Grammy-winning saxophonist Jean Toussaint released his 12th album ‘Live at the Jazz Cafe’ in 2019/20 which marked what would have been Art Blakey’s 100th birthday.
The music was recorded at the end of an extensive tour to promote Brother Raymond, later winning Album of the Year at the 2019 Jazz FM and Parliamentary Jazz Awards and considered one of the best jazz recordings of 2018 in Jazzwise, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and The Sunday Times.
Jean Toussaint first came to prominence when he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in 1982, after studying at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to London in 1987 to teach at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. One of the most revered jazz educators in the UK (he received the Parliamentary Award for Jazz Education in 2018) Toussaint also teaches at the Birmingham Conservatoire, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and occasionally the Royal Academy of Music. Since moving to London Toussaint has led his own bands and projects, released eleven CDs as a leader and guested on many more including collaborations with UK based musicians like the late Bheki Mseleku, Julian Joseph, Jason Rebello and Cleveland Watkiss. He was awarded Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2019 Jazz FM Awards. Toussaint is also often invited to join tours with US musicians visiting Europe and most recently was on tour with pianists Kirk Lightsey and Donald Brown, trumpeter Eddie Henderson and an extensive tour of Europe, the Middle East and New York with the drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts.
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