The Nottingham Jazz Jam was set up in February 2015, originally at The Malt Cross, a Victorian music hall. Our primary objective was to try to bring some of the scattered pockets of musicians from the area together for an inclusive music experience and to build a local community, which we have seen steadily grow over time.
The event’s success has opened doors for both seasoned professionals and budding talents to connect, collaborate and build their network. It offers a platform for aspiring local musicians and young stars of the future to showcase their skills in a professional and educational environment. This has helped to facilitate numerous transitions into the professional world.
Matt Ratcliffe is a jazz pianist and composer based in the Derbyshire town of Wirksworth, he is well connected in the jazz music scene with links to the midlands and national jazz scenes. Working with many of the best players in today’s contemporary jazz scene, Matt has forged his own unique and individual voice on the piano. His influences range from bebop, hard bop, should jazz, jazz rock, early jazz to free jazz and the third stream explorations of George Russell and beyond.
Matt is an accomplished pianist, improviser and composer leading his own projects and groups. He is also a teacher and an educator teaching jazz piano at Nottingham University and providing education projects through regional Arts organisation Derby Jazz.
Martyn Spencer studied at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with many of the UK’s most renowned jazz musicians. As a musician he has performed at The Royal Variety Performance, Strictly Come Dancing, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Blackpool Opera House and Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
He worked for The Royal Shakespeare Company 2018-2020 and has worked as an arranger for both his original compositions and on behalf of others. Martyn also teaches privately and at workshops across the East Midlands
Andrew 'Woody' Wood has established himself as one of the most in-demand drummers in the East Midlands both on stage and in the studio. He has worked with jazz groups of every size, orchestras, musical theatre pit bands, wind bands, brass bands and soul bands. Since graduating from Leeds Conservatoire in 2013, Andrew has enjoyed a successful freelance career which has seen him perform in the UK, Spain, Andorra, Germany and Poland at venues ranging from intimate jazz clubs to the Royal Albert Hall.
Andrew is also a dedicated educator, developing the Nottingham roots jazz scene with many regional projects and teaching drums at Nottingham High School and the University of Nottingham as part of the BA Music course.
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