London-based saxophonist Rachael Cohen is among the featured musicians in the latest series of the popular Playtime jazz sessions at the Outhouse in Broughton Street Lane, which begins this Thursday.
Cohen, who attended the City of Edinburgh Music School at Broughton High before going on to study at Birmingham Conservatoire, is back in town to appear in a special Homecoming concert at the Queen’s Hall on Friday 10th March. She will also take workshops at her old school and saxophonist Martin Kershaw, who was her tutor there and is also one of driving forces behind Playtime, has invited her to make her Playtime debut the night before her Queen’s Hall gig.
Since graduating from Birmingham, Cohen has become established on the London jazz scene, playing regularly at jazz hot spots including Ronnie Scott’s and the Vortex, and she released her first album, Halftime in 2014 on top UK jazz label Whirlwind Recordings.
Also scheduled to appear for Playtime are guitarist Kevin Mackenzie, who will lead a celebration of the music of John Coltrane this Thursday 23rd February, to mark the fiftieth year since the great saxophonist’s death, and Glasgow-based pianist Peter Johnstone.
Johnstone, a former Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year and winner, with Glasgow quartet Square One, of the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award 2015, recently joined saxophonist Tommy Smith’s new quartet and will lead a Playtime homage to Herbie Hancock on Thursday 23rd March.
