Jazz guitar virtuoso to showcase new material at Greystones’s Whale

If the Bray Jazz Festival wasn’t enough for you, then London based guitarist and composer, David Preston, once described by the Guardian as “virtuosic” will be showcasing material from his new album, Purple / Black, alongside Sebastian Rochford and bassist Kevin Glasgow at The Whale, Greystones, on Friday, May 24 at 8.00pm.

A finalist at the Montreux International Guitar competition, David is composer and co-leader for the acclaimed UK modern-jazz trio who have performed internationally in Japan and Europe as well as playing over 150 concerts throughout the UK.

David has performed/toured/recorded with many US artists such as Grammy-Winning US jazz vocalists Melody Gardot, Curtis Stigers, Jesse Harris, and notable US based musicians Sy Smith, David Binney, Ingrid Jensen, Charnett Moffett, Patrick Cornelius and Tim Armacost. Purple / Black received Editors Choice and a 4 star review in the May issue of Jazzwise Magazine.

Purple/Black received ‘Editor’s Choice’ and a 4-star review in the May issue of Jazzwise Magazine this year and Vol.2 of ‘Purple / Black’ will be released on Whirlwind Recordings later in 2024, so you can expect some new music at The Whale in what is a must-see for any fan of top class jazz virtuosity. The magazine praised David “for his ability to draw on a breadth of jazz styles . . . Preston’s compositions were clearly summoned from a place of great depth, stretching the musicianship of all members”.

Joining David is Sebastian Rochford (drums), a celebrated bandleader and percussionist and leader of the experimental jazz band Polar Bear.

He has also drummed for Sons of Kemet and Bojan Zulfikarpasic’s Tetraband, and worked with artists like Andy Sheppard, David Byrne, Brian Eno, Joana MacGregor and Herbie Hancock.

Rochford won the Bbc Jazz Award for best newcomer in 2004, and was nominated for best musician in 2006.

He has been touring with celebrated folk singer Patti Smith since 2016, and since late 2018 he has been playing with his new band Pulled by Magnets. He was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2005, 2007, 2014 and 2018.

The trio is completed by Kevin Glasgow (bass), who has performed and recorded with many artists including Tommy Smith, Tim Garland, Alex Hutchings, Alicia Olatuja, John Stowell, and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra (playing alongside artists such as John Scofield, Peter Erskine and Randy Brecker).

He currently plays in a number of projects, including Jamie Murray’s Beat Replacement, the Asaf Sirkis Trio, Emma Rawicz, the Nicolas Meier World Group, and Preston-Glasgow-Lowe. He currently holds a tenure at the National Academy of Jazz in Siena Italy, teaching alongside musicians Gregory Hutchinson, Renier Baas and Jeff Ballard.