Saxophonist Helena Kay is one of the UK’s most creative jazz artists, with two critically acclaimed albums and performances at prestigious venues including legendary jazz club Ronnie Scott’s and The Royal Albert Hall in London.
Helena’s second album, ‘Golden Sands’, earned high praise from the jazz media and showcased original compositions that are reflective of time spent at home in Scotland, and living in London and New York City.
This second concert in the Jazz Thursdays series features Helena's quartet - with Peter Johnstone (piano), Calum Gourlay (bass) and Alyn Cosker (drums) - playing music from Golden Sands ahead of the release of its follow-up in October.
A product of both the Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra, Helena is now established as a star soloist with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and has made outstanding contributions to the SNJO’s recent Duke Ellington celebration and as a saxophonist-composer to its ‘Nu-Age Sounds’ celebration of Scotland’s vibrant young jazz scene.
The 2015 winner of the Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year title, Helena went on to win the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award in 2017 and is now a City Music Foundation Artist.