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'An incredible saxophonist, with something very unique and original to say'

Walter Smith III

‘Ridiculous technique and harmonic proficiency combined with progressive creativity that sees him leading the charge in terms of new jazz music being created in the UK’

Linley Hamilton, BBC Jazz World

London-born Alex Hitchcock is an immediately distinctive improviser and a leading voice on the saxophone on the international stage. An Ivor Novello-nominated composer, his innovative collaborations have confirmed his growing reputation as an instigator and catalyst for captivating musical encounters that continually push the envelope a little further.

Described by The Guardian as a ‘virtuoso’ saxophonist, he tours and records trailblazing musicians in new combinations for his DREAM BAND series. The second volume Live in London was Jazzwise Editor's Album of the Year 2023 and featured in All About Jazz's 2023 Must Haves.

As a prolific and multi-award winning bandleader, his writing is inspired by the uniquely creative and varied voices of the musicians he works with. His compositions, primarily influenced by black American music, unite a powerful instrumental command with an originality and clarity of musical vision that has been described as ‘exquisitely subtle’ (All About Jazz) and ‘startlingly vivid and mature’ (Marlbank).

His ongoing ‘Same Moon’ collaboration series with guitarist Ant Law takes its name from a line in Haruki Murakami’s novel Sputnik Sweetheart: ‘we're both looking at the same moon in the same world. We’re connected to reality by the same line.’ Recorded remotely across multiple continents in 2020 and 2021 in response to a time of unprecedented isolation and atomisation, the first album in the series features guest contributions from vibraphonist Joel Ross, pianist Shai Maestro, bassists Linda May Han Oh, Ben Williams and Jasper Høiby, and drummers Jeff Ballard, Kendrick Scott, Sun-Mi Hong and Eric Harland.

Widely recognised as a thoughtful collaborator, he is equally at home in the musical worlds of trailblazers of the resurgent London jazz scene (Maria Chiara Argirò, Empirical, Myele Manzanza) as featuring in the groups of revered elders (Kirk Lightsey, Jasper Høiby, the Blackbyrds).

He lives in New York and performs at jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals across the world, leading groups at Umbria Jazz Festival, Love Supreme Festival, Bimhuis and Ronnie Scott’s and performing at North Sea Jazz Festival, Jazz à Vienne and Glastonbury Festival amongst many others.

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releases

aub

(2020)

'delicious... refreshingly offbeat'

shindig! magazine

'virtuosity in all four corners... some of the tenor lines are nothing short of extraordinary'

uk jazz news

'ready to make cataclysmic waves in the sound of uk jazz'

jazzwise

dream band

(2021)

'revered saxophonist enlists uk jazz heavyweights old and new for this ever-shifting collaborative endeavor'

Bandcamp new and notable

'big and bold... stunning'

uk vibe

same moon in the same world

(2022)

'a triumph'

jazzwise

'uk post-bop virtuosos lead a terrific multinational band'

the guardian

'captivating individual play... visceral excitement'

all about jazz

dream band:

live in london

(2023)

'Tumbling with ideas, impulsive improvisations and swinging, left-field energy, Hitchcock’s storytelling intent is the unifying thread'

mojo

'intrepid tenor saxophonist corrals an astonishing array of uk & eu jazz talent'

uncut magazine

PRESS

'Already a big presence on the British scene as both an astonishingly quickthinking virtuoso, and an increasingly creative bandleader/composer'

jazzwise

'an absolutely fascinating musician as a composer, leader and soloist'

france musique

'One of the most interesting European saxophonists, a person of great culture who constantly asks himself questions about the reasons for his being an artist'

Musica Jazz

'varied and richly satisfying... just keeps getting better'

jazzwise albums of the year 2023

'uk post-bop virtuosos alex hitchcock and ant law lead a terrific multinational band'

the guardian

'Exquisitely subtle collection of tunes... the clearest indicator to date of the stratospheric trajectory on which this super-talented quintet is indubitably heading'

All About Jazz

'Tumbling with ideas, impulsive improvisations and swinging, left-field energy, Hitchcock’s storytelling intent is the unifying thread'

mojo magazine

'Intrepid tenor saxophonist corrals an astonishing array of UK & EU jazz talent'

uncut magazine

'some of the tenor lines are nothing short of extraordinary – phrasing that floats in from another atmosphere altogether'

uk jazz news

'I really, really enjoyed this'

Soweto Kinch, BBC Radio 3

'One of the most important voices for the future of English jazz... a composer who creates wonderful foundations for his fellow musicians'

Nettavisen

'A fantastic talent'

Helen Mayhew, JazzFM

'One to get and listen over and over... Hitchcock et al reach a pivotal point'

jazz in Europe

'Another British jazz release of incredibly high quality... What a wonderfully free and adventurous game he shows on these live recordings'

Written in Music

'The deep sonority of the tenor, combined with a spectacular mastery of phrasing as well as harmony, calls for many comparisons. The unisons are percussive and impeccably designed, highlighted by an ever-changing rhythmic and sonic environment'

Jazz Magazine FRance

'deliciously eclectic and conceptual, pushing and pulling in different directions with a wide range of styles and forms'

jazzwax usa

'excellent record... there is so much talent here that blossoms with brilliant interplay'

lira sweden

'startlingly vivid and mature... begs to be heard'

marlbank

'pulling together some of the most diverse and remarkable talent within the jazz genre... a complete and captivating listen'

rgm magazine

'An underlying thought which is, well, rather beautiful, namely that all the musical personalities brought together are individually preserved'

radio wdr3 germany

press

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