Alan Barnes and David Newton

Event information

Multi-award winning, highly focussed sax virtuoso, Alan Barnes is now one of the most sought-after concert and recording artists throughout the UK and Europe. He has enjoyed a prolific career playing and recording for many bands including the BBC Big Band and Radio Orchestra, and has toured and recorded with, among others, Freddie Hubbard, Dick Walter, Kenny Baker, Bob Wilber, Don Weller, Stan Tracey, Mike Westbrook, John Dankworth, Tina May, Bill LeSage, Spike Robinson, Clare Teale, and Don Weller. Alan has long associations with pianist David Newton, going back to their college days, and with blistering be-bop trumpeter Bruce Adams, with whom he has co-led a quintet since the early nineties.

"A tonic for the ears... among the most accomplished of British jazz musicians" The Daily Telegraph

"Alan plays it hard and fast and with the sort of inventive flexibility and invention that ensures that he has his own sound and style and could not be easily be confused with another player."Jazz Journal

David Newton has an international reputation as a jazz pianist with a large number of albums to his name. After graduating from Leeds College of Music, David teamed up with Alan Barnes, moving to London where he rapidly became a much sought after pianist after playing with guitarist Martin Taylor and saxophonist Don Weller and later making a reputation for himself as an accompanist for singers Tina May, Claire Martin and Stacey Kent, with whom he spent the next ten years recording and travelling all over the world. He was voted the best jazz pianist in the British Jazz Awards for the 8th time in 2008 and was made a Fellow of Leeds College of Music in 2003.

"There is always more to Newton's playing than first meets the ear. The surface may be smooth, but there are all kinds of clever, subtle things going on beneath" - Dave Gelly, The Observer.

"Fantastic mainstream pianist who plays with wit and grace, as well as swinging like the clappers.." - Time Out.

Joining Alan and David for this special first anniversary gig at the Cavern will be Jon Scott on drums ( "supremely adaptable drumming" - Chris Parker) and house bass player Marianne Windham.