Watermill Jazz

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Tickets - ticketsource.co.uk/watermilljazz

Excellent quality jazz from major UK and international musicians, every Tuesday from 8:30 - 10:30pm (except December). Delicious hot buffet available from 6:45pm - £15.50 (book in advance - see email link)
NOTE: It is with regret that the Hot Buffet served before concerts will not be available from 15 August 2023 until further notice.

31/05/2026

Programme - July 2026

23/05/2026

The London Jazz Orchestra, featuring the music of Stan Sulzmann,are playing at Watermill Jazz, Reigate Road, Dorking, on Tuesday 2nd June 2026. Doors open at 8pm, concert starts at 8:30pm.

Get your tickets from www.ticketsource.com/watermilljazz or from the box office 07415 815784 or on the door; tickets from £13 (Students) - £30 (members £25). Easy access from London to Dorking Station; By road on the A25 near the junction with the A24 with extensive free parking on site - Betchworth Park Golf Club, RH4 1NZ.

The London Jazz Orchestra, drawn from the capital's top soloists and writers, is celebrating its 35th year. For 15 of those years, iconic saxophonist Stan Sulzmann, who now lives locally to Watermill Jazz, was featured as both soloist and composer and Stan's interest in big band writing began when he started arranging pieces for the London Jazz Orchestra. The band travels to Watermill Jazz for a special appearance featuring Stan’s music in his presence.

Founded by director Scott Stroman and trumpet player Noel Langley, former members besides Stan Sulzmann include Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Pete Saberton, Nikki Iles, Tim Garland, Norma Winstone and a host of greats, and the band continues to feature numerous current stars.

‘The ensemble always creates something new and magical' London Jazz News

'Ravishing, delicious, powerful and direct…meticulously written, sometimes echoing the imaginative and much missed orchestra of Michael Gibbs’ The Guardian

Scott Stroman – director, Matt Sulzmann - alto & soprano sax, Martin Hathaway - alto sax, clarinet & flute, Tori Freestone - tenor sax & flute, Pete Hurt - tenor sax & flute, Mick Foster, baritone sax & bass clarinet, Martin Gladdish, Olli Martin, James Wade-Sired - trombones, Richard Henry -bass trombone, Tom Walsh, Miguel Gorodi, Henry Lowther, Andre Canniere – trumpets, Nick Costley-White - guitar, Alcyona Mick- piano, Calum Gourlay – double bass, Paul Clarvis - drums.

20/05/2026

Giacomo Smith - Manouche - 19 May 2026

Photos by Chris Horne & Roger Sanders

Musicians from Duke Ellington to the Avant Garde have long felt that Jazz was too small a word for a music that covers such a wide range of styles and expression. Manouche or Gypsy Jazz has become one of the many overlapping styles within it today and the musician whose influence runs deep like the name in a stick of Blackpool Rock was Django Reinhardt.

Django often played with clarinet players so it was fitting that Giacomo Smith presented his trio of musicians who are inspired by and at the same time are invigorating this uniquely European style.

A quick change of reed and they were out of the gates like a shot, racing through ‘The Best Things In Life Are Free’ and into ‘After You’ve Gone’. Both sets were heavy on tunes from the 20’s and 30’s, and those written or associated with Django, but there was nothing backwards looking about the playing.

Pianist Tom Ward was a revelation and from the moment he deftly changed rhythmic gears from la pompe to rollicking stride the energy rose and we instantly knew this concert was going to be a cracker.

As Giacomo pointed out, the lack of drums allowed the clarinet to shine in its lower register, especially on his version of ‘the most beautiful tune of all time’ ‘Embraceable You’.

Sitting between two such strong melodic players guitarist Ducato Piotrowski anchored the sound of the band, shifting between driving chording to magisterial soloing. He was able to put his own stamp on material that has been played by countless virtuosos before him. I particularly enjoyed the 3/4 swing of ‘Indifference’ and his take on ‘Nuages’.

The leader Giacomo was impeccably dressed, ready for an engagement at The Ritz or a 30’s rent party, his lovely playing transforming The Watermill Jazz club into a mixture of the two for a few hours . His clarinet playing was equally stylish. Did I detect a hint of Jimmy Guiffre on the bluesy opening to ‘Dream of You’, a song Giacomo learned from Django via Jimmy Lunceford?.

On What Is This Thing Called Love’ he kept slipping in some phrases from ‘Hot House’ the Bebop tune based on the same harmonies. The late Stan Hasselgard briefly straddled the swing/ Bop divide with a similar ease.

