. Since 2003.