Profile
Kevin Figes - alto, soprano and baritone saxes. Flute and alto flute.
Kevin began playing the sax in 1986 at the age of 22, studying with Elton Dean in London. In the early 1990’s he moved to Bristol and began playing with Keith Tippett’s Seedbed Orchestra. Turning professional he formed his own jazz quartet which he also wrote for and played many local gigs including the Bebop club and the Albert. In 1993 he won a touring award which took the band to London (606 club) and Birmingham (Cannonball) among others. In 1997 the band won a jazz services touring award and a lottery award to produce a cd (”Dishy”) for which he wrote a new batch of tunes.
Alongside this he studied classical saxophone under Will Gregory and took grade 8 and then a diploma from the guildhall.
From 1996 to 1999 he played, wrote and later managed the contemporary big band Ultrasound, producing two cds and playing in QEH (London), Bracknell and Plymouth festivals.
From 1998-2003 he played with Brazilian music combo Sirius B , recording two cds and touring including Jazz cafe (london), Montreux jazz festival, and many other major european venues.
In 2001, with guidance from his teacher Tim Garland, he attended the Guildhall postgraduate jazz diploma year.
During the course he was asked to join Keith Tippett’s big band Tapestry for tours of Canada and Portugal, and later in 2004 a Norwich festival performance with the Apollo saxophone quartet and the BBC singers which was broadcast on radio 3.
After the course in London he reformed his quartet, wrote some new material and began playing in venues around the country including Glastonbury festival.
He is also busy on the local scene with pianist Jim Blomfield (Septimbre and Latin Perspective), Andy Hague (big band and Silverado), pianist John-Paul Gard and the Dave Betts Quartet.
As well as jazz his other passion is brazilian music which he plays mainly on flute (with Cathy Jones’ Bossa Five and duo with James Forster (guitar))
In 2006 he toured Wales with the Wales jazz composers orchestra (featuring Huw Warren), for which he contributed a piece.
The highlights of 2007 were:
Quartet gigs in Abergavenny, Cardiff, London (606) , Sherbourne, Stratford-upon-Avon, Swindon, Bristol (bebop and Old Duke) and Glastonbury festival including a live radio 3 broadcast.
Other highlights were playing with John Critchinson, the big bands of Dave Stapleton and Andy Hague and performing a great new piece by Keith Tippett in the colston hall. The year ended with recording a new quartet CD with Jim Blomfield, Riaan Vosloo and Tim Giles.
Highlights of 2008 were:
Playing with the Dave Stapleton Quintet at the Pizza express (London) and Cheltenham and Coventry jazz festivals. The CD being released on Edition records and receiving good reviews. Forming the “groovy thing” with Mike Willox and playing at the Coronation Tap and Old Duke. Quartet gigs at Glastonbury and Swanage festivals. Performing Messian’s ‘Quartet for the end of time’ with Jim Blomfield and the Emerald ensemble at the Colston Hall. An excellent weekend workshop for talented young players at wiltshire music centre with Keith Tippett.
Looking forward to 2009 there is the first gig of ‘Resonation’ ( a 13 piece big band for which I write and play) and a jazz services tour for the quartet (see gigs for more details)