Saxophonist, soloist and bandleader, Denys Baptiste is one of the true heavyweights of UK jazz.
Born in London of Saint Lucian parents in 1969, Baptiste graduated from Guildhall School of Music in the ‘90s, where he studied under former Jazz Messenger, Jean Toussaint. Spotted by Jazz Warriors double bassist, Gary Crosby, Baptiste honed his unique and powerful sound on the London jazz circuit, releasing his debut album Be Where You Are in 1999, which earned him a Mercury Prize nomination and MOBO award for Best Jazz Act.
Playing and recording alongside the likes of McCoy Tyner, Andrew Hill, Bheki Mseleku, Manu Dibango, Jason Moran and Tony Allen, Baptiste has since released five albums, including Let Freedom Ring! commemorating the 40th anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have A Dream’ oration, and most recent project, The Late Trane, which revisits some of John Coltrane’s late compositions.
