Robert Mitchell's Little Black Book features Robert Mitchell (keys), Zayn Mohammed (guitar) and Laurie Lowe (drums). Three firebrand virtuosos who wear their influences on their sleeves. Rock, Fusion, Classical, Jazz, Poetry, Freeform and Cinematic Soundscapes – all generously mixed in the cauldron of synergy. They come to Off The Rails for the first time in support of their debut album - Blueprint (Of An Infinite Gift) - on the Whirlwind Recordings label.
Robert Mitchell is an award-winning pianist, keyboard player, composer, songwriter, festival curator, poet, and author. He has recorded fourteen albums of his own projects, 3 poetry collections and participated in over 100 projects as a sideman and has performed in more than 40 countries. Apart from being a pianist, composer and innovator, he is a festival creator and curator as well as a highly respected educator. Robert also leads TRUE THINK, Epiphany3 and the Flame. He is a professor at Guildhall School Of Music And Drama (Jazz Piano), Mentor/Task Force Member at Black Lives In Music, YMM teacher, Steinway Artist, and Tempo Fund Ambassador (MMF). He recently taught/returned to the Paris Conservatoire and Pole Sup. Robert has won awards – BBC Jazz Awards (Innovation, as part of the F-ire Collective), Best Jazz Album (BBC DJ Gilles Peterson Worldwide Awards), a Paul Hamlyn composition award and has been nominated for many more including 2017 British Jazz Composer Award.
“Robert Mitchell is one of Britain’s finest and most versatile pianist-composer-improvisors” The Wire Magazine
Zayn Mohammed is a London based award – winning guitarist, multi -instrumentalist and producer. Mentored by the late great Ahmad Jamal & George Benson, Zayn graduated from Berklee College of Music studying with jazz greats such as Wayne Shorter & John Patitucci. Influenced by Indian Raga, Turkish sufi music, and jazz-fusion, Zayn blends the ancient and the modern. Zayn has cultivated a unique sound of his own in the jazz world, reflected by virtuosic improvisation & deep sense of composition and harmony cultivated through world music traditions. He is also in Robert’s group True Think. Zayn was crowned SKY ARTS GUITAR STAR in 2016 and he continues to push his musical boundaries by making an unmistakeable mark in the music world. Zayn is known to treat the listener to unique phrasing & undiscovered melodic improvisation. Through his innovate, tasteful incorporation of sounds from his cultures & journey into the music he loves & creates Zayn steps into indefinable territories.
“He shows what guitar is all about! He’s truly a star.” – George Benson
Laurie Lowe is one of the UK’s great young drummers. He has gone on to play with some of the top jazz musicians in the country such as Robert Mitchell’s Panacea, Gilad Atzmon, Nicolas Meier, Jim Mullen, Dave O’Higgins, Andy Sheppard, Mike Mondesir, Zhenya Strigalev , John Law, Carl Orr and many more. Laurie has also toured with the Grammy Nominated American Hip Hop/R&B group ‘’The Foreign Exchange’’, receiving widespread critical acclaim.
