"Phelps’ quartet delivered a full-throttle, genre-fluid contemporary jazz of a kind that can ignite almost any venue."

The Guardian

“…he has been compared to Wynton Marsalis, but Phelps has much more of a playful side to his approach.”

All About Jazz

"Suave trumpeter Jay Phelps has serious jazz chops – his technique is second to none and he’s a great entertainer too. Time Out, London"Assured, clever, fluent, with a lovely soft-edged tone, he is already a player you could easily recognise after hearing him just once."

The Observer

“… Phelps exhibits much of Wynton Marsalis' fluency and vocalised tone”-

John Fordam: The Guardian

Album Release ‘Live at the Cockpit’ on Ubuntu Records 18 September

Recorded April 26, 2018, Live at The Cockpit is the fifth album under my own name and first ever live recording. This concert was my album launch, coupled with a recording for one the first ever J to Z shows for BBC 3. The Cockpit Theatre is the host venue for ‘Jazz in the Round’, headed by famed radio presenters/producers Jez Nelson and Chris Philips. Over the years, they’ve consistently curated world-class Jazz concerts in London and I feel privileged to be able to release an album that was recorded as a result of their curation.

This album, my third with the wonderful Ubuntu Music, is the full concert from start to finish and features some of London’s most in demand musicians, Rick Simpson-Piano, Ferg Ireland-Bass and Will Glaser-Drums. I really enjoy exploring my compositions further with these guys - they are all so dedicated to music and their craft as individuals, that it enriches our band sound. We had a fantastic audience that night and I think you’ll agree when you hear their boisterous claps, hoots and hollers. I hope you enjoy the live atmosphere, something needed more than ever now in 2020. (If you look closely at the far left is jazz painter Gina Southgate documenting the evening with her trademark flair resulting in the fantastic image we used for the album cover.)

I am, a man of ethnicity
like everyone we’re ethnic
We are all one race and everyone must know
That they are ethnic, ethnic, ethnic, ethnic…

>> CLICK HERE FOR £5 TICKETS TO AN EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CONCERT 'LIVE AT THE COCKPIT' SEPTEMBER 11th - 12th (24 hour access) <<