We didn’t want the night to end, but after a short but ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ the music had to stop. The glow and memory of this evening is going to stay with me for some time.

Review by Ian Watson

07/05/2026

Giacomo Smith - Manouche, are playing at Watermill Jazz, Reigate Road, Dorking, on Tuesday 19th May 2026. Doors open at 8pm, concert starts at 8:30pm.

Get your tickets from www.ticketsource.com/watermilljazz or from the box office 07415 815784 or on the door; tickets from £12 (Students) - £29 (members £24). Easy access from London to Dorking Station; By road on the A25 near the junction with the A24 with extensive free parking on site - Betchworth Park Golf Club, RH4 1NZ.

Giacomo Smith is an accomplished jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, and composer known for his distinctive sound and mastery of both traditional and contemporary jazz styles.

Born in Italy and raised in the United States, Smith developed a deep appreciation for jazz early in life.

In Manouche, Giacomo joins forces with pianist Tom Ward & guitarist Ducato Piotrowski to create a reimagining of Django Reinhardt’s musical legacy. Their trio blends virtuosic improvisation and expressive range with original compositions, swing era classics, and fresh interpretations beyond the usual Manouche repertoire.

Giacomo Smith - clarinet, Ducato Piotrowski – guitar, Tom Ward – piano

06/05/2026

Ben Crosland All Star Band plays the Ray Davies Songbook - 5 May 2026.

Photos by Chris Horne & Roger Sanders

The music of the Kinks got a brand new coat of paint this evening courtesy of Ben Crosland's inspired arrangements. Theo Travis and John Etheridge's history of fusion in Soft Machine lent a certain heft to the arrangements, with solos and harmonised lead lines. Steve Lodder also made sure that tonight was as much about chromatic invention as nostalgia.

Drummer Nic France, another Soft Machine alumni, provided the jazz-rock foundation on which Bassist Ben Crosland's arrangements took flight. All members of the band were (probably) old enough to have seen the Kinks live - and tonight brought along musicianship to show us just how far along things have moved in the intervening years.

Review by David Ward

03/05/2026

Ben Crosland and his quintet are SOLD OUT at Watermill Jazz on Tuesday 5th May 2026. To be included on the waiting list for any returned tickets please phone the box office 07415 815784.

Further details of this and other events are on www.ticketsource.com/watermilljazz . Tickets from £12 (Students) - £29 (members £24). Easy access from London to Dorking Station; by road on the A25 near the junction with the A24 with extensive free parking on site - Betchworth Park Golf Club, Reigate Road, Dorking, RH4 1NZ. Doors open at 8pm, concert starts at 8:30pm.

In 2016 bassist Ben Crosland and his quintet released the critically acclaimed album The Ray Davies Songbook, a tribute to The Kinks' iconic singer/composer Ray Davies. Strong grooves, a natural swing and strong, evocative melodies characterise Ray Davies’ songs which allows them to be beautifully re-interpreted in a more contemporary fashion. From straight-ahead swing through 8th feel grooves and ballads to reggae, Crosland and the band, which features much-loved guitarist John Etheridge, shine a new light on these classic songs.

The album was nominated by respected jazz writer Brian Morton as one of his albums of the year in the Jazz Journal Critics’ Poll 2016. Following the success of the first album, the Quintet released a second volume of the Ray Davies Songbook in 2019, also to significant critical acclaim.

'I feel privileged to have you do renditions of my songs and appreciate your craftmanship' Sir Ray Davies

John Etheridge – guitar, Theo Travis – tenor & soprano sax, Steve Lodder – piano & keyboard, Ben Crosland – electric bass, Nic France - drums

29/04/2026

Laura Jurd Quartet - 28 April 2026

Photos by Chris Horne & Roger Sanders

It all starts with sound, and if the late, great pianist Hal Galper is to be believed, the instrument is an illusion. We are not talking about smoke and mirrors here, but beautiful sounds coming from deep inside each musician.

Ruth Goller played a Fender Mustang bass through a bank of pedals and an Orange 500 watts Terror Bass amp, but I may as well be describing an easel with an array of oil paints ready to be dipped into as none of that was important. Her sound came from an individual realisation of her ideas through her fingers and into the room. I for one was spellbound by her playing and remained so even when she sat silently listening to the others, thinking of her next move.

