The New Couriers

Since the year 2000, the The New Couriers band have become one of the best and well known jazz groups in the country, but Mornington Lockett and Martin Drew, who both run the band, are moving on again.

With the brilliant Paul Morgan on double bass , equally brilliant Jim Hart on vibraphone, the incredible Mornington Lockett on tenor saxophone, the amazing Steve Melling on piano, and grandpa(!) Martin Drew on drums, The New Couriers now include a wider focus of music in their repertoire. All the previous New Couriers material is still there to be played, but playing other music in addition to that played by Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott, still continues to maintain the integrity of the original concept, but with a freshness that is breathtaking. After all, imagine the music Tubby would be playing now if he were still alive!

The New Couriers have established a large audience base by playing jazz that is a joy to listen to, and it is hoped that this will continue to grow. Audiences know that when The New Couriers appear anywhere, they can expect an exciting gig, hearing ageless music played by great musicians, who simply want everyone to enjoy themselves as much as they do.

Essentially, the only real change is the playing of material that has been around for a while, in addition to the Tubby Hayes library. As Martin puts it,

"With the tragic passing of Michael Brecker, I started to hear his material in a different light. I have always been a fan of his, together with the rest of the guys, and sadly realised we would never hear him "live" again. Over the last few years he had seemed to come full circle in the music he played. From his early jazz, to rock/funk playing with The Brecker Brothers Band with his brother Randy, Paul Simon, Steps Ahead, etc., then back to playing jazz standards in his own inimitable way. The sheer virtuosity, brilliance, dynamism, and exuberance in his playing, no matter what the style of music, was a revelation to me. I know the elation when hearing Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Bob Berg, and others. I feel exactly the same way whenever I hear Michael Brecker, perhaps slightly more, as I did know him personally, as well as played with him, making his passing somewhat more poignant for me. This same elation has inspired me to broaden our musical approach, creating a renaissance regarding the material we play. It is really just adding music that has been around for a long time, to our repertoire . All the guys in the band, including myself, continually play this music with other bands, but not as yet with The New Couriers. Now rectified, the result is fantastic. We haven't set out to make The New Couriers a Michael Brecker tribute band, but acknowledging his influence and brilliance...........most definitely!"

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Date Sheet
This list is constantly under revue, but to avoid disappointment, please check local listings and book early,
as unforeseen changes can occur. Also, gigs are constantly being added.

Date	Details
2008	2008
17th January	Dorking
18th January	Boxford Jazz Club - The Fleece
24th February	Jagz - At The Station - Ascot - Lunchtime
24th February	Panshanger Golf Club, Welwyn Garden City, Herts Jazz. Evening
10th April	The Black Bottom Club, The Courtyard, George Row, Northampton NN1 1DF.
11th April	Sheffield Jazz Club
12th April	Huddersfield
23rd May	Wakefield Jazz Club
20th June	Cole Jazz, Chatham
28th June	606 Club, Chelsea
8th July	The Ram Jam Club, Kingston (L C D featuring Mornington Lockett, Laurence Cottle, Martin Drew)
7th September	Cleethorpes Festival (Featuring Andy Panayi)
24th October	Chilham, near Canterbury
31st October	Brighton Jazz Club (L C D featuring Mornington Lockett, Laurence Cottle, Martin Drew)