The Osian Roberts/Steve Fishwick Quintet

Steve Fishwick, his brother Matt, and Osian Roberts have been friends since 1994, when they met on the jazz course at The Royal Academy Of Music in London. Since then, the three have worked and rehearsed together on a regular basis in their own groups, as well as in the ranks of other bands (Mike Carr's Blue Note Quartet; The Matt Wates Sextet etc.). In 2001 they met a group of French musicians living in London who shared the same taste in music, and began to congregate weekly for an informal jam session, playing arrangements from their favourite records. Eventually, the group started to perform regularly on the London jazz scene (at the 606 Club, the 100 Club, and the Queen Elizabeth Hall etc.). The line-up has changed since those early days - the only remaining Frenchman being the pianist Olivier Slama, who is joined in the rhythm section by bass virtuoso Dave Chamberlain. In 2003, they recorded their first album on the Hard Bop Records label - “Too Much!”(HBR33001) - at Richard Dunn’s studio in Cardiff. Since then they’ve been touring (with support from Jazz Services) and performing regularly across the UK, as far a field as St.Ives, Lincoln, Southend and Cardiff, as well as making festival appearances in Brecon, Scarborough and Swanage. Their latest album - On The Up And Up (HBR33003) - features the original compositions of Steve and Osian, and some unique arrangements of more familiar material. The album also introduces the talents of the band's newest member, drummer Matt Home, who's been performing live with the band since Matt Fishwick moved to New York (although Matt Fishwick is still very much a member of the group, and also features prominently on the new album). Their third album (recorded in January 2007 at Nola Studios in New York) features two very special guests ��" Jazz Legend Cedar Walton and the great Peter Washington ��" and is due for release this summer.

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