Harben Kay Quartet: Album Launch

Saxophonist Harben 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.

Harben’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.

A product of both the Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra, Harben 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, Harben went on to win the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award in 2017 and is now a City Music Foundation Artist. This concert will launch Harben’s third album, 'The World I Live In', and will feature Harben alongside Peter Johnstone (piano), Calum Gourlay (bass) and Alyn Cosker (drums).

Noushy + James Mackay

Trombonist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Noushy and guitarist James Mackay are two of the most exciting musicians to have emerged from Glasgow’s currently very fertile jazz scene.

The winner of the Rising Star title at the 2020 Scottish Jazz Awards, Noushy has featured with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, contributing strongly as player and composer to the SNJO’s Nu-Age Sounds tours in 2024 and 2025. She has also recorded and toured internationally with the hugely popular London Afrobeat collective KOKOROKO as well as leading her own quartet and working with rapper Kobi Onyame.

James features as both a solo artist and as a sideman with corto.alto, Pippa Blundell, Gaia Jeannot and others. His solo project Unharm focuses on electronic and experimental music, creating performances that range from spiritual ambience to heavy, hypnotic groove-based music.

Together, Noushy and James play music with personality and presence, soulfulness and passion.

Supported by Creative Scotland

Presented by The Queen's Hall