About this concert
Voted one of the ‘Hottest Bass Players in the World’ by readers of Bass Player magazine, Shez Raja is a seriously talented musician and dynamic live performer whose work in a fascinating mix of Indo-jazz, funk and groove styles has propelled him to the forefront of the UK jazz scene, drawing comparisons to electric bass legend Jaco Pastorius. Over the past few years Shez has released the critically-acclaimed albums “Journey to Shambhala” (ft guitar genius Wayne Krantz and Indian percussion guru Trilok Gurtu) and “Gurutopia” (ft global jazz legends Mike Stern and Randy Brecker). He was also featured on BBC Radio 3's Jazz Line-Up and performed at the Royal Festival Hall and Islington Assembly Hall in London. For his latest record (‘Tales from the Punjab’ released on prestige label Ubuntu Music) Shez dug deep into his rich South Asian heritage to create his most exquisite and heartfelt work to date. Inspired by ancient ragas, traditional melodies and free improvisations, the music creates a bridge between cultures with beautiful, exotic and timeless sounds.
For this 606 show Shez has invited the extraordinary UK guitarist Guthrie Govan to be his special guest. Arguably the hottest guitarist on the international music scene today, he was voted ‘Guitarist of the Year’ by Guitarist Magazine and has previously been featured on the covers of both Guitar Player and Guitar World magazines as well. Guthrie’s 2006 solo album, “Erotic Cakes” was widely recognized as an instant classic, and to give some sense of his range and stature, he has also toured with Asia/GPS, Steven Wilson and Hans Zimmer. Guthrie joins Shez’ frequent collaborators Vasilis Xenopoulos-saxophone, Chris Jerome-keyboards and Adam Teixeira-drums for what promises to be an epic night. Shez & Guthrie's performances earlier this year sold out rapidly, so make your booking now!
“The hip-shaking mix of Eastern song lines and funky Western dance-beats never wavers” **** Evening Standard; “Shez Raja personifies the modernisation of jazz. He is fearless as a musician.” All About Jazz ★★★★+
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About the venue
One of the best live music clubs in Europe, presenting jazz, soul, groove, singer/songwriter, R&B & Latin music along with tasty food for 40 years in our intimate Chelsea...
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Shez Raja Biography
"Shez Raja personifies the modernisation of jazz. He is fearless as a musician" - All About Jazz ★★★★+
"A tailor-made festival band with a unique identity" - The Guardian ★★★★
"Multi-layered and imaginative" - Manchester Evening News ★★★★
"I thought my head was going to explode. It sounds like it's come from the future!" - Bradford Telegraph ★★★★★
About the Shez Raja Collective
Virtuoso British-Asian bass player Shez Raja formed his London-based Collective with the vision of creating exciting and evocative music - a sonic kaleidoscope of Indo-jazz, thundering funk, tuneful ragas and euphoric grooves.
The Collective's live show is an eclectic headcharge of raw energy, always leaving audiences uplifted, inspired and asking for more! Following spectacular performances at top UK venues and major international jazz festivals from Russia to New Zealand, they have amassed a devoted following and forged a reputation as one of the most entertaining live acts on the scene today.
The group has released five highly-acclaimed albums. Their latest all-star recording, Gurutopia, was released in April 2016 on US label Dot Time Records. Featuring global jazz legends Mike Stern and Randy Brecker, as well as the cream of the UK jazz scene, the recording captures the raw energy of the band’s thrilling live shows. Garnering extraordinary reviews, it’s a truly compelling listening experience with original compositions and breathtaking virtuosity.
Raja says, “Collaborating with Randy and Mike has been an incredible and enlightening experience. I’m so grateful for the passion and sensitivity that they’ve so generously contributed to this album. This recording represents a major milestone on my journey as a musician and I’m overjoyed with what we’ve created together as a band”.
Shez regularly collaborates with stars of the British and international jazz world. Stellar line-ups on his albums and live shows also include John Etheridge, Dennis Rollins, Denys Baptiste, Oren Marshall and Arun Ghosh.
The new record follows the vibrant live album of 2014 - Soho Live - featuring Soweto Kinch, Shabaka Hutchings and Jay Phelps and studio album Mystic Radikal (2010) featuring Andy Sheppard, Monika Lidke and Claude Deppa, with both records released on 33 Jazz Records.
The varied line-ups create fascinating musical interactions, keeping the music both exciting and fresh so that each live show is different. The core band is Pascal Roggen, Chris Nickolls, Vasilis Xenopoulos, Alex Stanford.
About Shez
Shez Raja was born to an Asian father and English mother, on the Wirral, in the North-West of England. Classically trained on the violin from the age of 9, a few years later he traded the instrument for electric bass and hasn’t looked back since.
