Virtuoso British-Asian bass player Shez Raja is renowned for his high energy live shows & unique Indo-jazz-funk sound, here featuring local hero Tony Kofi on sax and guitar legend Guthrie Govan
Voted one of the ‘Hottest Bass Players in the World’ by readers of Bass Player magazine, virtuoso British-Asian bass player Shez Raja is renowned for his high energy live shows, unique Indo-jazz-funk sound and global star collaborations with Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Trilok Gurtu and Wayne Krantz.
Inspired by travels with his father to the Punjab region of the Indian sub-continent, Raja immersed himself in the musical culture of his South Asian roots. He now merges his rich musical heritage with a hugely diverse playing experience to create dynamic and passionate music that blends East with West.
Guthrie Govan is hailed as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation (read this), possessing jaw-dropping technical prowess fused with heartfelt emotional expression. Hear ‘Why This Guy [Guthrie] Is Rock’s Scariest Guitarist’ in a Rick Beato piece that’s had over 2.5 millions views on YouTube! And hear him on this YouTube video.
Jazz Steps audiences need no introduction for local legend Tony Kofi… but let’s say it anyway! Tony a multi-award-winning, prolifically versatile, internationally-feted saxophonist who also happened to hail from Nottingham!
Expect to experience a spellbinding journey through spiritual jazz, fiery funk and cosmic improvisation, performed by a world-class band at the height of their powers.
"Mahavishnu Orchestra with Jaco Pastorius in charge" - The Guardian
"Shez Raja personifies the modernisation of jazz. He is fearless as a musician" - All
About Jazz ★★★★+
Book now for an electrifying jazz jump-start to the New Year!
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About Shez Raja: Shez Raja was born to an Asian father and English mother, on the Wirral. Classically trained on the violin from the age of 9, he later traded for electric bass and hasn’t looked back.
In his formative years, Shez went on trips to the Punjab region of the Indian sub-continent with his father and immersed himself in the musical culture of his South Asian roots, learning tabla drumming. He now merges his rich musical heritage with his hugely diverse playing experience to create dynamic and passionate music that blends East with West.
Shez’s mission as an artist is to be authentic with his emotions, develop his own unique voice and to explore the language of music to become fully self-expressed. He concludes, “I believe the ultimate goal for a musician is to make music that is raw, real and from the heart, that moves and inspires people”.
Standard £16 | Student £8 w Card | Child with paying adult £0
Jazz Steps brings high quality, entertaining contemporary jazz to audiences in Nottingham at the excellent Bonington Theatre venue in Arnold.
And, through our Jazz Steps Live at the Libraries monthly events - a collaboration with Inspire, we promote gigs at their library venues in Beeston, Worksop and West Bridgford.
As a not-for-profit volunteer-run promoter, we have been welcoming enthusiastic audiences to enjoy live music from top musicians and bands for over 25 years. Each and every gig is a unique experience - jazz being the quintessential 'music of surprise'! Let’s keep enjoying it – see you soon!
