Little Sax Concerts at Café OLR

@littlesaxconcerts returns with an evening of live jazz at Café OLR, bringing high-caliber, up-close performances to your local spot.

This session features three acclaimed musicians: saxophonist and composer Samuel Eagles, guitarist Gareth Fowler and bassist Mirko Scarcia. Together they bring sharp modern jazz arrangements, deep-groove improvisation and a catalogue of experience from stages across the UK, Europe and the US. Grab a seat, grab a drink and enjoy top-tier jazz in a space built for community.

Spaces are limited to keep our signature intimate atmosphere and early booking is strongly recommended.

Samuel Eagles (saxophone) | @samueleagles

Samuel Eagles is an internationally recognised saxophonist and composer, known for a refined sound, compositional depth and a singular contemporary voice.

Trained at the Royal Academy of Music's Junior Jazz programme and Trinity College of Music, and mentored by Grammy-winning saxophonist Jean Toussaint, he has built a critically acclaimed catalogue including Next Beginning and the Whirlwind Recordings release SPIRIT. He has appeared at leading jazz venues and festivals, including Ronnie Scott's, Southbank Centre, Kings Place and the EFG London Jazz Festival, alongside major European festivals.

Praised by The Guardian for his "deftly swerving post-bop inventiveness," he is regarded as a defining voice of modern jazz.

Samuel Eagles (saxophone): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWEfXDxp2kQ&t=238s

Gareth Fowler (guitar) | @garethfowlermusic

British guitarist Gareth Fowler graduated from the Manhattan School of Music in 2018, where he studied privately with Rodney Jones, John Riley and Dayna Stevens.

He has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, The 55 Bar and Bar Next Door, and across the UK, Europe, South Africa, Malaysia, Mexico and Hawaii. His collaborators include Chris Potter, Pablo Held, Julian Arguelles, Naima Acuna, Laura Jurd, Andrew Bain, Henry Lowther and Perico Sambeat, and he performed on an award-nominated set of works by UK jazz saxophonist Mike Williams.

Gareth is a recipient of the Countess of Munster Trust Recital Scheme award and Bursary Award, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Award and the BBC Young Musician Bursary Award. He has also taught at the Manhattan School of Music (Distance Learning), Lick Library UK, Larchmont Music Academy NYC, Services for Education UK and Painsley Academy.

Gareth Fowler (guitar): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VrrtoeAKeo

Mirko Scarcia (bass) | @mirkoscarciamusic

Italian bassist, composer and producer Mirko Scarcia began on bass guitar in 1997 before moving to Bologna, where he took up double bass after meeting Ares Tavolazzi of the Italian prog-rock band Area. He graduated from the Modena Conservatoire in 2009 and studied with jazz greats including Ron Carter, Cecil McBee and John Webber.

He has performed with Paolo Fresu, Fabrizio Bosso, Steve Grossman, Jerry Bergonzi, Ronnie Cuber and Joe Farnsworth, and won first prize at the Moncalieri Jazz Festival in 2007. As a composer and producer, he graduated from the Arrigo Boito Conservatoire in Parma in 2018 and has worked with the Toscanini Philharmonic Orchestra of Parma and the Bologna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mirko Scarcia (bass): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD0Bq_UaR8Q