NEXT CONCERT
Friday 17th July 2026  at  7.30pm

Another one-off concert featuring some of the finest jazz musicians in Britain.

Jazz at the Movies

The Andy Panayi Quartet

tbc

BAND MEMBERS

Andreas Panayi - Saxophone
Roy Hilton - Piano
Simon Thorpe - Bass
Joe Edwards - Drums

Musician bios below - another stunning line-up!

Andy Panayi
Andy Panayi is an exceptionally gifted jazz musician, skilled in performance, composition and arranging.
He plays all the flutes and all the saxophones and currently leads his own groups, both jazz and classical. He also writes commissioned works and compositions & arrangements for his own ensembles.

Andy has performed and recorded with many singers such as; Shirley Bassey, Jessye Norman, Paul McCartney, Seth MacFarlane, Elaine Paige, Salena Jones, Elvis Costello, Georgie Fame, Peter Skellen, Zoot Money, Irene Reed, Elaine Delmar, Helen Shapiro, Madeline Bell & Patty Austin to name a few.

He’s also worked alongside or supported Abdulla Ibrahim (Dollar Brand), Freddie Hubbard, Phil Woods, Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra, Joe Lovano, Roy Hargrove, Louie Bellson Octet & Big Band, Ed Thigpen, Jiggs Whigham, Billy Cobham, Indo-Jazz Fusions run by Johnny Mayer, Vale of Glamorgan Contemporary Music Festival, RPO, BBC Concert Orchestra, LSSO, The Moscow City Ballet, Ronnie Scott & his Side-men, Scott Hamilton, Ken Peplowski, Pepper Adams, Kenny Baker, Ted Heath/ Don Lusher Big Band, BBC Radio Big Band, Bert Kaemphert Orchestra, Stan Tracey Big Band -Septet – Octet, John Dankworth & Cleo Laine, The John & Alec Dankworth Generation Big Band, Humphrey Lyttelton and many more.

Roy Hilton
Roy Hilton went to Leeds College of Music which was the first University in the country to offer a jazz course. He went on to become a successful Musical Director and is now living in Eastbourne. He recently recorded a CD with top British Jazz Guitarist Dave Cliff who was at Leeds with Roy. He has worked in all branches of the music business as MD, Arranger and Pianist in films, theatre, broadcasts etc. but his first love is jazz. He has played with Sonny Stitt, Sonny Criss, Teddy Edwards, Bobby Shew, Howard Alden and many other internationally known musicians and has recorded an album of the music of Tadd Dameron for Spotlite records with Dave Cliff and Geoff Simkins which gained much critical acclaim.

Simon Thorpe
Simon Thorpe is one of the UK's best-known jazz bassists, nominated in 2016 and again in 2017 for a British Jazz Award. He studied violin, guitar and drums before settling on the bass in 1991. He attended Guildhall School of Music & Drama where in 1993 he gained the postgraduate certificate in Jazz & Studio Music, and an LGSM.

Simon has worked with many of the great UK and US names in jazz, recording and touring with Bobby Wellins, Stacey Kent (with whom he recorded five albums), Bheki Mseleku, Alan Barnes, Elaine Delmar, Scott Hamilton, Benn Clatworthy and Ray Gelato. Outside the jazz sphere he has played with artists as diverse as Amy Winehouse, Imelda Staunton, Imogen Heap, Alexander Armstrong, Maria Ewing, Mica Paris, Rick Astley (yes!), Sean McGowan of the Pogues and Scottish folk fiddle wizard John McCusker. He also runs several of his own projects: the swing band Jivin’ Miss Daisy, GershwINNOVATION (music inspired by George Gershwin’s work) and the Simon Thorpe Octet. He writes the music arrangements for Mitch Winehouse's 7-piece band.

Simon is also a composer, having written music for theatre, jazz ensembles, BBC TV and BAFTA award winning short film, Wedding Espresso.

Joe Edwards
On the Brighton and Sussex jazz scenes, he frequently performs with the Terry Seabrook Jazz Trio and the Chris Coull Sextet.
A drummer/vocalist who was part of the UK metalcore band Shields, notably contributing to their album Death and Connection.
A multi-instrumentalist who released the Americana/Folk album Keep on Running in 2020. While he is the primary songwriter and guitarist for this project, he previously toured as the drummer for the Australian band The Wishing Well.