Educated at Leeds College of Music, Raja toured the UK with groups such as Elephant Talk and Loka (signed to renowned label Ninja Tune) before becoming a highly sought-after session musician.
He then went on to perform at Glastonbury Festival, the prestigious Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Royal Festival Hall and the London Forum, as well as touring Europe with platinum-selling hip-hop artist MC Lyte. Shez has appeared on BBC 1, MTV, national TV in Germany, Switzerland and New Zealand and has featured on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 3, Jazz FM, XFM and BBC Radio London Live.
In his formative years, Shez went on trips to the Punjab region of the Indian sub-continent with his father and immersed himself in the musical culture of his South Asian roots, learning Indian tabla drumming. He now merges his rich musical heritage with his hugely diverse playing experience to create the dynamic and passionate music of the Shez Raja Collective.
Shez’s mission as an artist is to be authentic with his emotions, develop his own unique voice and to explore the language of music to become fully self-expressed. He concludes, “I believe the ultimate goal for a musician is to make music that is raw, real and from the heart, that moves and inspires people”.
Read More"A tailor-made festival band with a unique identity" - The Guardian ★★★★
"Multi-layered and imaginative" - Manchester Evening News ★★★★
"I thought my head was going to explode. It sounds like it's come from the future!" - Bradford Telegraph ★★★★★
About the Shez Raja Collective
Virtuoso British-Asian bass player Shez Raja formed his London-based Collective with the vision of creating exciting and evocative music - a sonic kaleidoscope of Indo-jazz, thundering funk, tuneful ragas and euphoric grooves.
The Collective's live show is an eclectic headcharge of raw energy, always leaving audiences uplifted, inspired and asking for more! Following spectacular performances at top UK venues and major international jazz festivals from Russia to New Zealand, they have amassed a devoted following and forged a reputation as one of the most entertaining live acts on the scene today.
The group has released five highly-acclaimed albums. Their latest all-star recording, Gurutopia, was released in April 2016 on US label Dot Time Records. Featuring global jazz legends Mike Stern and Randy Brecker, as well as the cream of the UK jazz scene, the recording captures the raw energy of the band’s thrilling live shows. Garnering extraordinary reviews, it’s a truly compelling listening experience with original compositions and breathtaking virtuosity.
Raja says, “Collaborating with Randy and Mike has been an incredible and enlightening experience. I’m so grateful for the passion and sensitivity that they’ve so generously contributed to this album. This recording represents a major milestone on my journey as a musician and I’m overjoyed with what we’ve created together as a band”.
Shez regularly collaborates with stars of the British and international jazz world. Stellar line-ups on his albums and live shows also include John Etheridge, Dennis Rollins, Denys Baptiste, Oren Marshall and Arun Ghosh.
The new record follows the vibrant live album of 2014 - Soho Live - featuring Soweto Kinch, Shabaka Hutchings and Jay Phelps and studio album Mystic Radikal (2010) featuring Andy Sheppard, Monika Lidke and Claude Deppa, with both records released on 33 Jazz Records.
The varied line-ups create fascinating musical interactions, keeping the music both exciting and fresh so that each live show is different. The core band is Pascal Roggen, Chris Nickolls, Vasilis Xenopoulos, Alex Stanford.
About Shez
Shez Raja was born to an Asian father and English mother, on the Wirral, in the North-West of England. Classically trained on the violin from the age of 9, a few years later he traded the instrument for electric bass and hasn’t looked back since.
Educated at Leeds College of Music, Raja toured the UK with groups such as Elephant Talk and Loka (signed to renowned label Ninja Tune) before becoming a highly sought-after session musician.
He then went on to perform at Glastonbury Festival, the prestigious Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Royal Festival Hall and the London Forum, as well as touring Europe with platinum-selling hip-hop artist MC Lyte. Shez has appeared on BBC 1, MTV, national TV in Germany, Switzerland and New Zealand and has featured on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 3, Jazz FM, XFM and BBC Radio London Live.
In his formative years, Shez went on trips to the Punjab region of the Indian sub-continent with his father and immersed himself in the musical culture of his South Asian roots, learning Indian tabla drumming. He now merges his rich musical heritage with his hugely diverse playing experience to create the dynamic and passionate music of the Shez Raja Collective.
Shez’s mission as an artist is to be authentic with his emotions, develop his own unique voice and to explore the language of music to become fully self-expressed. He concludes, “I believe the ultimate goal for a musician is to make music that is raw, real and from the heart, that moves and inspires people”.
Indian
Jazz-funk
Jazz-rock
Funk
Jazz Instrument
Jazz Fusion
Jazz
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