Billy Marrows + Grande Famila - New live album and UK tour Dates, March, April, May 2025.
Friday, March 28, 2025
Discus Music will release 'The Penelope Album Live' by award-winning London guitarist & composer Billy Marrows on 28th March. The release will be accompanied by an 8 date Grande Familia spring tour.
We have received the following press release;
Guitarist Billy Marrows announces nine date spring 2025 tour and live album
Discus Music will release ‘The Penelope Album Live’ by award-winning London guitarist and composer Billy Marrows on 28th March 2025. The release will be accompanied by an eight date spring 2025 Grande Família UK tour.
The live album captures the debut performance of Billy’s 12-piece chamber-jazz ensemble Grande Família, recorded live at London’s PizzaExpress Jazz Club. The concert, which sold out two months in advance and received a full standing ovation, features expanded arrangements of music from his critically acclaimed debut album ‘Penelope’.
Watch a video of ‘The Beech Tree’ from the live album
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YzTSbKhVww
The original studio ‘Penelope’ album was created as a surprise for Billy’s mother Penny during her struggle with pancreatic cancer and released in her memory in January 2024 with all proceeds going to World Child Cancer, raising over £5,450. Ten percent of live album sales will go to the same charity and like the original, it features beautiful cover art by Penny.
The new album presents live versions of all tracks from the ‘Penelope’ album, with the solo guitar compositions developed into full band pieces and an overture added,
without losing the intimate solo, duo and trio moments.
“A spectacular new ensemble” according to Jazz Views, Grande Família brings together a unique line-up of talented musicians, including BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year finalist Tom Ridout and Mercury Prize nominated Led Bib saxophonist Chris Williams, alongside several of Billy’s family members. In a review of their sold out Vortex Jazz Club show, Jazzwise described Grande Família as being “comprised of big characters and full of improvisational flair”. The live album personnel mirrors the original record, enhanced by the addition of Tom Potter’s virtuosic yet highly sensitive drumming.
The spring 2025 release tour features a variety of line-up combinations from Grande Família and includes a northern album launch at Sheffield Jazz (28th March) and a two- night London launch at PizzaExpress Jazz Club (28th-29th April).
Spring 2025 Album Release Tour:
3rd March - Bull & Gate, Jazz in Kentish Town, London (sextet)
28th March - Crookes Social, Sheffield Jazz, northern launch gig (12-piece)
28-29th April - PizzaExpress Soho, London launch gigs (12-piece)
6th May - Watermill Jazz, Dorking (12-piece)
10th May - Jazz at Heart, Leeds (quartet)
11th May - St Helen & the Holy Cross, Sheriff Hutton (quartet)
12th May - NQ Jazz, Manchester (sextet)
13th May - Digbeth Jazz, Birmingham (sextet)
Live Album/Tour Personnel:
Viola - Teresa Macedo Ferreira (album + 12-piece dates)
Flute - Dijan Mbanu (album + PizzaExpress dates) / Kristýna Farag (Sheffield Jazz) / Tori Freestone (Watermill)
Clarinet and bass clarinet - Gustavo Clayton Marucci (album + 12-piece/quartet dates)
Alto saxophone - Chris Williams (album + 12-piece dates)
Saxophones and clarinet - Tom Ridout (album + 12-piece/sextet/quartet dates)
Trumpet - Mike Soper (album + 12-piece/sextet/quartet dates)
Trombone - Olli Martin (album + 12-piece/sextet dates)
French Horn - Anna Drysdale (album + 12-piece dates)
Guitar, baritone guitar and compositions - Billy Marrows (album + all dates)
Piano - Angus Bayley (album + 12-piece dates)
Electric bass - Jonas Mbanu (album + 12-piece dates) / Flo Moore (sextet dates)
Drums - Tom Potter (album + PizzaExpress/Watermill/Parakeet) / Rod Oughton (Sheffield/ Digbeth Jazz)
Shaker - Greg Sanders (album, tracks 7+16)
For more details please see: