Multi-instrumentalist James Allsopp burst on to the scene in 2005 with his genre-bursting quintet 'Fraud', following this up with the trio 'Golden Age of Steam'. Both were highly acclaimed, and led to his winning 'Best Newcomer' in the 2007 Ronnie Scott Jazz Awards and the BBC Jazz Award for Innovation in 2008.

Since then he has been active in many projects of his own and in collaboration with other rising stars of UK jazz, most notably keyboards wunderkind Kit Downes. In every context he brings a highly complex harmonic and rhythmic approach, and a dynamic range that moves seamlessly between the thunderous and the whispering.