NICK HEMPTON

Australian-born, New York-based saxophonist Nick Hempton has been a veteran of the NYC jazz scene since 2004, leading various ensembles and releasing several albums, including 2011's The Business on Posi-Tone. His sound is deeply rooted in swinging soul jazz, informed by a youth spent playing R&B and ska, and influenced by saxophone greats like Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt. Hempton's recent release, Horns Locked, from 2025, features a two-horn quartet with Vancouver's Cory Weeds. Expect gritty, entertaining, and thoroughly modern jazz with big, fat grooves and strong rhythms.