Kevin Figes – alto 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. In 1993 he won a touring award which took the band to London and Birmingham. In 1997 the band won a jazz services touring award and a lottery award to produce a CD 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 was also busy on the local scene with pianist Jim Blomfield (Septimbre and Latin Perspective) and Andy Hague (big band and Silverado)
As well as jazz his other passion is brazilian music (which he plays mainly on flute) with Quarteto Bossa.
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.
Highlights of 2009 were: Performance in cardiff with keith tippett’s octet, Quartet gigs in stratford, london and coronation tap (bristol). First performance in Bristol of ‘Resonation’ a 15 piece big band for which I wrote and arranged 3 pieces. A jazz services tour for the quartet which included cardiff, swansea, bristol, birmingham, swindon, london (606) sherborne and teignmouth. Recording a Quarteto Bossa CD. Teaching at Dartington summer school with Keith and Julie Tippett. Playing at Bristol harbourside festival with the Groovy Thing and at Brecon festival with ‘Sixtet’ (a welsh supergroup!) and Sirius B. Sitting on the ‘live music now’ panel. Pontypool jazz festival with Sixtet. Resonation performing at opening of Colston hall foyer. First gigs at Ian Storror’s future Inn (Groovy Thing, Silverado) Quartet at Pizza Express London. Latin Perspective at Teignmouth festival. First Quartet gigs in colston hall foyer. And finally recording a new album in London with Jim, Riaan and Tim.
Highlights of 2010 were: depping with Helele at Corri tap and St Pauls festival. Quartet gigs in Stratford and corri tap. Guesting with GBH big band at Wiltshire music centre and St Georges. Cafe jazz cardiff , bebop club and bell bath with quartet. Having a lesson with Iain Ballamy. Mingus band at Future Inns. Resonation at the Cube, Bristol. Quartet at Future Inns, 606 and Rose and crown London, Birmingham symphony hall and Sherborne jazz club. Old Duke festival with Groovy thing. Cardiff harbourside festival with ‘new’ Sirius B. Going to see england play cricket.
The new Quartet CD ‘Hometime’ was released early 2011 on Pig records and received good reviews and some airplay. The Quartet did a jazz services tour in support of it in the summer. In the early part of the year I played on Keith Tippetts “From granite To Wind” with the Octet , and this was released on the iconic Ogun records later in the year to good reviews. 2011 also saw the formation of a new band, “Four Sided Triangle”. The band did a few gigs before going into the recording studio to record an album due out early 2012. It was a real pleasure to work with Dan Moore (fender rhodes) Mike Outram (guitar) and Daisy Palmer (drums), and quite a challenge to come up with an albums worth of material. The band will be touring next year. And the Quartet prepares for another recording!