At this special concert, join London-based saxophonist and composer Sam Norris as he celebrates the release of Wood/Gold, the first volume of his solo saxophone work, on Jonny Mansfield’s rapidly growing Resonant Postcards label. He will perform the first half of the concert solo and will be joined by guests for a series of intimate duos and trios in the second half.

Recorded at Tregenna Castle in St. Ives, Cornwall in August 2025, Wood/Gold captures Norris in a moment of focused solitude, investigating the saxophone’s full spectrum of sound. Across Wood/Gold he draws together contrasting timbral worlds - woody, golden, feathery, industrial - reshaping them in new and surprising ways. The result is a body of work that feels both immediate and deeply considered.

Described by UK Jazz News as ‘a particularly refreshing voice on the alto saxophone… following a more individual path,’ Norris has quickly established himself as a distinctive presence on the UK and European improvised music scenes. His debut album Small Things Evolved Slowly (released August 2024) has drawn praise from Jazzwise for its ‘consistency… giving this album its own distinctive voice,’ while Marlbank included ‘Un-ravel’ in its tracks of the week, commenting that his music ‘has really stood out on the UK scene.’

Norris studied at the Royal Academy of Music on a scholarship under Julian Siegel, Stan Sulzmann and Kit Downes, graduating in 2021 with first-class honours. Phemo Quartet, a band he co-leads with visionary composer Ashkan Layegh, recently placed second at the historic annual Burghausen European Jazz Competition (2026); he is also the recipient of the Craig Ball prize for jazz saxophone, and was a finalist in the Musicians' Company 'Young Jazz Musician of the Year' competition in 2022.

In addition to leading his own projects, Norris is fortunate to perform regularly around the UK and Europe with many of Europe’s finest improvisers, composers and cutting-edge ensembles. His creative practice spans the fields of contemporary jazz, improvised music and New Music, with collaborators including Ronan Guilfoyle, Ashkan Layegh, the London Sinfonietta, Tom Challenger, Mackwood, Stan Brunt and Gloria Yehilevsky. Norris’ career has taken him to the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room, The Vortex, BERGSON, and the Bray and Burghausen jazz festivals, among many other high-profile venues and festivals.