COURTNEY PINE – HOUSE LEGENDS

Courtney Pine marks his 60th birthday year with a special edition of his award winning project House of Legends that celebrates the influence and contributions to the UK from the many varied people of the Caribbean and re-release of his ground breaking debut album Journey To The Urge Within.

No musician more embodies the dramatic transformation in the British jazz scene over the past thirty years than saxophonist Courtney Pine. The groundbreaking, multi-instrumentalist has led a generation of top-notch players who’ve broadened their styles to take jazz out to a wider audience.  In the 80’s he was one of the first black British jazz artists to make a serious mark on the jazz scene when his first album, Journey to the Urge Within, recently re-released charted and some 37 years on (now with an OBE and CBE for services to music) he continues to break new ground with a string of highly acclaimed recordings and numerous prestigious Industry awards. In April 2014 he joined Herbie Hancock and a dazzling line-up of Jazz all-stars for UNESCO’S globally televised concert in Osaka to celebrate International Jazz Day and his name regularly appears on the UK’s list of Most Influential Black Britons.  He continues to sell out shows across the UK, US and Canada and mainstage performances at Bestival, Love Supreme and The London Jazz Festival with his award winning critically acclaimed 15^th studio album House of Legends which he plans to reboot with a new 2024 flavour to celebrate the year of his 60th birthday.

Deeply steeped in the traditions of the Caribbean, this very personal project  sees Courtney on top form, bringing together musicians from Africa, the Caribbean and Europe for vibrant exchanges that tell tales of life from a truly multi-cultural view point. Expect an exhilarating mix of Merengue, Ska, Mento and Calypso as played through the lens (saxophone) of a UK born artist with strong, proud Afro-Caribbean roots.

In 1986 a 22 year old Courtney Pine appeared on the front cover of the iconic British music publication NME, he is the only Black British jazz artist to do so – the last quote in a two page interview read “You know I’m doing this for a reason” –now soon to be 60, you better believe he still is…

Running time: 75 minutes, no interval

“Courtney Pine was once hailed as British jazz’s saviour….he still is”
The Independent

“Nothing short of breathtaking”
The Telegraph

“A walking encyclopaedia of advanced saxophony”
The Guardian