Art Themen Quartet

Art Themen – Sax

Critic John Fordham has described him as "an appealing presence on the British jazz circuit for over 40 years.... 

Originally a Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins disciple, Themen has proved himself remarkably attentive to the saxophone styles of subsequent generations." 

Themen matriculated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and it was there that he started playing jazz with the Cambridge University Jazz Band – with bandmates including Lionel Grigson, Dave Gelly, George Walden, Jonathan Lynn and John Hart – the group under pianist Grigson's leadership achieving "near professional standard with a swinging hard-bop style that swept the board in the fiercely contested Inter-University Jazz Band Competitions"

He played with blues musicians Jack Bruce and Alexis Korner, and was a member of Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated. Themen has said: " Alexis, being heavily into blues as well as taking in jazz influences like Charles Mingus, furthered my knowledge of music quite a lot."[7] In 1965, Themen played with the Peter Stuyvesant Jazz Orchestra in Zürich, going on to play with such English luminaries as Michael Garrick, Ian Carr, and Graham Collier's Music.

In 1974, Themen entered on what was to be one of his central musical relationships when he started playing with Stan Tracey, and he has played with all of Tracey's groups, touring with him all over the world as well as around the UK. 

Themen has also played and toured with visiting US musicians, including Charlie Rouse, Nat Adderley, Red Rodney, George Coleman, and Al Haig.

He was featured in a profile on composer Graham Collier in the 1985 Channel 4 documentary Hoarded Dreams 

Huw Warren - Piano

Press/reviews

"one of the UK's truly independent spirits" - The Guardian

"A European stylist of the highest order" - BBC Music Magazine

  "one of the most lyrical pianists around and his playing is the most delicate and subtle imaginable" -John Potter

 "soaring and elegant melodies borne aloft by rhapsodic textures" "an intimate, very special experience" Mike Collins London Jazz News

“Where the indescribable meets the unclassifiable” – Colin Irwin, Mojo

“One of the UK’s truly independent spirits” The Guardian

“A European stylist of the highest order” BBC Music Magazine

 “a slow piece...Still Hearing You, possibly the most ravishing melody I have heard in my life” Miles Kington, The Independent

Riaan Vosloo – Double Bass

Currently a course Leader for MA Popular Music Practice at BIMM Bristol, Riaan is a Composer, Arranger, Band Leader and first-rate musician, who features in many of the bands in Bristol.

He is a pivital figure in jazz in Bristol in each of those roles. 

Tony Orrell – Drums

Press/Reviews:

So what of the music? This reviewer would hail it as one of the best gigs of the year, an amazing modern jazz big band that combined very imaginative arrangements – principally from bass player/MC Riaan Vosloo and multi-reed maestro Ross Hughes – with brilliant players who could bring their distinctive personalities to whatever was thrown at them. Comparisons (favourable!) were made with the seminal Loose Tubes collective, early Mike Westbrook big bands, the Sun Ra Arkestra … all ensembles that could provide a continuous stream of delicious moments thanks to the collective talents they contained.