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Derek Nash
A vibrant and charismatic performer on all 4 sax's from Soprano to Baritone, Derek Nash is equally at home leading the award winning Jazz ensemble Sax Appeal to Funky Heights, or swinging his way to best CD of the year 2000 with Spike Robinson. As a full member of the Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, he has performed in front of 65,000 people at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff & also to over 100,000 at the Glastonbury Festival. He has appeared live & on TV with with many top performers including Eric Clapton, David Sanborn, Tom Jones, Paul Carrack, Jamie Cullum, Mavis Staples, Will Young, Ruby Turner and Sam Brown.
Derek won a British Jazz award for "Young lions, Old Tigers" the CD he recorded with the late Spike Robinson, plus he was voted in the top 5 of no less that 5 further categories in the 2003 Hamlet British Jazz awards.
In his Jazz world he performed with Don and Dave Grusin, Russell Ferrante, Nelson Rangell, Bob Dorough, Alan Barnes, Roy Williams, George Melly, Warren Vache, Lanny Morgan, Ray Gelato, Snake Davis, Bobby Worth, Len Skeat, Nick Weldon, Clark Tracey, Martin Shaw, plus singers Trudy Kerr, Joan Viskant and Sheena Davis.
His Funky Band "Protect the Beat" featuring amazing young drummer Darby Todd play festivals all round the world, and the line up includes members of Massive Attack, the Bee Gees and Gary Moore's band. Their 1st CD "It Ain't Dinner Jazz" has been well received and a 2nd CD is due out in 2006.
As a R'n'Boogie specialist he has performed and recorded with Ben Waters boogie band, Soul Survivors and Peter Green and played a record 7 consecutive years at the Cork jazz festival , Ireland.
He has recorded a solo CD "Setting New Standards" alongside Clark Tracey, Alec Dankworth and Graham Harvey, appeared on CD's with Trudy Kerr, George Melly, Bob Dorough, Jools Holland, Peter Green, Karen Lane, Julian Bahula, Digby Fairweather + Tony Remy.
As a recording engineer, he was awarded a gold disc for his work on "Pointless Nostalgic" by Jamie Cullum and has recorded for Bobby Wellins, Dave O Higgins, Martin Drew, Geoff Gascoyne, Georgie Fame, & George Melly.
Derek and his band Sax Appeal were awarded the "John Dankworth award for Ensemble" in the 1998 B.T. Jazz awards and Derek himself was voted one of the top 5 UK alto players at the same poll.
In John Dankworth's own words : "This award goes to a group which has over the years featured some of the very best players from the seemingly endless pot of talent constantly coming to the boil in British Jazz. It's leader is a fine arranger, a good organiser and a skilled showman as well as being a very presentable soloist himself. He has done a lot for the young British Jazz Scene and continues to do so - Derek Nash and his band SAX APPEAL"
" SAX APPEAL : "The bravado of this group is breathtaking" that's how The Wire editor Richard Cook described Sax Appeal in the Sunday Times. Taking five of the finest young Jazz saxophonists, "a smart funky rhythm section" and "a clutch of winning arrangements", this eight piece Jazz ensemble mix driving swing, haunting ballads and danceable latin/funk to create enjoyable, enthusiastic, award winning Jazz for the new Millennium.
The band were voted 1st in the Post Office British Jazz Awards in the year 2000, in the small band section, consolidating their position as one of the premier bands in the country.
Formed in Manchester in 1980 by leader Derek Nash, Sax Appeal went on to win the National Festival of Music for Youth, "Jazz Combo of the Year" award in 1983, culminating in performances at the Purcell Room, the Royal Albert Hall and on TV. Re-formed in London in 1984 the band plays regularly all over England. They won a Jazz South touring bursary in 1988, Arts Council funding for an extensive U.K. tour in 1995, and performed in Venezuela, South America for the British Council in 1996. They have performed on BBC network television, Live TV, Radio 2, Radio 3, Capital Radio, R.T.E. and broadcast Live on New Years eve 1997/8 on Radio 3's "Jazz Notes".
Expect driving swing Blue Note Style, Ellington sweetness, pure danceable Brazillian Latin, Brecker Brothers style Fusion, biting Sanborn style Funk, all in the space of one concert, featuring a myriad of saxophone styles from the best UK sax stylists.
The bands performances feature a lot of Nash original compositions, which have been featured on Radio and T.V, even BBC TV "Eastenders" characters have been heard to say "I was enjoying that" to the sound of Sax Appeal.
The Line up includes Mornington Lockett ( Celebrating the Jazz Couriers), Gary Plumley (Terry Callier/Snowboy and the Latin Section), Scott Garland (Pete Cater big Band), and Bob Mckay (Mathew Herbert band/Pete Cater big Band), Mike Bradley/Drums (Dick Pearce/Zappatistas), Phil Scragg/Bass (Just east of Jazz), and Pete Adams/Keys (Madonna/Tom Jones/Roy Hargrove).Regular guests include Matt Wates, Paul Booth, Dave O Higgins, Sam Mayne, Adrian Revell, Mark Fletcher, Darby Todd and Simon Carter.
The band has recorded 5 c.d.'s "Flat Out" JITCD 9503 , "Let's Go" JITCD 9401 and "Outside In" JITCD 9606 and "Take No Prisoners-Live" JITCD 0025 all gaining excellent reviews and all released on the fastest growing independent jazz label Jazzizit records. Also recorded at the Stables, Wavendon is a live and video, which also features U.S.A. sax star Nelson Rangell as special guest.
Just released in April 2006 is a new CD featuring the "Flatiron Suite", dedicated to the range of mountains near Boulder, Colorado. Recent performances (which included USA stars Nelson Rangell , Dave Grusin, Don Grusin and Russell Ferrante) have already received standing ovations in the U.S.A.
The band have performed all over the world from Venezuela to Hartlepool, from Ronnie Scott's to Cardiff Bay, Whilst festivals in Europe have included Marciac and Coutances in France, and 3 repeat bookings at the Cork Jazz festival in Ireland.
Derek Nash and Sax Appeal Reviews :
B.B.C. Radio 2 : Probably one of the finest saxophone bands in the world (Digby Fairweather)
The Sunday Times : Princes of the Horn in thunderous form...the bravado of this band is breathtaking..
Jools Holland : When I hear Derek Nash doing the brilliant solo at the end with the riffs supporting him I start to move involuntarily. I hope you will too.
The Observer : A bravura display of contemporary saxophone styles by a group of leading British players. This is the band that aspiring saxophonists go along to hear, although the experience is often a chastening one. As well as presenting some stupendously accomplished playing the 10 pieces are distinguished by the witty and inventive arrangements of leader Derek Nash.
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