O'Higgins & Luft Quintet

About

Saturday 10 June 2023 
Venue: Peggy's Skylight 

TWO SHOWS
Twilight: 6-7pm
Doors at 5pm, vacate by 7.30pm

Highlight: 8.30-10.30pm
Doors at 7.30pm, vacate by midnight. Two sets of music with an interval

Tickets: £12-£18

O'Higgins & Luft Quintet

Saxophonist Dave O'Higgins & guitarist Rob Luft present "Pluto": straight-ahead modern jazz in the African-American tradition. "Some of the warmest, most heartfelt jazz you'll hear anywhere" - BBC Music Magazine 

"Some of the warmest, most heartfelt more-or-less-straight-ahead jazz you'll hear anywhere" – BBC Music Magazine 
"…excellently boisterous swing generated by tenor saxophonist Dave O'Higgins, guitarist Rob Luft and company in this, their second co-led album. Together with pianist Ross Stanley, bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado and drummer Rod Youngs, they gel with pretty unstoppable creative energy." – Jim Gilchrist, The Scotsman

Saxophonist Dave O'Higgins & guitarist Rob Luft present their 2nd co-led recording three years after "Play Monk & Trane". Where the first album clearly did what it says on the tin, "Pluto", as the title suggests, comes from another place. Seven of the 9 songs are originals, and the remaining two are Monk & Trane hits from the 40-plus date tour in 2019 that evolved on the road.

The sonority has changed a little, too, with the Hammond organ of before replaced with piano and bass. This is straight-ahead modern jazz in the African-American tradition, clearly coming from the Monk and Trane lineage, but not bound to emulating it. You will hear Luft easily morphing Wes Montgomery with Bill Frisell, his own trademark soundscapes and worldly influences, while O'Higgins' emotive melodies evoke Dexter, Trane, Joe Henderson and Brecker, with a melodic logic of his own.

Ross Stanley began playing with the band on organ when the logistics of Scott Flanigan travelling from Northern Ireland were unsustainable. Equally adept on piano, this instrument was chosen for "Pluto". This opened up a place for the exciting sound of Misha Mullov-Abbado on bass. American drummer, Rod Youngs, so integral to the vibe of the band on the 2019 tour, completes the lineup.

Saxophonist Dave O'Higgins has 24 albums as leader to his credit. The last Ubuntu release "That's the Way to Live" (2021) has had great reviews in the Observer, Jazzwise, BBC Magazine & many online jazz sites. In 2017 "It's Always 9:30 in Zog" was nominated for best CD (British Jazz Awards) & Dave for best tenor saxophonist. O'Higgins & Luft were nominated for best band in 2020 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Dave serves on the faculty at the London College of Contemporary Media. He currently performs with the Harvey / O'Higgins Project, O'Higgins & Luft, Darius Brubeck Quartet, and the Ronnie Scott's Jazz Orchestra. Dave also wrote and produced the 2017 Matt Bianco album, "Gravity" and tours with the band as saxophonist & musical director.

Rob Luft is an award-winning 29-year-old jazz guitarist from London whose virtuosity has been compared to that of six-string legends John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola & Paco De Lucia. He was the recipient of the 2016 Kenny Wheeler Prize from the Royal Academy of Music, and he also received 2nd Prize in the 2016 Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition at Montreux Jazz Festival. His debut album, "Riser", was released on Edition Records in 2017 to widespread acclaim from the European media. John Fordham wrote in The Guardian that it's a "very sophisticated debut, but given Luft's old-soul achievements since his early teens, we should have heard it coming". In May 2019, Rob was selected as a BBC New Generation Jazz Artist in conjunction with BBC Radio 3.

Dave O'Higgins – sax Rob Luft – guitar Ross Stanley – piano Misha Mullov-Abbado – bass Rod Youngs – drums