The Dave O’Higgins & Rob Luft Quartet

Wednesday 6th March 2024

OK, let’s start with this, from a 5-star BBC Music Magazine review:

"Some of the warmest, most heartfelt more-or-less-straight-ahead jazz you’ll hear anywhere”

Yes - in a line, that sums it up! The Spin has been after booking this incredible band ever since hearing their roaring performance at a jazz festival a few years ago. Look at this line up:

Dave O'Higgins - sax

Rob Luft - guitar

Ross Stanley - organ

Rod Youngs - drums

These are all top-drawer, world-class players (and in Ross Stanley, you basically get two-for-the-price-of-one: Ross will be bringing his full Hammond outfit –including two Leslie cabinets! – to cover bass and harmonies). 

Although it’s classed as ’straight-ahead modern jazz’, this is performed with one heck of a contemporary twist: You will hear Luft easily morphing Wes Montgomery with Bill Frisell, his own trademark soundscapes and worldly influences, while O’Higgins’ emotive melodies evoke Dexter, Trane, Joe Henderson and Brecker, with a melodic logic of his own.

Of the leaders – and with extreme brevity – here is a snapshot of their respective careers:

Dave O’Higgins has been at the forefront of contemporary jazz since his early 20s and has since worked with (among many others): Joey Calderazzo, Joe Locke, Adam Nussbaum, Joe Lovano, Phil Woods, Jimmy Smith, Nancy Wilson, Peggy Lee, Kurt Elling, Wayne Shorter, Eddie Gomez, Abdullah Ibrahim, Chico Chagas, Stephane Grappelli, Michel Legrand.

Rob Luft is, arguably, the most brilliant guitar player in the UK to have emerged in the last decade. At only 29 years old, he is already an ECM artist and has been nominated for all sorts of awards: Breakthrough Act in the 2018 Jazz FM Awards, Instrumentalist of the Year in the 2020 Parliamentary Jazz Awards and Instrumentalist of the Year in the 2019 Jazz FM Awards. In May 2019, Rob was selected as a BBC New Generation Jazz Artist. 

Please take it as read that the rhythm section of Ross Stanley and Rod Youngs are right up there with the leaders. This promises to be a highlight gig for The Spin.