LIVERPOOL SAX DAY 2025

Liverpool Sax Day returns in 2025 and is a must for ALL sax players!

The day long event features workshops, masterclasses, performances from UK Sax Star Emma Rawicz plus the North's leading jazz tenorist/ educator Dean Masser.

Bring your sax and join in the ensemble classes hosted by prolific International sax expert and composer Andy Scott, and also peruse and try out all the latest sax models and paraphernalia at the many trade stalls.

Liverpool Sax Day ticket holders get automatic FREE entrance to the highly anticipated Liverpool International Jazz Festival Emma Rawicz Quartet evening concert.

EVENT GUIDE

DOORS OPEN 10:00 AM

Welcome to Liverpool Sax Day 2025 - all daytime events are held in the Cornerstone building - the evening Emma Rawicz Liverpool International Jazz Festival concert is in The Capstone Theatre 200 metres walk across the gardens.

10:00AM - 5:30PM - TRADE SHOW - Ground Floor, Cornerstone Building

On the ground floor of the Cornerstone you will be immediately greeted by the trade exhibition. A host of saxophones, mouthpieces and accessories available to peruse, try, purchase/order - displayed by the leading saxophone manufacturers and companies: D'Addario Woodwinds, Trevor James, Vandoren, Yanagisawa, Selmer Paris, Lupifaro EVO reeds, Hiscox cases, Legere reeds, Keyleaves, Syos, Curly Woodwind, BAM France, LeBlanc saxophones ...

10:30AM - 11:45AM - ANDY SCOTT'S MASS SAX ENSEMBLE - Great Hall, First Floor, Cornerstone Building

Bring your sax and join in the fun! If you're not familiar with Andy Scott, he is the one of the UK's leading sax specialists/composers and chances are you've played some of his compositions out of popular music publications and examination grades. Multi nominated, British Composer Award winner, founder member of the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, Tutor of Saxophone at Royal Northern College of Music, the list goes on and on! Andy has prepared some great pieces for everyone to play during this ensemble class. You'll be able to play with many other sax enthusiasts and gain some useful technical hints from the great man himself. Suitable for ALL players, ALL levels (there will be simple and more advanced parts available)- bring your music stand!

In association with Henri Selmer Paris, Vandoren Paris & Astute Music

12:30PM - 2:00PM - EMMA RAWICZ MASTERCLASS - Warehouse Theatre, Ground Floor, Cornerstone Building

An up close and personal masterclass with Liverpool International Jazz Festival's headlining act, the critically acclaimed saxophonist and composer Emma Rawicz.

Jamie Cullum calls British saxophonist Emma Rawicz "an astonishing talent", Jazzwise Magazine "a force to be reckoned with", and the BBC: "the name Emma Rawicz is on everyone's lips right now".

Despite her young age, she has already achieved an enormous amount: at 19 Rawicz independently released her critically acclaimed debut album, “Incantation” and singlehandedly managed an extensive UK release tour, including headline appearances at prestigious venues including the Jazz Cafe and Ronnie Scott's. Since then her international career has flourished, playing in over 15 countries, with extensive tours in Germany and Scandinavia in particular. In 2023 she made her label debut with one of the most important jazz labels in the world today, ACT, releasing her album “Chroma” to international acclaim, notably with the album being selected as the Guardian Album of the Month: “With ‘Chroma’ young British jazz star Emma Rawicz is taking admirable risks and continuing her warp-speed evolution ****” .

In this masterclass Emma talks about her approach to saxophone playing, performance, improvisation and so on, giving a useful insight prior to the evening's performance over in the Capstone Theatre. Suitable for ALL players (you do NOT need your instrument).

2:15PM - 3:30PM - ANDY SCOTT'S MASS SAX ENSEMBLE WITH RHYTHM SECTION - Great Hall, First Floor, Cornerstone Building

Bring your sax and join in the fun! The second Ensemble class of the day gives you the opportunity to perform Andy's compositions with a live rhythm section. Again, Andy will be directing and giving tips on various techniques throughout the class. Suitable for ALL players (there will be simple and more advanced parts available) - bring your music stand!