Laura told us that pianist Liam Noble was a new addition to the ensemble for the evening. Otherwise we would never have guessed this from the way that he fitted in; supporting melodies, shaping the flow of the music, darting in and out of the shadows to the open spaces with effortless ease.

Corrie Dick played drums and a small array of percussion instruments. I overheard him telling someone afterwards "I'm not really into gear” - who needs to be when you have enough music in your head, and all it needs is a physical object to realise it.

The lynchpin of the band was, of course, composer and trumpet player Laura Jurd. With pronounced folk influences on her must recent album Rites and Revelations we got a glimpse into the creative mind of this talented and mercurial musician. Each piece was evocative, full of twists and turns and wonderful imagery. On St James Infirmary the initial calm was split open like a family squabble at a wake only to change again as tempers settled down again. Of course she has a tone to die for and in her hands a Martin Committee trumpet became a magic wand that changed the mood of each piece like the conductor in Fantasia.

All in all it was another amazing evening of generous joyful sound at Watermill Jazz. As Charlie Parker once said "It's just music. It's playing clean and looking for the pretty notes.”

Laura and her band certainly found more than their fair share throughout a night of wonderful inspiring music.

Review by Ian Watson & David Ward

16/04/2026

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR - The Laura Jurd Quartet are playing at Watermill Jazz, Reigate Road, Dorking, on Tuesday 28th April 2026. Doors open at 8pm, concert starts at 8:30pm.
Get your tickets from www.ticketsource.com/watermilljazz or from the box office 07415 815784 or on the door; tickets from £11 (Students) - £27 (members £22). Easy access from London to Dorking Station; By road on the A25 near the junction with the A24 with extensive free parking on site - Betchworth Park Golf Club, RH4 1NZ.

One of the most distinctive voices in jazz and improvised music, Mercury-nominated Laura Jurd's unique approach to the trumpet is celebrated in the work that she creates.

A past BBC New Generation Artist, Laura's love of folk traditions can often be heard in her music, alongside her background in classical composition. The result is a melodic world full of compelling twists and turns, whilst retaining a grounded sense of familiarity.

For this concert, Laura will be playing music from her astonishing new album Rites and Revelations, released in October 2025 to critical acclaim, joined for the first time on this music by the ever-inventive Liam Noble on piano.

'The kind of musician I’d like to be in my next life' - Jamie Cullum, BBC Radio 2

Laura Jurd – trumpet, Liam Noble – piano, Ruth Goller – electric bass, Corrie Dick - drums

15/04/2026

Phil Hopkins' T***s Thielemans Legacy - 14 April 2026

Photos by Chris Horne & Roger Sanders

Can you remember the last time someone said there were too many chromatic harmonica players in jazz? Musicians who can move from heartbreak (Ne Me Quitte Pas ) to bop (My Little Suede Shoes) finger snapping swing to grooves without breaking into a sweat? - me neither.

Local player Phil Hopkins took us on a musical journey, and gave us a lovely potted history of both the instrument and the amazing life of Belgian multi-instrumentalist T***s Thielemans. A player who continues to inspire his own playing and direction.

It could take several hours to truly do justice to T***s' amazing catalogue of Jazz collaborations (let alone the TV and soundtrack work) the man who described his own sound as being 'between a smile and a tear'. Less of a tribute, more a love letter as the evening drew heavily on both of T***s' Brasil project albums.

But this was not a one man show, Phil generously gave space to
what sounded like a well oiled touring band having fun playing the music they love, rather than musicians who spend their days in West End shows and studios slaving over a hot music chart. Pianist Liam Dunachie, drummer Rick Finlay, and double bassist Paul Morgan were more than up to the task.

Since the guitar was originally the first instrument of the Belgian, it was also fitting that such a consummate first call player as John Parricelli was in the line up on six string duties. He sounded like he was 'strictly' there for business (groan), digging into fantastic solos and try as I might, I could not see a second player behind him providing those lovely harmonies and fills.

Sadly, the end of the second set came all too soon. We got a short version of Bluesette and it was over.

I personally would look forward to seeing this group return for a T***s part two. And if Stevie Wonder ever fancies an intimate gig, here's your band and you know where we are.

Review by Ian Watson

12/04/2026

Programme - June 2026

Address

Betchworth Park Golf Club, Reigate Road
Dorking
RH41NZ

Opening Hours

8:30pm - 10:30pm

Telephone

+447415815784

Website

http://www.watermilljazz.co.uk/

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