Exciting Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Jean Toussaint, whose blistering technique, lyrical sound and compelling musical vision have earned him international acclaim. Best known for his years with Art Blakey’s legendary Jazz Messengers, Jean has built an outstanding career as a composer, bandleader, educator and one of the most respected voices in contemporary jazz.

Born on the Caribbean island of Aruba and raised in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, he studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston before leaving in 1982 to join the Jazz Messengers, where he spent four and a half transformative years performing alongside some of jazz’s finest musicians, including Terence Blanchard and Mulgrew Miller, while also working with Gil Evans, McCoy Tyner and Wynton Marsalis.

His music combines the energy of swinging, straight-ahead contemporary jazz with lyrical melodies, adventurous improvisation and a distinctive warmth that has captivated audiences worldwide. Throughout his career, Toussaint has collaborated with an extraordinary range of artists, including Max Roach, Cedar Walton, David Murray, Eddie Henderson, Donald Brown, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Julian Joseph, Jason Rebello, Cleveland Watkiss, Bheki Mseleku, Tony Remy, Orphy Robinson and Troy Miller. 

Art Blakey used to say ‘it doesn’t matter how complex you want to play, as long as you swing and play from the heart’ then he’d cite the great John Coltrane as an example. I owe it all to the great Art Blakey and I’ll be a Jazz Messenger for life.
 Jean Toussaint

Opener: Nnamdi Nachi Cole Trio

Nnamdi Nnachi-Cole is a pianist with a beautiful flowing integrity of sound; his ballad playing is insightful and mature coupled with an effortless urgency when the music is powerful and fast pace. Trained at the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy, Nnamdi is already turning heads and attracting positive waves as one of the newest emerging stars on the London jazz scene.