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Xhosa Cole

Saxophone

Winner of the 2018 BBC Young Jazz Musician of the year, Xhosa Cole is an embodiment of the success of numerous community arts programmes in Birmingham including the Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra, Jazzlines Ensemble, and Birmingham Music Service. Having grown up in Handsworth and first played the Tenor at Andy Hamilton's Ladywood Community Music School, he's now among a long legacy of Birmingham Saxophonists including Soweto Kinch and Shabaka Hutchings. Xhosa has performed twice at the BBC Proms, composed music for the Ripieno Players - a Birmingham-based string orchestra, recorded saxophone for Mahalia’s debut album ‘Love and Compromise’, and completed a 22 date UK tour. Xhosa Also received the Parliamentary Jazz Award for ‘Best Newcomer’ in 2019 and Jazz FM 'Breakthrough Act of the Year'. 

Since the release of his critically acclaimed debut album 'K(no)w Them, K(no)w Us', featuring Jay Phelps, Reuben James and Soweto Kinch, Xhosa Cole has gone from strength to strength in the British jazz scene. Over the past few months, Xhosa has had numerous headline billings in the UK's top Jazz Clubs including Ronnie Scott's, Pizza Express, Jazz in the Round, and the 606 showcasing his new ensemble Rhythm-a-ting, which explores the music of Thelonious Monk. In November, Xhosa supported international jazz legend Cecile McLorin at Cadogan Hall for the London Jazz Festival. Cole has also been making a name in a range of circles outside of the Bop world - playing in Hans Koller's Bird Migration Big Band, performing alongside Pat Thomas and Orphy Robinson’s Black Top, and as a Soloist with the Royal Sutton Coldfield Orchestra. As a composer, Xhosa was commissioned by the Flatpack Film Festival to compose a 90 minute original work for the Silent film 'Sidewalk Stories' which featured UK improvising legend Mark Sanders, Sarah Farmer and Hannah Marshall. Xhosa is currently pushing and developing his music, performing regularly up and down the country whilst investing in the development of jazz music in his home city of Birmingham running nights in Café Artum and Grosvenor Road Studios.  

Having received support and tuition from a range of local and international mentors, Xhosa is passionate about supporting the next generation of jazz musicians and teaches regularly in Birmingham for the Jazzlines Ensemble and in London at Trinity Conservatoire as well as mentoring a number of younger players in both cities. Xhosa is in the final stages of curating his next album as a leader, 'Ibeji' which features 7 Percussionists from the Diaspora. The album explores themes of Duality, Double Consciousness, Clave, Brotherhood and Black expression and identity. It features Lekan Babalola, Corey Mwamba, Jason Brown, Azizi Cole, Adriano Adewlae, Ian Parmel, and Mark Sanders.

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