Alice Leggett is an alto saxophonist, composer, and bandleader who has developed a unique voice within the European jazz scene. After spending seven of her formative years in London and frequenting the New York jazz scene, the Cardiff, Wales native now resides in Amsterdam. Deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, her influences range from Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman and Wayne Shorter to modern innovators such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ambrose Akinmusire, Mark Turner, Immanuel Wilkins, Ben van Gelder, and Melissa Aldana. Her own writing blends intriguing forms and emotive themes with a strong improvisational core that combines lyricism with adventurous rhythmic and harmonic exploration. She is recognised for her distinctive and expressive alto saxophone tone, melodic statements, and incredibly personal voice. Alice isn’t afraid to bare her emotions through her music and take risks on the bandstand in order to create a captivating and memorable performance.
The Alice Leggett Sextet features a lineup of international musicians with whom Alice has developed deep relationships both on and off the stage over the years. Alice will be accompanied by tenor saxophonist Alex Hitchcock (UK/NYC), trumpeter Alexandra Ridout (NYC/UK), pianist Noah Stoneman (NYC/UK), double bassist Tijs Klaassen (NL), and drummer Wouter Kühne (NL). They will embark on a tour in the spring of 2026, performing primarily in the Netherlands as well as the United Kingdom. Each of these musicians has a distinct voice on their instrument, leads their own ensembles, and is well-established in their field. All of these aspects add to a powerful band sound that allows for musical experimentation while simultaneously fully embracing the original compositions written by Alice. They will perform a mix of material from Alice's debut album 'Birdsong' and brand new compositions written specifically for this ensemble.
For the last 2 dates of the tour, James Copus (UK), will be replacing Alexandra Ridout on
trumpet.
Leggett’s art does not make concessions: this is serious music, and deserves and rewards
serious listening.
Victoria Kingham (Jazzwise)
As a composer and as a musician, Leggett delivers a business card with Birdsong, which says
'promise' in large letters.
Gijsbert Kamer (Volkstrant)
Tightly woven, progressively modern sounding without being atonal or full on avant-garde there’s
plenty of space for in-depth examination of themes and motifs. A strong statement of where
Leggett is now as a composer.
Marlbank