In association with Henri Selmer Paris, Vandoren Paris & Astute Music

4:00PM - 5:30PM - DEAN MASSER MASTERCLASS - Warehouse Theatre, Ground Floor, Cornerstone Building

The North's leading sax guru and LSD favourite, Dean Masser returns to deliver another inciteful masterclass on all things sax. Tone, practice techniques, improvisation etc everything covered with Dean's individual, demystifying approach to Bebop.

Dean Masser is an award-winning jazz saxophonist. His aim is to continue the legacy of the bebop tradition by teaching, composing, recording, and playing for live audiences. He started his professional career as a member of the Jack Parnell Quartet and recorded a live album during a week-long stint at Ronnie Scott’s shortly after graduating from Leeds College of Music as Saxophone Prize winner.

Dean has been honoured to play and record alongside many of the leading names in British jazz at numerous venues and festivals throughout his career. Big band fans have heard Dean play with NYJO, BBC Big Band, Echoes of Ellington, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra, Buddy Rich Big Band, Syd Lawrence Orchestra, the Pete Long Orchestra and many others. Dean has recorded in smaller ensembles with Alan Barnes, Mark Nightingale, Neil Yates, Gilad Atzmon, Martin Shaw, Dave Green, Seb de Krom, Georgina Jackson, and Claire Martin. He recorded his first album as leader, “Old School” in 2010. In 2019 he won the public vote in the Tenor Saxophone category in the British Jazz Awards.

A respected and innovative jazz educator, Dean has helped students of all ages from beginner to advanced with his effective and personalised teaching methods. He has held professional teaching positions at Ampleforth College, Wymondham College, Leeds Grammar School, and Ipswich School. Dean also enjoys working with jazz ensembles. He was Director of the Norwich Students Training Jazz Orchestra and Co-Director of the Greater Manchester Youth Jazz Orchestra. Many of his former students have been inspired to pursue music as a career and are
now professional musicians.

*** CORNERSTONE CAFE will be open throughout the day serving a wide selection of hot and cold meals, snacks and drinks. ***

7:30PM - 10:00 EMMA RAWICZ QUARTET, LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL - The Capstone Theatre

Emma Rawicz - Saxophone
Jonny Mansfield - Vibraphone
Niklas Lukassen - Bass
Asaf Sirkis - Drums
Emma Rawicz is a young saxophonist, bandleader and composer with an astonishing musical maturity. At just 22 years of age, Rawicz has achieved a huge amount, including the release of two critically acclaimed albums Incantation and Chroma, extensive headline tours across 15 countries, appearances in high profile festivals and venues including concerts featuring as a soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and with the German SWR Radio Big Band at a sold out Berlin Philharmonie. She was the youngest ever Artist in Residence at Cambridge Jazz Festival and has received a number of awards and nominations recognising her achievements.
Rawicz’s signing to the major jazz label ACT represented a big step forward in her international career, particularly with the 2023 release of her label debut album Chroma, which received an extremely positive response from both jazz lovers and critics alike.
June 2024 saw Rawicz finish her studies at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music. Alongside her studies she has developed a remarkably broad range of projects: from her regularly touring quartet featuring stars of the UK jazz scene, to duo concerts with acclaimed pianist Gwilym Simcock, through to her 20-piece Jazz Orchestra which has already performed her exciting original music at important London venues.
“With ‘Chroma’ young British jazz star Emma Rawicz is taking admirable risks and continuing her warp-speed evolution ****”. - The Guardian

“What an extraordinary artist reaching such heights at such a young age!!” and "an astonishing talent" - Jamie Cullum, BBC Radio 2
"One of the UK’s most interesting musicians - highly gifted and exceptionally creative” - Jazz Thing
“Emma Rawicz’s solos …… show a poise far beyond her years” - Mojo
"An astonishing talent and a force to be reckoned with" – Jazzwise

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