Something different musically is heading to Newton Abbot’s Courtenay Centre later this month

Promoted by Nadsa concerts, the celebrated duo Trish Clowes (saxophone) and Ross Stanley (piano) will be crossing musical and geographical boundaries to perform their unique blend of jazz, classical and folk traditions.

It’s been eight years since a similar combination lit up the Nadsa stage. Back then, the concert was “as eclectic as it was dazzling” – this one promises to be no different. Trish and Ross will bring original compositions, sacred works, Brazilian miniatures, and timeless standards.

This duo is no stranger to the traditional classical platform. As well as gigs at jazz festivals across the UK, they have performed at the Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Royal Festival Hall in London.

They are brilliant improvisers, taking inspiration from all genres of music. In fact, they enjoy working with material from anywhere – such is their empathy and skill.

Trish Clowes is “one of the most agile and original jugglers of improv and adventurous composition to have appeared in the UK in recent times” (The Guardian), while Ross Stanley’s musical skills have kept him in high demand. His performances have been with renowned names across the jazz spectrum, and with bands and ensembles large and small.

At the heart of their ever-evolving programme of music lies their interpretation of Herbert Howells’s Gloucester Service – a beloved work from Ross Stanley’s time as an organ scholar at Marlborough College.

Along with this, they will perform pieces by Abdullah Ibrahim, Lili Boulanger, Geri Allen, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Nikki Iles, and by duos Howard Dietz/Arthur Schwartz, Lionel Hampton/Sonny Burke and Richard Rogers/Lorenz Hart. And they will, of course, include their own compositions. Indeed, the concert will be featuring the duo’s inventive originals alongside personal favourites.

Trish Clowes studied at the Royal Academy of Music – she was later honoured as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (2013). She holds a PhD in Musical Composition, awarded by Birmingham City University (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) in 2020, and teaches at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (saxophone, composition, ensembles) and the Royal Academy of Music (ensembles, saxophone).

Ross Stanley is a Yamaha artist, Hammond endorsee and two times winner of a British Jazz Award in the organ category. After being awarded an organ scholarship to Marlborough College, he studied at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, since when his musical skills have kept him in high demand.

Together, Trish and Ross create what Jamie Cullum has called “vital music full of swing, emotion and atmosphere.”

Promoted by Nadsa Concerts and sponsored by Rathbones Investment Management, the concert will be performed at the Courtenay Centre, Newton Abbot, on Sunday 15th February at 3:30pm.

Tickets for the concert must be bought in advance online www.nadsa.co.uk or, failing that, by calling 01626 717730 between 10:00am and 5:00pm.