Welsh-born, Amsterdam-based saxophonist and composer Alice Leggett is touring in the UK. Her debut album ‘Birdsong’ will be released in May on ZenneZ Records. Feature by Tara Minton.
“Where is home?” It’s a question all too familiar to so many musicians who heard the call of a creative life and followed it to cities far away. Welsh saxophonist Alice Leggett is one such musician. Originally from Cardiff, she followed her passion for music to London to study at Trinity-Laban College of Music and Dance. She quickly established herself as a unique creative force on the London jazz scene, playing with the likes of Mark Lockhart, Calum Gourlay, Rick Simpson and Will Glaser. Alice recorded Mark Lockhart’s “Days on Earth” album, released on Edition Records and appeared at all the usual jazz haunts in London with her quartet, including Ronnie Scott’s and The Southbank Centre. For someone who had not released music under her own name, Alice seemed to be everywhere.
Fastforward to 2020, after seven years of cultivating an artistic identity in the London music scene, Alice moved to The Netherlands to study jazz performance and composition at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Ben Van Gelder, Jasper Blom, Simon Rigter, Marc Scholten, Tineke Postma and Reinier Baas.
“I wanted some time out to work on things and study with teachers that really inspired me. Playing-wise, I felt like I had a lot of areas I wanted to work on,” she says.
This was an incredibly bold move in the midst of the Covid pandemic. The choice to step out of a flourishing UK career speaks volumes to Alice’s dedication to deepening her artistic practice. During her time at the Conservatorium, Alice formed her current quartet with Chaerin Im on piano, Tijs Klaassen on bass and Wouter Kühne on drums, strengthening the UK/European songline.
In 2023, Alice took wing to the center of the global jazz scene, New York, where she studied with Craig Weinrib, Ambrose Akinmisure and Immanuel Wilkins for a number of months on an exchange programme. Like a magpie collecting shiny objects, it seemed as though Alice was collecting sounds, ideas, inspiration for her long-awaited debut album. She took her time to fully assimilating the influences of her long migration from Cardiff to London to Amsterdam and New York, but the result is an astonishingly deep work of art.
‘Birdsong’, Alice’s debut album is both intimate and joyously expansive. It captures the chaos, beauty and complexity of life. Several of the compositions are musical dedications
to family: the title track, ‘Birdsong’ being a dedication to Alice’s mother, Michelle Bird. ‘There is also a piece for Alice’s sister, Zoë, and a moving double bass and saxophone duet, ‘Song for Who You Could Have Been’ dedicated to her estranged father, who recently passed last year. These compositions, as well as a triplet of interludes dedicated to the creative process of the great Duke Ellington reflect Alice’s deep connection to family and the wider community that inspires her music.
The personnel chosen by Alice to bring this music to life are a united ensemble of Dutch and British musicians – Alice’s current European rhythm section (Chaerin Im, Tijs Klaassen, Wouter Kühne) with Alex Hitchcock on tenor saxophone and Alistair Payne on trumpet. There is so much space for the musicians to fly within Alice’s compositions, her writing is developed and mature with a clearly defined voice. The jazz community waited a long time for this album, but it is certainly worth it!
After returning from her New York exchange, Alice now calls Amsterdam home. Like so many great UK musicians before her, she was captivated by the song of Europe, particularly The Netherlands.
“I really feel like it’s the center of the European jazz scene at the moment. Musically, it has so much happening.” The renowned Bimhuis in Amsterdam attracts world class musicians from around the globe, injecting an electric energy into the local scene. Geographically, The Netherlands is perfectly placed between the UK and the rest of Europe. Certainly, for Alice who is focusing on a European touring career, Amsterdam makes a lot of sense.
‘Birdsong’ (cover image above) is released in May on ZenneZ Records. Luckily for UK audiences, Alice is touring in April, supported by ACE funding. She will be joined by the full line up from the album, showcasing the bond of collaboration between UK and Dutch based musicians.
TOUR DATES
4 Apr – w/Alex Hitchcock, Chaerin Im, Tijs Klaassen & Wouter Kühne
Jazz at Heart, Leeds
5 Apr w/Alex Hitchcock, Chaerin Im, Tijs Klaassen & Wouter Kühne
The Hive, Shrewsbury
6 Apr w/Alistair Payne, Chaerin Im, Tijs Klaassen & Wouter Kühne
NQ Jazz, Manchester
8 Apr w/Alex Hitchcock, Alistair Payne, Chaerin Im, Tijs Klaassen & Wouter Kühne
Digbeth Jazz Birmingham
9 Apr w/Alex Hitchcock, Alistair Payne, Chaerin Im, Tijs Klaassen & Wouter Kühne
Flute and Tankard, Cardiff
10 Apr w/Alex Hitchcock, Alistair Payne, Chaerin Im, Tijs Klaassen & Wouter Kühne
The Vortex, London N 16
