DAVID NEWTON has been voted Best UK Jazz Piano Player 16 times by the public (British Jazz Awards) most recently in 2019. He was born in Scotland and graduated from the Leeds College of Music. In the 1990’s Newton’s reputation as an exquisite accompanist for a singer spread rapidly he worked regularly with Carol Kidd, Marion Montgomery, Tina May, Annie Ross, Claire Martin and Stacey Kent with whom he spent ten years recording and travelling all over the world.

During this time he was composing music to record on his own CDs and writing specifically for Martin Taylor, Alan Barnes, and many of the singers he accompanied. He wrote for TV productions particularly in the US. In 2003 David wrote the music for two Alan Aykbourn productions, 20 years after being involved with eight of his world premiers in the early 80s. David was made a Fellow of Leeds College of Music in 2003. He has played at Sladers Yard many times now and is always extraordinary.

IAN SMITH has played trumpet with talents as varied as Gwyneth Herbert, Hank Wangford, Alan Barnes and Michael Horowitz. He has lectured on Modern and Renaissance Poetry at universities on both sides of the Atlantic while also playing jazz regularly with some of the leading players in Britain and Europe. He has performed at leading jazz festivals and on BBC Radio 3 and 4.  A published writer, he and Alan Barnes wrote and performed in an acclaimed Radio 4 drama, Blood Count, about the final recording of Duke Ellington. A regular star performer at Sladers, his evenings are without fail marvellous and hilarious.