Vaughan Hawthorne-Nelson Quartet

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM - 2 sets of music

Line-up: Vaughan Hawthorne-Nelson - Alto saxophone Mark Mondesir - Drums Robert Mitchell - Piano Larry Bartley - Double bass

About: Vaughan Hawthorne-Nelson has led bands including some of the leading lights of jazz including Julian Joseph, Jason Rebello, Bheki Mseleku, Mark Mondesir, Aldo Romano and Gary Husband. He has also performed with legends of jazz including Kenny Kirkland, Branford Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Courtney Pine and many others. He released a suite of albums in the mid-nineties, the aptly titled ‘Emergence’ being the first. It has been described as “an accomplished, powerful and spiritually uplifting album”. In 1999 Vaughan released ‘See You There’, featuring the great South African pianist Bheki Mseleku, Mark Mondesir on drums and Jeremy Brown on acoustic bass. The album and subsequent tour cemented Vaughan’s reputation as a world class performer and was followed in 2001 by the live release of the band in fiery form ‘Live at The Wardrobe’. In 2005 Vaughan wrote ‘The Freedom Suite’ which receiving its premier performance at The Purcell Room in London featuring Julian Joseph on piano and Gary Husband on drums. Redemption released in 2025 is Vaughan’s seventh album as a leader.

Larry Bartley is a bassist/composer who has been a staple of the London and international jazz scene since the 1990s, and has played and/or recorded in the bands of Abdullah Ibrahim, Denys Baptiste, Steve Williamson, Courtney Pine, Bheki Mseleku, Jean Toussaint, Chris Briscoe, Basil Hodge, Adrian Reid (Jazz Warriors), Stanley Turrentine, Steve Grossman, Bennie Maupin, Harold Mabern, Chico Freeman, Donald Brown, David Murray, Orinn Evans, Gary Bartz and many others.

Mondesir began his career in 1984 as part of Ian Carr's workshops at the Weekend Arts Center. He worked with Courtney Pine between 1985 and 1989 and recorded with Kevin Eubanks in 1991. In the 1990s Mark Mondesir accompanied visiting musicians including Art Farmer, Hermeto Pascoal and John Scofield. Mondesir played with Pee Wee Ellis's Assembly in 1996 and was part of bands led by Julian Joseph. He was also part of John McLaughlin's 4th Dimension Band for their To the One album recorded in 2009.

Mitchell has forged a formidable reputation as a pianist and composer. As part of the F-IRE Collective, Robert won the Jazz on 3 Innovation Award at the 2004 BBC Jazz Awards; he has also been nominated twice: for Rising Star in 2002, and Best New Work in 2003. He has worked with Norma Winstone, Steve Coleman and Greg Osby.