"What a brilliant club" - Forbes 2025
THE VERDICT
APPJAG Jazz Venue of the Year 2024
The Verdict is a multi award winning grass roots music venue, the only full time Jazz venue outside of London in the south of England, it has been named as one of the best jazz clubs in the World by Star Insider. Weekly hosting the best in jazz music with Top International acts, playing blues, swing, funk, Latin Jazz and fusion.
The New Conrad Miller Trio
“a romantic set where every track strikes an emotional nerve,”
Pianist and composer Coen Molenaar is the driving force behind The New Conrad Miller Trio, an ensemble known for its lyrical storytelling, rich harmonies, and powerful rhythmic interplay. Together with Mark Eshuis on drums and David de Marez Oyens on double bass, the trio has developed a distinctive sound that blends tradition with contemporary expression.
In early 2018, the trio released the album Sounding Silence, which received warm international recognition and led to a series of concerts throughout Germany, Poland, and the Benelux. Since then, the group has continued to refine its musical identity through a series of recordings and live performances, establishing itself as a compelling voice within the modern jazz trio tradition.
The music of The New Conrad Miller Trio is deeply inspired by legendary pianists such as Michel Petrucciani, Herbie Hancock, Monty Alexander, George Duke, and McCoy Tyner. Their influence can be heard in the trio’s expressive piano lines, dynamic improvisations, and strong sense of groove.
At the heart of the trio’s music lies a vivid sense of storytelling. Their compositions evoke landscapes, emotions, and moments in time—from the cascading imagery of Azul Blue Waterfalls and the scent of summer rain, to the quiet reflections of August rain in Damascus and the laid-back atmosphere of a fisherman’s life in Porto de Galinhas. South American rhythms and harmonies merge naturally with traditional jazz, blues, and soul, creating impressionistic pieces that are both cinematic and deeply personal.
The trio’s arrangements move effortlessly between melancholy and joy. Classical harmony and counterpoint meet high-energy grooves and spontaneous improvisation, resulting in performances that feel both intimate and vibrant. Each musician contributes equally to the musical dialogue, allowing the trio to explore unexpected directions while maintaining a strong sense of unity and swing.
Jazz legends have praised the group’s unique sound. Trumpeter Randy Brecker described their music as “a romantic set where every track strikes an emotional nerve,” while guitarist Jan Akkerman highlighted the trio’s “unique exploration of harmonic and technical possibilities.”
On stage, The New Conrad Miller Trio delivers performances full of atmosphere, freedom, and emotional depth—inviting audiences into a world where melody, rhythm, and imagination meet.
Jean Toussaint Quartet
Jean Toussaint - sax
John Turville - piano
Ben Brown - drums
Ewan Hastie - bass
Since Toussaint left Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the mid eighties, He hasn’t looked back. Nor has he spent a career trying to repeat the past. The experiences gained in that world-class hothouse have enabled him to push forward and embrace challenging, and often high profile, musical collaborations in many different jazz styles.
Today he works out of London England as a composer, tenor/soprano saxophonist, bandleader and highly regarded jazz educator. Born in the Caribbean, Toussaint grew up in St Thomas USVI and started playing the saxophone at the Charlotte Amalie High School under the musical tutelage of Charles Cox, who took a special interest in the talented youngster, offering guidance and extra tuition. After high school, Toussaint attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston along with future jazz stars Branford Marsalis, Wallace Roney, Kevin Eubanks, Jeff Watts, Victor Bailey, Cindy Blackman, Donald Harrison and many others.
While at Berklee, Toussaint studied with and was mentored by the great saxophonist/educator Billy Pierce. It was Pierce who recommended Toussaint to
replace him in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Relocating to New York, he joined in 1982 and toured and recorded with the band for four years alongside pianists Johnny O’Neal, Mulgrew Miller and Donald Brown, trumpeters Terence Blanchard and Wallace Roney, alto saxophonists Donald Harrison and Kenny Garrett, trombonist Tim Williams and bassists Charles Fambrough, Lonnie Plaxico and Peter Washington. With Art Blakey, these young men found themselves in a uniquely enviable position as the band travelled the world playing all the major festivals, clubs and concert halls.
While residing in New York and when not on the road with the messengers Toussaint, regularly led the jam sessions at the famous Blue Note Jazz club and, would visit other New York clubs sitting in with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Elvin Jones, Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard etc.
