‘British songwriters rule the world’ – The Guardian. ‘British Standard Time’ is a unique jazz project in which pianist/arranger Alex Webb present an evening of British songwriting at its best. From the jazz-era masters Ray Noble and Eric Maschwitz to music theatre writers like Antony Newley, Leslie Bricusse and Lionel Bart, from the pop giants Lennon & McCartney to Elvis Costello and Amy Winehouse, Webb mines a rich seam of material and present it in a cool, contemporary jazz format.
Originally a live vehicle for vocalist Jo Harrop, the show includes classics like These Foolish Things, The Very Thought Of You, As Long As He Needs Me, Roxanne, Almost Blue and Norwegian Wood as well as forgotten gems by John Dankworth and Victor Feldman – along with some carefully-chosen originals and a couple of surprises. The band line-up has included Alex Webb (piano), Jihad Darwish and Mikele Montoli (bass), Pete Hill and Sophie Alloway (drums), Denys Baptiste or Tony Kofi (saxes), Andy Davies (trumpet) and Jamie McCredie (guitar).
Subsequent to the release of the British Standard Time album in 2022, the live show was fronted by reggae legend Carroll Thompson and rising vocal star Freddie Benedict.
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