Introducing Pianist David Austin Grey And His Quartet – Nov 2022
We are really excited to be joined by the David Austin Grey quartet for Will Todd’s Mass in Blue next week.
David Austin Grey is a UK-based pianist, composer and educator working across multiple musical disciplines.
David has worked throughout the UK and performed internationally, including residencies and collaborations in Brazil, the United States and South Asia. His most long-standing group, Hansu-Tori, has received national press and radio play (BBC Radio 3, Jazzwise Magazine, Jazz FM, BBC Introducing, The Observer, BBC WM and BBC Radio Scotland.
A graduate of the University of Birmingham and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, David has worked with well-respected artists and institutions such as Birmingham Royal Ballet, the British Council, Courtney Pine, Eliza Shaddad, Freya Roy, Soweto Kinch, Xhosa Cole, Michael League, and Black Voices. He has also supporting Grammy-winning artists Marcus Miller, Terri-Lyne Carrington and Snarky Puppy.
Music Director Clare Edwards tells us more about her connection with David:
“I’ve known David for many years having worked with him at the Flyover Show in Hockley and more recently at Symphony Hall. I’ve always loved his jazz piano playing and found him to be an engaging performer. I really wanted to put a complete jazz group together to work on Mass in Blue, rather than a random selection of performers, and I knew that David had his band and could bring the magic of an energetic jazz quartet to our concert.”
You can hear more from Clare in this video about why she wanted to work with David again.
https://notoriouschoir.dns-systems.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Clare-on-David-Austin-SD-480p.mov
David’s quartet is completed with three of the UK’s finest young improvising musicians – Chris Young (alto sax), James Owston (double bass) and Nathan Jones (drums) – all graduates of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and impressive writers, performers and composers in their own right.
The quartet will perform their own set at the concert before we all come together in the second half for a Latin mass like no other.
To hear examples of David’s work, check out the media area of his website here: