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
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 set for release in February 2026, and this concert is part of their album release tour.

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 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 (Mount Tibidabo EP review)
"Marrows melodic intuition always shone through"
Jazzwise (Billy Marrows' Grande Famlia live review)
Melodic and distinctive
All About Jazz (Penelope album review)

Fully accessible venue.