Donovan Haffner Quintet

We are delighted to welcome Donovan Haffner to the Bear Club as part of our program to promote new talent on the jazz scene.

Donovan, an alto saxophone player recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with a BMus degree in Jazz. He came through the famous London-based jazz music education collective “Tomorrow’s Warriors” and has worked with some notable musicians, including Shane Forbes and Jay Phelps. He has toured extensively with star drummer Moses Boyd including around Italy at only 18 years old and at various places around the UK. During his formative years, he received mentorship from figures like Gary Crosby OBE, Alex Davis, and Binker Golding of Tomorrow’s Warriors.

Now leading his own quintet, Donovan's band consists of Francisco Garcia de Paredes on guitar, Jay Verma on piano, Harry Pearce on double-bass, and Luke McCarthy on drums.

Their repertoire primarily features Donovan's original compositions, influenced by artists such as Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Ambrose Akinmusire, Walter Smith III, Wayne Shorter, and many more. His compositions are mainly neo-bop but with his own unique twist. Not to be missed !