BEFORE he comes back to Lochgelly in March Joe Temperley is playing next week in a major concert at The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, New York.

The National Jazz Museum posted this week, ‘On Tuesday, January 20th Joe Temperley plays... Mostly Ellington, with special guest Russell Malone on guitar and Yasushi Nakamura, bass. NJMH kicks-off a new series of chamber jazz concerts with a bang - Baritone saxophonist/bass clarinetist Joe Temperley belongs to that rarified class of musicians who are instantly identifiable by their sound alone.

‘Temperley, a long-time member of Wynton Marsalis’s musical family, and for more than 60 years a distinguished soloist in his own right, will appear in the first installment of our chamber jazz series. The evening’s program will include the music of Duke Ellington - a natural choice, as Joe succeeded his idol Harry Carney, in the Ellington band in 1974.

‘Temperley, born in Scotland, started his professional career on alto and tenor saxes. He quickly rose to prominence in the UK with Humphrey Lyttelton’s popular band, and by the mid-1960s he’d moved to the U.S. and was working with the bands of Woody Herman, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and Buddy Rich, before joining Ellington. Joe’s beautiful playing is often overlooked. Wynton Marsalis titled a 2013 blog post, “There is no greater sound on earth than Joe Temperley on a horn.” Joe’s art is an open secret that we hope to share by showcasing him front and centre. Making this special chamber jazz concert even more remarkable is Joe’s special guest, guitarist Russell Malone. Currently a member of The Ron Carter Trio and regularly featured with Dianne Reeves, Malone is simply one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time. ‘They will be joined by Yasushi Nakamura on bass, one of the most sought-after musicians on the scene today’. Joe’s reputation is world wide but he never forgets his home and is looking forward to getting back to the Lochgelly area in a few weeks time.