Olly Syrus (tenor and soprano saxophones)

Tom Ball (piano)

Kevin Sanders (acoustic bass)

Tom Ball and Olly Syrus Album launch: "On the Other Hand"

"Olly Syrus is a soulful, lyrical saxophonist from London, specialising in tenor and soprano saxes. Olly’s approach is unlike that of many horn players, using original and deliberate lines to build up a story that resonates deeply with the listener, with the most exquisite tone, sometimes likened to that of the great Paul Desmond.

Tom Ball is known as a pianist accompanying many of Devon's finest musicians. For this project he has written several tunes reflecting diverse influences from folk to Brad Mehldau and Jason Rebello and even one based on his young son's short motif, with melody always uppermost but subtle, shape shifting chords inspired by his hero Bill Evans. He also often rearranges more well known tunes for jazz ensembles.

Tom and Olly met as part of rival university jazz orchestras in the late 1990s and have been friends and musical partners since. Olly later gained entry to the Guildhall School of Music Post-graduate Jazz course. They have a telepathy born of many years of playing, listening and developing together. This culminated in a studio recording of jazz standards and originals in October 2023. The resulting album is entitled ”On the Other Hand” and will be released in March 2024.

For this sequence of gigs in the South West the pair are joined by a king among bassists, Kevin Sanders, whose counter-melodic playing will anchor the project perfectly. "

Links to raw tracks below (I’ve just mastered these and haven’t published yet):

Samba

Jazz waltz