Joel Purnell Quartet

Joel Purnell – Tenor, Zoltan Dekany - Double Bass, Jamil Sheriff – Piano, John Perry - Drums

Top tenor sax man and jazz educator Joel Purnell leads his quartet at Seven Arts Sunday afternoon slot in Leeds. With a growing international profile, saxophonist and composer Joel Purnell is acknowledged as one of the UK?s most respected and exciting contemporary jazz musicians and educators. Purnell?s latest album „Red Shift? won international critical acclaim, Jazzwise Magazine portraying his style as “reminiscent of John Coltrane”, whilst The Guardian & Jazz UK describe him as “a muscular, assertive saxophonist whose fluent solos show a strong sense of direction”, and though “a subtle tone-colourist on ballads”, Purnell also demonstrates “the kind of attacking, melodically twisting approach that shows how powerfully he has absorbed the legacy of Michael Brecker”.

The Joel Purnell Quartet, originally formed in 2003, showcases an “exhilarating” collaboration of like minded and highly experienced jazz musicians inspired by the American jazz masters of past and present. With a philosophy focused on musicality, feel and expression the band creates a unique, melodic blend of “hard-charging” contemporary jazz. Performing a mixture of original compositions from the album „Red Shift?, along with fresh interpretations of more familiar jazz standards, this is one “high-class band” you will not want to miss!