Billy Marrows’ Grande Família

Grande Família is a critically acclaimed 12-piece chamber-jazz ensemble led by award-winning guitarist and composer Billy Marrows.

Fusing contemporary jazz with funk, folk, Brazilian and classical influences, their infectiously melodic sound draws inspiration from the likes of Wayne Shorter, Hermeto Pascoal, Gil Evans and Loose Tubes.

Grande Família was formed in 2023 to record Billy’s debut album Penelope, a surprise for his mother Penny during her struggle with pancreatic cancer. Released in her memory in early 2024, the album has raised over £6,000 for World Child Cancer and was shortlisted for Jazz Album of the Year in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2025.

Dijan Mbanu – Flute, Gustavo Clayton Marucci – Clarinet & Bass Clarinet, Kasper Keitkerk– Alto Saxophone, Tom Ridout – Tenor & Soprano Saxophone, Mike Soper – Trumpet, Olli Martin – Trombone, Anna Drysdale – French Horn, Billy Marrows – Guitars & Compositions, Angus Bayley – Piano, Jonas Mbanu – Bass, Rod Oughton – Drums, tbc – Viola,

“An exhilaratingly original sound, at once intimate and expansive” (Jazzwise), Grande Família brings together some of Billy’s favourite musicians including BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year finalist Tom Ridout, and Mercury Prize nominated Led Bib saxophonist Chris Williams, and have worked with artists such as Cory Wong, Shabaka Hutchings, Stan Sulzmann, Mark Lockheart, the LSO and London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Billy Marrows has toured in the UK and Europe with Chelsea Carmichael, Tom Barford, Patchwork Jazz Orchestra and Tom Ridout and has appeared on numerous albums, including Amsterdam-based Sam Newbould’s ‘Bogus Notus’ and Tom Barford’s ‘Bloomer’, on Edition records. Billy won both the small ensemble and big band category of the Dankworth Prize for Jazz Composition in 2016 and 2018 respectively, and studied with Vince Mendoza on the 2018 Metropole Orkest Arrangers Workshop in Holland.

Support
Tom Warrilow’s Cinquillo in support 7.30-8pm