Saxophone duo Alan Barnes and Dean Masser play Scarborough Jazz Club ahead of festival

Scarborough Jazz Club hosts its annual warm-up for Scarborough Jazz Festival – September 23 to 25 – featuring festival compere/saxophone virtuoso Alan Barnes with a top sparring partner at the Cask, Ramshill, on Wedneday September 21.

By Sue Wilkinson

Published 13th Sep 2022, 08:04 BST

Alan Barnes who with Dean Masser will play Scarborough Jazz Club on Wednesday September 21

This year the crown passes to tenor saxophonist Dean Masser.

A former member of the Jack Parnell Quartet, Dean has played alongside many of the leading names in British jazz.

Dean and Alan worked together in 2017, touring with the Alan’s Fish Tales project, a jazz suite commissioned by Grimsby Jazz, following which they formed a smaller unit to explore the rapport struck up on that tour.

Alan’s prodigious talent on saxes and clarinet needs little introduction to Scarborough audiences.

Dean has a great sound in the style of Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins.

Tonight sees their well-honed rapport struck up again – they played at the club together in 2020 in the Gaz Hughes Sextet – promising a night that gets the joint jumping with the MG3 in hot pursuit.

Doors 7.45pm. Music 8.15pm. Tickets £10 on the door or call 07703 434796.

Alan Barnes