In the 1980s, he was one of the first black British jazz artists to make a serious mark on the jazz scene when his first album charted.
30 years on (now with an OBE and CBE for services to music), Courtney Pine has stripped everything right back for the most intimate show of his long and celebrated career. He’s accompanied by fellow Mercury nominee and MOBO Awardwinning pianist Zoe Rahman, a vibrant and highly individual pianist and composer, whose style is deeply rooted in jazz yet reflects her classical background and British Bengali heritage.
Courtney Pine’s latest direction takes a step away from his familiar small band setting to create a programme of favourite ballads that range far and wide, from Duke Ellington to Chaka Khan. Concentrating on the richly resonant tones of his bass clarinet, he displays his full ability to create a lyrical subtlety without ever losing his natural ebullience.
