St Mary's Jazz Evenings: Tom Smith Quartet
‘So passionate, punchy and joyful…the band was vibed up by this young nutter at the front!’ – Django Bates
‘Tom really brought it, he tore the house down’ ‘His original compositions were some of the best we heard all night’– Julian Joseph
Matt Skelton is a drummer equally at home in modern and vintage Jazz styles enjoying a diverse musical career that has already spanned three decades. He has accompanied many leading Jazz luminaries such as Harry ''Sweets'' Edison, Conte Candoli, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Warren Vache, Scott Hamilton, John Hendricks, Kurt Elling, Curtis Stigers, Gregory Porter, and most recently Georgie Fame.
He has recorded and appeared with singers such as Marion Montgomery, Dame Cleo Laine, Claire Martin and Dame Jessye Norman. In 2015 he toured in the USA and recorded with Seth Macfarlane. He was Sir Richard Rodney Bennett's drummer of choice and for eight years toured and recorded as a member of Stacey Kent’s group, including her Grammy-nominated 2007 release Breakfast On The Morning Tram on BlueNote.
Matt is a founder member of the Grammy nominated John Wilson Orchestra. He regularly appears with the BBC Big Band and often with the BBC Concert, BBC Philharmonic and BBC Symphony orchestras including the Last Night of the Proms 2017. Traveling as John Wilson's drummer he has most recently performed with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Stockholm Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
In addition to his busy schedule performing alongside some of the biggest names in world music, Matt teaches at both Guildhall School of Music & Drama and for the London College Of Music, University Of West London. Matt is especially proud of his close mentoring of young jazz drummers who have recently made such an impact on the UK Jazz scene.
Hugo Jennings is a jazz pianist, singer and bandleader, orchestral conductor, teacher, and music curator. He has established himself as a respected name on the London jazz scene, through his playing, knowledge of the history of the music, and his work as founder and director of the highly successful Battersea Jazz Festival. His music is inspired by Barry Harris, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Cedar Walton, Thelonious Monk, the Great American Songbook, and a variety of other jazz and classical composers.
Hugo has performed regularly at various jazz events, venues, and concert halls across London and Britain, such as Pizza Express Dean Street, The EFG London Jazz Festival, Toulouse Lautrec Jazz Club, Hampstead Jazz Club, The Junction, Battersea Power Station, Southampton Modern Jazz Club, and the Clapham Grand. He has appeared alongside high-profile British artists such as Alex Garnett, Steve Fishwick, Tom Smith, Fraser Smith, Sam Braysher, and countless others, as well as American musicians including Adam Moezinia and Chuck Redd. In addition to his performing as a jazz pianist and singer, Hugo also works as conductor of Social London Orchestra and the South London Jazz Orchestra.
