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Julian Siegel
Saxophonist, Clarinettist, Bandleader, Composer and Arranger
About Me
JULIAN SIEGEL is an in-demand saxophonist on the UK and European Jazz scene who has
worked with many of the top figures in the music. He was awarded the 2007 BBC Jazz Award
for Best Instrumentalist. He is currently touring with the Julian Siegel Quartet featuring pianist
Liam Noble, bassist Oli Hayhurst and drummer Gene Calderazzo. The Quartet's first CD ‘Urban
Theme Park’ was awarded the 2011 London Jazz Award and in February 2018 the Quartet
released their new album 'VISTA' on Whirlwind Recordings. Since the release of ‘VISTA’, the
band has performed internationally at Jazz Festivals including Inntöne Jazz Festival in Austria,
Made in The UK at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, NY, Jazz Standard NYC, JazzFestival
Göttingen, Germany, Limerick Jazz Festival Ireland, UK’s Love Supreme Festival, Bristol and
Manchester International Jazz Festivals and an extensive 2018 – 2019 Arts Council England UK
Tour. The Quartet was featured on the cover of UK’s Jazzwise Magazine in February 2018 and
VISTA was included in Jazzwise’s Top 20 Jazz Albums of the year.
From 1996 Julian co-led the influential band Partisans with the award-winning NYC based
guitarist Phil Robson, featuring Thaddeus Kelly on Bass and Gene Calderazzo on Drums. The
band has played at major Jazz Festivals in Europe, USA and Canada. In May 2019 the band
released their sixth (and first live) album 'Nit de Nit' on Whirlwind Recordings. The band’s fifth
album ‘Swamp’ (Whirlwind) was awarded Best Album in the 2015 Parliamentary Jazz Awards.
The Julian Siegel Trio with US Improvising stars, drummer Joey Baron and bassist Greg Cohen
was formed as a result of a major commission from Cheltenham Jazz Festival in 2006. The Trio
has toured the UK three times and released a double album ‘Live at the Vortex’ (Basho
Records).
In recent years Julian has begun writing music for Jazz Orchestra and in March 2017 Julian
toured the newly formed Julian Siegel Jazz Orchestra on a six date UK tour supported by Arts
Council England, the tour was produced by Derby Jazz and Right Tempo with the support of
EMJazz. J.S.J.O. played Julian's compositions and arrangements including the new suite
commissioned especially for the tour by Derby Jazz, 'Tales from the Jacquard'.
In June 2021 the band’s debut album ‘Tales from the Jacquard’ was released on Whirlwind
Recordings. The album was recorded live on tour by BBC Radio 3 ‘Jazz Now’ and remixed and
mastered for CD release by Chris Lewis and mastered in NYC by Tyler McDiarmid for release on
limited edition Double Vinyl.
In February 2018 Julian was invited to Germany to play two concerts with the NDR BigBand,
Hamburg directed by US Trumpeter / composer Tim Hagans playing some of Julian's new
compositions for Jazz Orchestra including 'Tales from the Jacquard'. The concert from NDR
Studio 1 in Hamburg was broadcast on NDR radio.
Julian has played with many large ensembles including Kenny Wheeler's Big Band on the
album 'The Long Waiting' (CAM Jazz), Andrew Hill's Anglo American Big Band, Hermeto
Pascoal UK Big Band, Mike Gibbs 70th Birthday tour (alongside Bill Frisell, Steve Swallow and
Adam Nussbaum), John Taylor Big Band, Steve Gray, Django Bates’ ‘Delightful Precipice’, Jazz
Jamaica, Stan Sulzmann's Big Band, John Dankworth's Generation Big Band, Colin Towns Mask
Orchestra, Allan Ganley, Hans Koller 'New Memories' Band with Steve Lacy, BBC Big Band,
Jason Yarde's 'Acoutastic Bombastic', Nikki Iles Big Band and Hal Willner's 'Amarcord' with
Carla Bley and Rita Marcotulli.
Julian has been a member of Diane Schuur's European Quartet since 2013 touring Europe with
many festival appearances.
In small band settings Julian has played with Django Bates’ 'Human Chain', Gary Husband’s
‘Drive’, Mulatu Astatke, Simon Purcell’s ‘Red Circle’, Laurie Anderson, Steve Nieve, Kirk Lightsey,
Norma Winstone, Nigel Kennedy, Robert Mitchell, Byron Wallen, Jason Palmer, Jeff Ballard and
Oren Marshall's 'Charming Transport Band' featuring musicians from Ghana and Nigeria.
Julian was a member of a trio led by the sadly departed British Piano legend John Taylor
alongside the Italian Vocalist Diana Torto playing concerts in Italy and UK from 2013 to 2015.
In January 2016 Diana and Julian, alongside Bassist Anders Jormin and one of John's ex-
students. pianist Pablo Held, performed a tribute concert to John in Treviso, Italy
Julian has played with vocalists including Dame Cleo Laine, Beverley Knight, Liane Carroll,
Cleveland Watkiss, Lauren Kinsella, Joe Lee Wilson, Stuart Staples/Tindersticks (the Julian
Siegel Quartet was featured on Stuart Staples film soundtrack for Claire Denis' Un Beau Soleil
Intérieur), Amy Winehouse, Jacqueline Dankworth, Juliet Roberts, Keziah Jones,Terri Walker,
Christine Tobin and punk rock legend Steve Ignorant (formerly of Crass).
In January 2021 during lockdown Julian was honoured to have been invited to play on one track
on the new album by Sir John McLaughlin. The album ‘Liberation Time’ was released in June
2021 (Abstract Logix). Recorded remotely in Monaco, Paris, London and Cairo the track ‘Right
Here, Right Now, Right On’ features John McLaughlin with Nicolas Viccaro (drums), Jerome
Regard (bass), Julian Siegel (tenor saxophone) and Oz Ezzeldin (piano).
PRESS QUOTES
Spontaneous sparkle, Siegel's wailing, swerving lines burst with character
John Fordham, The Guardian
“With drive, a warm sound and an endless flow of ideas, Siegel's lines seem somehow three
dimensional, even at breakneck tempos.” Hi-Fi News and Record Review ( 'Vista' Album Choice
- March 2018)
My Jazz Story
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