Scotland’s innovative ‘same-personnel’ jazz quartet, blazing a trail for that rich seam of post-bop jazz, so redolent of the 50s and 60s – a time when jazz emerged from the ‘underground’ – those small, dark n’ smoky subterranean haunts of downtown New York, and into the big time when the West Coast ‘Cool’ post-Bop movement brought the music into the mainstream.
JazzMain remains one of the most acclaimed, renowned, and respected groups performing today and since 2003, undertaken hundreds of gigs across the UK and Ireland.
The quartet is led by acclaimed tenor saxophonist Nick Gould, with Steve Grossart (keys), Iain Harkness (electric 5-string bass) and Kevin Dorrian (drums), making up this very engaging four-piece.
The band continually breathes fresh life into the vast known and little-known Blue Note Records’ canon – the ground-breaking label long associated with the giants of the label such as Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, and Dexter Gordon.
But there’s more – there’s a soul and funky edge to the music too – Grosvenor Washington Jnr., Stevie Wonder…even Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston are given the JazzMain treatment, honed from its vast and varied repertoire.
In recent years, JazzMain has recently undertaken projects with several renowned UK Jazz stalwarts – working with the likes of guitar maestro Jim Mullen and legendary trumpet supremo Bruce Adams.
The band’s passion for its cool and bop-style jazz remains undimmed as it nears its 20th anniversary, in paying homage to some of the greatest jazz pioneers ever.
Band Members
Nick Gould – (tenor sax) an exceptional tenor saxophonist who has been high in demand on the Scottish jazz circuit since 1998. He is a fluent improviser, comfortable in every environment whether it be a small group or big band. He has appeared at The North Sea Jazz Festival, as well as festivals in Cork, Doonbeg, Chamonix, Montreux and Isle of Bute amongst many others.
Steve Grossart – (piano/keys) Steve began his career early in life by taking on classical piano and trumpet by the age of ten. He turned professionally at 15, by which time he was already making a name for himself as a very versatile and in-demand pianist. In the last 30 years, Steve has played many genres of music from Big Band to Ceilidh and is a full-time music tutor and live performer.
Iain Harkness – (electric 5-string bass) Iain started playing the accordion at the age of five, winning the Under 18 Scottish Championships at the age of 14, when he also took up double bass, moving soon after onto bass guitar. He then moved onto playing in clubs at the age of 16 playing his 76 Fender Precision Bass (which he still has). Iain is very much in demand as one of the country’s most inventive bass players.
Kevin Dorrian – (drums and percussion) One of the busiest drummers on the Scottish Jazz scene and promoter of Whighams Jazz Club, Edinburgh. Renowned for his verve and driving, powerful and inventive swing feel, he is regularly ‘in-demand’ across Scotland and the North of England at jazz clubs and festivals.