Greg Abate, New England saxophonist, flutist and composer is enjoying an extraordinarily diversified International career that includes; playing lead alto for the Ray Charles Orchestra in the 70s and tenor sax for the revived Artie Shaw Orchestra under the direction of Dick Johnson in the 80s. Recording a total of 23 recordings as a leader and recording or performing with some jazz greats, including Phil Woods, Kenny Barron, Claudio Roditi, Red Rodney , Ben Riley, George Mraz, Rufus Reid, Claudio Roditi, James Williams, Barry Harris, Richie Cole, Kenny Washington, Hilton Ruiz, Jerome Richardson, Billy Hart and many more. Greg is very busy 275 days a year touring, and also is adjunct professor of Jazz at RI College and is a Conn-Selmer representative artist conducting master classes and as guest artist at many schools, College and Universities. Here's what the fine folks of Belper said about Greg's performances with the BJC: "Really informal venue for a great sax player with seat-of-the-pants interplay between keys, bass and drums. Fantastic talent!" "Great gig at a wonderful venue - perfect for creating a jazz club atmosphere. BYOB or great beer/cider from the Angels next door. A perfect evening ! Looking forward to the next Belper Jazz Company gig here!" "An excellent evening with great music in an intimate venue." "Top class jazz" "Excellent venue, excellent gig and great atmosphere, will go again. Highly recommended." "First real Jazz event I've been to. It was amazing we were so close to the players who were very good! A great night and so local! Everyone was very friendly and welcoming!"

Over a career spanning more than 30 years, award winning jazz guitarist Nigel Price has become widely acknowledged as one of the hardest working musicians in the business. Musically, his blend of flowing bebop lines, deep blues sensibility and his mastery of chording continue to delight audiences and fellow musicians alike. Nigel has played on more than 50 albums including 10 as a leader, spent ten years with acid jazz outfit The Filthy Six, was a member of James Taylors band (JTQ) for 3 years (with whom he recorded 5 albums) and performed with the legendary David Axelrod. He has also taught at The International Guitar Foundation at Kings Place, London. He has worked tirelessly to organise his own UK tours (14 in total, including a 56 date tour in late 2016) and has picked up a Parliamentary Jazz Award (Best Jazz Ensemble, 2010), a nomination for a British Jazz Award (Best Guitarist, 2014) and a British Jazz Award (Best Guitarist, 2016) along the way. "Nigel Price is probably the most dynamic and gifted guitarist on the British jazz scene All About Jazz.

As a finalist in the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2020, winner of the Rising Star category in the 2019 British Jazz Awards and three-time nominee in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, Alex is known to be one of the most in-demand and versatile saxophonists to have emerged on the British jazz scene. Praised for her intelligent ear for harmony and a deep knowledge of repertoire across a broad spectrum of styles, Alex's sound is steeped in the tradition of bebop. Alex's total respect for the heritage of the music can be heard in a fiery, melodic approach inspired by the likes of Phil Woods, Cannonball Adderley and Vincent Herring. She has worked alongside many notable names such as Alan Barnes, Alex Garnett, Alec Dankworth, Bruce Adams and Art Themen, and regularly works with prestigious big bands such as The Ronnie Scotts Jazz Orchestra and The Simon Spillett Big Band. As a bandleader, Alex's quartet features some of the UKs finest musicians: David Newton, Dave Green and Steve Brown. In summer 2022, she released her latest album Only A Year and since then, her quartet have toured extensively around the country, appearing at jazz clubs and festivals including Swanage Jazz Festival and Scarborough Jazz Festival. "One of the UKs finest young jazz talents" The Jazz Rag. "Comfortable and inspired" - Scott Hamilton. "Clarke is a rising star...and here is the evidence" - Jazzwise. "Bathe in her command of rhythm and her gorgeous sound on alto and tenor" - All About Jazz. Leaves the listener captivated by every phrase and nuance- Jazz Views.

Metz Jnr is an outstanding singer who delivers highly energetic shows of feel good music. Incorporating clever elements of festival-inspired funk, reggae, rock, jazz & soul. Metz has already put on three unforgettable live performances in Belper as part of the Larks in the Park season at the River Gardens and at No28. So what music do you play Metz? Music is subjective, every audience is unique. I perform music that brings audiences to life, adjusting on the spot to ensure the atmosphere stays alight. Harnessing the tools of Funk, Reggae, Rock, Soul, Latin, Jazz, Swing & so much more, I've created a transitional style that refuses to limit me to a single sound or setting. Reviews from No28, February 9th 2025... "A thoroughly enjoyable evening of upbeat music from this very talented and entertaining trio. We would highly recommend going to see them. We will definitely look out for future gigs!" Mr David M Booth. "Fabulous musicians & vocalist! Such a fun evening!" Susan Saldanha. "Great trio, played a wide range of covers. Very tight" Daniel Penney. "Fantastic evening, great atmosphere and fabulous music." Elizabeth Christie. "An uplifting evenings music with an eclectic playlist.Excellent performance and great interaction with the audience." Janet Tulk. "A great evening with superb atmosphere. Metz Jnr Trio were a revelation with great musicality and audience participation in the songs went down really well. We will definitely be attending any future dates for Metz Jnr Trio." David Muirhead. "What a jolly and fun evening. Brilliant triovery talented, great at getting us all involved. Amazing." Jenny Swindell. "Brilliant night, everyone joined in. Great atmosphere." Shirley Dolben.