Jazztones At The Basement 2 : Billy Marrows Band
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BILLY MARROWS BAND
Exhilarating sounds from a young band making waves on the contemporary scene.
7.30 pm, Thursday 26th March (Doors 7.00 pm)
The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York (Fully accessible venue)
12 in advance (15 on the door)
We welcome this contemporary jazz quartet on their album launch tour, bringing together several of the UKs most exciting improvisers to explore York-born Billys unique, boundary-pushing compositions. The listener is drawn into a musical world of light and dark, chaos and calm, joy and mystery, where events dont always unfold as you might expect.
Their vibrantly melodic, groovy and expressive music explores the relationship between improvisation and composition, generating a fertile playground for these highly creative musicians. Their music incorporates grooves from across the globe and takes inspiration from many genres, including contemporary jazz, funk, progressive jazz and classical.
The group features some of the most exciting players on the London jazz scene: Billy Marrows on electric guitar and compositions, Chris Williams on alto sax (of Mercury Prize-nominated Led Bib, Sarathy Korwar), Huw V Williams on double bass (Gruff Rhys, Ivo Neame, Chris Batchelor) and Jay Davis on drums (Mark Lockheart, Eddie Parker, Elliot Galvin).
Their debut album Dancing on Bentwood Chairs is just released, featuring music inspired by (amongst others) Mikhail Bulgakov and Wilfred Owen. This concert is part of their album release tour.
NEW ALBUM REVIEWS:
https://ukvibe.org/album reviews/billy-marrows/
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dancing-on-bentwood-chairs-billy-marrows-self-produced
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/billy-marrows-band-dancing-on-bentwood-chairs
Billy Marrows is a jazz guitarist and award-winning composer/arranger. Growing up in Sheriff Hutton, near York, he studied jazz guitar at the Royal Academy of Music and later in the Netherlands on the 2018 Metropole Orkest Arrangers Workshop with Vince Mendoza. Alongside this band, he leads the critically acclaimed chamber-jazz project Grande Famlia (also featuring Chris Williams), who have appeared at top UK venues and festivals including Scarborough Jazz Festival and a sold-out two-night residency at Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho. Their 2024 debut Penelope received a 4★★★★ review and Editors Choice in Jazzwise, and was shortlisted for Album of the Year in the 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards alongside John Surman, Daniel Casimir and Ezra Collective.
PRESS
"Marrows plays with such lyrical melodicism...you can't help but be seduced into his charmed world" - Jazzwise
"Marrows knows how to build beauty and drama...his intricate compositions convey a beguiling complexity and are played with a rounded warmth that makes this such an inviting experience" - Jazz Views
"Striking an astute balance of improvisation and written material, the album's free-flowing energy makes for an entertaining and absorbing listen" - All About Jazz
Exhilarating sounds from a young band making waves on the contemporary scene.
7.30 pm, Thursday 26th March (Doors 7.00 pm)
The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York (Fully accessible venue)
12 in advance (15 on the door)
We welcome this contemporary jazz quartet on their album launch tour, bringing together several of the UKs most exciting improvisers to explore York-born Billys unique, boundary-pushing compositions. The listener is drawn into a musical world of light and dark, chaos and calm, joy and mystery, where events dont always unfold as you might expect.
Their vibrantly melodic, groovy and expressive music explores the relationship between improvisation and composition, generating a fertile playground for these highly creative musicians. Their music incorporates grooves from across the globe and takes inspiration from many genres, including contemporary jazz, funk, progressive jazz and classical.
The group features some of the most exciting players on the London jazz scene: Billy Marrows on electric guitar and compositions, Chris Williams on alto sax (of Mercury Prize-nominated Led Bib, Sarathy Korwar), Huw V Williams on double bass (Gruff Rhys, Ivo Neame, Chris Batchelor) and Jay Davis on drums (Mark Lockheart, Eddie Parker, Elliot Galvin).
Their debut album Dancing on Bentwood Chairs is just released, featuring music inspired by (amongst others) Mikhail Bulgakov and Wilfred Owen. This concert is part of their album release tour.
NEW ALBUM REVIEWS:
https://ukvibe.org/album reviews/billy-marrows/
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dancing-on-bentwood-chairs-billy-marrows-self-produced
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/billy-marrows-band-dancing-on-bentwood-chairs
Billy Marrows is a jazz guitarist and award-winning composer/arranger. Growing up in Sheriff Hutton, near York, he studied jazz guitar at the Royal Academy of Music and later in the Netherlands on the 2018 Metropole Orkest Arrangers Workshop with Vince Mendoza. Alongside this band, he leads the critically acclaimed chamber-jazz project Grande Famlia (also featuring Chris Williams), who have appeared at top UK venues and festivals including Scarborough Jazz Festival and a sold-out two-night residency at Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho. Their 2024 debut Penelope received a 4★★★★ review and Editors Choice in Jazzwise, and was shortlisted for Album of the Year in the 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards alongside John Surman, Daniel Casimir and Ezra Collective.
PRESS
"Marrows plays with such lyrical melodicism...you can't help but be seduced into his charmed world" - Jazzwise
"Marrows knows how to build beauty and drama...his intricate compositions convey a beguiling complexity and are played with a rounded warmth that makes this such an inviting experience" - Jazz Views
"Striking an astute balance of improvisation and written material, the album's free-flowing energy makes for an entertaining and absorbing listen" - All About Jazz
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