Courtney Pine & Jazz Warriors Afropeans

“…barnstorming solos, delicate bowed strings, skanking reggae backing tailgate trombones, foot-stamping chains. Hugely entertaining.” (The Times)

In October 2007, Courtney Pine led a freshly minted Jazz Warriors in the Afropeans project – a concert and award-winning album to mark the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade act in the UK. Now, this extraordinary ensemble returns to tour the UK, with a mouth-watering line-up that crosses generations of leading UK jazz soloists, including the likes of Jason Yarde, Alex Wilson and Omar Puente, rubbing shoulders with newcomers-to-watch Shabaka Hutchings and Ayanna Witter-Johnson – with a host of sensational reviews for both CD and live concerts. Afropeans Jazz Warriors picks up where the original Jazz Warriors left off – this seminal big band, formed in the 80s to celebrate the rich heritage of Afro-Caribbean jazz that contributed massively to the UK jazz scene since the 50s, is re-invented for a new century.

With a “kick-ass line-up” (All About Jazz) and music that is “irresistibly vibrant”, Afropeans was just too good not to have an extended outing.

This show was recently seen in London and was given great reviews:

“The emotional heat is as potent as ever in Courtney Pine’s national tour.” The Telegraph

“A joyous celebration of survival in adversity, portrayed through an evocation of the musical encounters and collisions engendered across centuries of the African diaspora.” The Telegraph

“Samuel Dubois’s solos on steel pans were beautifully focused; Shabaka Hutchings’s tightly patterned clarinet solos kept everyone spellbound.” The Telegraph

Courtney Pine Interview

£16.50, £18.50

presented in association with the Drum