In the 80s he was one of the first black British jazz artists to make a serious mark on the jazz scene when his first album charted. Some 30+ years on (now with an OBE and CBE for services to music to his name) Courtney Pine continues to break new ground with a string of highly acclaimed recordings and numerous prestigious music industry awards.

Recent years have seen him touring 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 and critically acclaimed albums House of Legends and Black Notes from the Deep featuring special guest vocalist Omar. With House of Legends and Black Notes widely regarded as two of his most vibrant and exhilarating projects in recent years, the follow-up duets project Song (The Ballad Book) a collaboration with pianist Zoe Rahman, has been heralded as one of his most intimate and reflective.

The utterly sublime Song (The Ballad Book) stripped everything right back to deliver a set of beautifully chosen ballads with Courtney playing Bass Clarinet accompanied only by Zoe on Grand Piano and saw the duo touring the project live for some of the most intimate shows of Courtney’s long and celebrated career.

Now for 2022 the duo are once again reunited for a string of live shows to celebrate and debut brand new material from Courtney’s forthcoming album Spirituality, due for release in the Autumn. This touring lineup will feature Courtney back on Bass Clarinet, Zoe on Grand Piano, and this time with the addition of a string quartet for these very special shows.

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About Courtney Pine

In 1986 Pine’s debut album Journey to the Urge Within became the first serious jazz album ever to make the British Top 40 (significantly earning a Silver Disc), and the last three decades have seen him go on to achieve considerable International acclaim.

He has released 17 (soon to be 18) studio albums under his own name and is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading jazz musicians, constantly pushing the boundaries of the genre and remaining firmly at the cutting edge of the UK scene. In 2014 he was commissioned to compose and perform a musical response to the work of Matisse for the Tate Modern, this work was broadcast live from the exhibitions to cinema’s throughout the UK. He also joined Herbie Hancock and an all-star lineup for the Globally televised UNESCO International Jazz Day Festival concert live from Osaka in 2014.

As a widely respected television and radio broadcaster he is best known for his long-running Jazz Crusade radio show on BBC Radio 2 but has also presented a number of award-winning radio documentaries for the BBC. On television, he presented and provided the soundtrack for an award-winning documentary celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela and was himself the subject of a prestigious South Bank Show Special. He currently presents the podcast Courtney Pine Global: jazz-pod.com

Awarded an OBE and CBE for services to music, Courtney is a professor of Music at Westminster University and has a doctorate from Leeds College of Music. His recordings and live work have been recognised critically throughout his long career, with numerous music awards including BBC Jazz Awards, MOBO and Mercury Music Prizes. He is regularly voted in the top twenty Black Britons polls.

Reviews

“… this duo set is a revelation… a celebration of timeless ballads” – The Guardian

“It’s a match made in jazz heaven” – The London Evening Standard

“This is beautiful impressive work by two of our finest players” – The Observer

“Great songs, intimate solos and Courtney Pine and Zoe Rahman sounding tender and true” – Financial Times

“A walking encyclopaedia of advanced saxophony” – The Guardian

“There have been many pioneers in the black British community – people who have defined an era, changed societal perceptions and made it easier for those who follow to progress in their field. Courtney Pine is such a trailblazer” – The Voice

Courtney Pine performs Liamuiga (Cook Up) on Later... with Jools Holland, BBC Two (20 Nov 2012)

Courtney Pine (bass clarinet) and Zoe Rahman (piano) play jazz standard A Child is Born by Thad Jones and Alec Wilde, live on In Tune, BBC Radio 3