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No musician more fully embodies the dramatic transformation of the British jazz scene over the past four decades than Courtney Pine CBE. A groundbreaking saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, Pine has led a generation of innovative players who have broadened jazz’s reach and connected it with wider audiences.
In 1986, his debut album Journey to the Urge Within became the first serious jazz record to enter the UK Top 40, earning a Silver Disc and marking a turning point in British jazz history. Since then, each decade of his career has brought continued international acclaim.
Courtney Pine has released 17 studio albums under his own name and is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading jazz musicians. Constantly pushing creative boundaries, he has remained at the cutting edge of the scene throughout his career. In 2014, he was commissioned by Tate Modern to compose and perform a musical response to the work of Matisse, broadcast live from the exhibition to cinemas across the UK. That same year, he joined Herbie Hancock and an all-star line-up for the globally televised UNESCO International Jazz Day concert in Osaka.
Courtney Pine has released 17 studio albums under his own name and is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading jazz musicians. Constantly pushing creative boundaries, he has remained at the cutting edge of the scene throughout his career. In 2014, he was commissioned by Tate Modern to compose and perform a musical response to the work of Matisse, broadcast live from the exhibition to cinemas across the UK. That same year, he joined Herbie Hancock and an all-star line-up for the globally televised UNESCO International Jazz Day concert in Osaka.
A highly respected broadcaster, Pine is best known for his long-running Jazz Crusade show on BBC Radio 2 and for presenting award-winning radio documentaries for the BBC. On television, he presented and provided the soundtrack for an acclaimed documentary celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela and was also himself the subject of a prestigious South Bank Show Special.
I believe in letting the musicians decide what is and what isn’t jazz. And for me, not to open my heart and play everything that is in my head or reflects my experiences, is just wrong
Courtney Pine
Awarded both an OBE and CBE for services to music, Courtney Pine is Professor of Music at the University of Westminster and holds a doctorate from Leeds College of Music. His recordings and live performances have received widespread critical recognition, earning numerous honours including BBC Jazz Awards, MOBO Awards, and Mercury Music Prize nominations. He is regularly voted among the top twenty Black Britons and will be featured in a major V&A exhibition The Music is Black, celebrating pioneers of British music in 2026.
Courtneys' latest release 'Out of the Ghetto -A Modern Day Jazz Story' is out now.