Scott Hamilton Quartet

Scott Hamilton (tenor sax)

John Pearce (keyboard)

Dave Green (double-bass)

Steve Brown (drums)

Seasoned performer Scott Hamilton returns to Pinner with his regular UK quartet of John Pearce (piano), Dave Green (bass) and Steve Brown (drums), who have been playing together for 25 years. They featured in the first season of Pinner Jazz in 1998, and have appeared regularly ever since, last here in 2024. Expect the highest quality classic jazz from Scott and his old friends as they present a mixture of jazz standards and originals – including tracks from their most recent CD and Vinyl releases.

Scott Hamilton was born in 1954, in Providence, Rhode Island. During early childhood he heard a lot of jazz through his father’s record collection, and became acquainted with the jazz greats. He tried out several instruments, and had some clarinet lessons when he was about eight, but that was his only formal music tuition. He was attracted to the sound of Johnny Hodges, but it was not until sixteen that he started playing the saxophone seriously. He moved to New York in 1976, and through Roy Eldridge he got to work and learn from Eldridge, Illinois Jacquet, Vic Dickenson, Jo Jones &c. Eldridge was Scott’s champion, but pulled no punches, and could be extremely critical, something for which Scott has always been grateful. He worked with Benny Goodman from then until the early 1980s.
In 1977 he formed his own quartet, which later became a quintet, and began recording for Concord record label. More than forty albums later he is still recording for them, having made many under his own leadership, several with his regular British quartet of John Pearce, Dave Green and Steve Brown, including his latest, Nocturnes & Serenades. For some years he was based in London, where he first played in 1978, but now travels the world from Italy. Each year, in addition to two or three residencies with the quartet at the Pizza Express Jazz Club, British jazz club dates and festival work including Brecon, he regularly tours Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Japan, Spain and Italy, as well as returning to America.

His playing has best been described by fellow tenor saxophonist and writer, Dave Gelly: “Following a Scott Hamilton solo is like listening to a great conversationalist in full flow. First comes the voice, the inimitable, assured sound of his tenor saxophone, then the informal style and finally the amazing fluency and eloquent command of the jazz language.” Scott was awarded the ‘Ronnie’ for International Jazz Saxophonist of the Year in the 2007 inaugural Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Awards.

John Pearce is a versatile pianist and arranger. Between 1968 and 1974, he worked in various bands/orchestras, and on cruises on the QEII (including the Maiden Voyage!) and seasonal residencies abroad. From 1975 to 1985, he was a member of the Ray Ellington Quartet, including residencies at top London venues, two world cruises, and a variety of radio and television recording. From 1975 to the present day, he has been involved in big band/orchestral work with Bob Farnon, Billy May, Jack Parnell, Don Lusher, BBC Radio Orchestra, and for thirteen years with the James Last Orchestra. He has had regular jazz appearances at Ronnie Scotts, Albert Hall, Festival Hall and Barbican, and a tour of the Blue Note lazz Clubs in Japan, as well as Russian and European tours. He has accompanied many big name artists, including: Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Annie Ross, Mark Murphy, Eddie Daniels, Scott Hamilton, Woody Shaw, Conte Candoli and Art Farmer.

Dave Green was born in London in 1942, he started on tea-chest bass in local skiffle groups before buying his first double bass at fifteen. Local gigs followed, often with neighbour Charlie Watts and trumpeter Brian Jones.Turning professional in 1963 he worked with Keith Ingham and with multi instrumentalist Pete Shade. He joined the Don Rendell Quintet in the December, and remained with until 1969, by which time it had become the Don Rendell-Ian Carr Quintet. In 1964 he worked with Benny Goodman on TV. In 1965 he joined Humphrey Lyttelton, remaining with the band for eighteen years, but managing to combine the work with playing with Stan Tracey, and accompanying many visiting American jazzmen.He left Humph in 1983, but continued to work with Tracey into the 1990s. He also worked regularly with Michael Garrick and Henry Lowther, as well as leading his own group Fingers in 1980s.He has worked and recorded with numerous groups in all styles of jazz, some of the musicians his Jimmy Blanton-inspired playing has accompanied include: Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Ruby Braff, Billy Butterfield, Yank Lawson, Pee Wee Russell, Kenny Davern, Peter King, Benny Carter, Sonny Rollins, Buck Clayton, Capt. John Handy, Barry Harris, Bob Wilber, Roland Kirk, Brian Lemon, Sweets Edison, Martin Taylor, Ken Peplowski, Warren Vache, Dick Wellstood and George Van Eps. Add to this his tours with Charlie Watts Quintet to USA, Brazil and Japan, his being part of the Scott Hamilton Quartet for the last 33 years, and continuing to work with Alan Barnes, Henry Lowther, Gareth Williams and his own trio, and it's easy to see why he has become one of the most respected bass players in the world.

Steve Brown was born in Manchester, England, and developed an early interest in music and began playing drums at age 14. By age 19, he was performing with local jazz groups. By the time he was 23, Steve had become the "first call" jazz drummer in Manchester, working with Scott Hamilton, Art Farmer and UK artists during their engagements in the city.

In 1996, Brown moved to London and began working as a sideman with many of the capital's finest musicians including engagements withjazz greats Harry 'Sweets' Edison and Conte Candoli. During the next 4 years his playing career went from strength to strength and Steve was the winner of the 'Drums' and 'Rising Star' categories in the 1999 British Jazz Awards. He has gone on to win the British Jazz award in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2019. In 2000 Steve joined the Quartet of the great jazz saxophonist Scott Hamilton. For the last nineteen years, he has toured internationally with Mr Hamilton. He is featured on his last five recordings for Concord records.

In between his engagements with the Scott Hamilton Quartet, Steve has continued to perform and record with a wide variety of artists including Benny Golson, Benny Green, Carl Fontana, Barry Harris, Junior Mance and Charles McPherson.