Alex is a London-based tenor saxophonist and composer involved with jazz, improvised music and contemporary classical music. This page will document Alex's various musical happenings as they are presently and as they evolve.

2020 NEWS

APRIL 2020 UPDATE: In light of the present world health pandemic I will be teaching private lessons via Skype/ Zoom over the coming period. See my teaching section for more information and student testimonials.

After a very fun gig at Kansas Smitty's in March, the Alex Merritt/ Miguel Gorodi Quartet have an upcoming show at the Oxford tavern on May 25th. Have a look at the gig tab of this website for further details.

Tour planning for 2021 is underway for the Alex Merritt/ Steve Fishwick Quintet. We plan to tour throughout the UK and Europe following the release of our debut album early next year. Keep an eye on this site for tour plans as they evolve.

2019 NEWS

After a very amazing summer where I married the incredible Denise Kwan and travelled around Thailand I am looking forward to the start of some very fun projects this autumn :)

I am really excited to collaborate with the amazing young trumpet player Miguel Gorodi at London's beloved Con Cellar on the 1st November. It will be awesome to return here and I am excited about writing some new music for this as well as playing some of Miguel's wonderful music, some new ones too apparently.

I have a feature at the London Jazz Festival in November for a new project I am starting with one of my favourite young musicians on the UK scene- the amazing vocalist Miriam Ast. I am writing some new music for this festival gig specifically for this line-up and am really looking forward to seeing where it might lead! Come and hear these gigs if you can.

ALEX MERRITT/ GARETH FOWLER QUINTET TOUR FEATURING PABLO HELD AND PERCY PURSGLOVE

Here is an extract from a very fun gig at Kansas Smitty's on the Alex Merritt/ Gareth Fowler June 2019 tour featuring Pablo Held. Full tracks to follow.

Here's two extracts from the last gig of the tour at the Geldart in Cambridge

Full tracks to follow soon

The recording session was a great chance to document some of the music from the tour and I will also be sharing some footage from the session soon.

Thanks to all of the wonderful musicians involved in this project, audiences that came out to listen to the gigs, the Arts Council England for funding the tour and Tristram Smith for filming our gig at The Geldart.

It was a great pleasure to invite Pablo across from Cologne to join us and we hope to follow-up with more concerts next year so watch this space.

ALEX MERRITT/ STEVE FISHWICK QUINTET UPCOMING 2020 DEBUT ALBUM

The Alex Merritt/Steve Fishwick Quintet album will be released in 2020 and I am looking forward to sharing it with you all. The record features brand new compositions by myself, Steve and John. NEW VIDEOS TO FOLLOW SOON. Keep an eye on this page for 2020 tour plans and album release information.

ALEX MERRITT QUARTET ALBUM 'ANATTA' RELEASED TO STRONG PRESS REVIEWS

‘A promising jazz debut of striking quality.’ John Fordham, the Guardian, *** Full Guardian Review

‘Merritt’s warm, dry, Getzian fluency is a joy, whether intertwining with Turville’s mysterious, unpredictable chordal shifts or bubbling with controlled fervour........
....This feels like just the beginning… and what a beginning’. Adrian Pallant, AP reviews, ***** Full Review

‘It’s one of the best UK jazz recordings I’ve heard this year’. Stephen Graham, Marlbank News, **** Full Marlbank Review

‘Merritt is not only an artist to watch, but also to listen to, as one would a dawn chorus: with eyes closed and mind opened’. Tyran Grillo, All About Jazz, ****1/2 All About Jazz/ECM Review

‘Merritt’s rich but dry tone traces a line back to the Cool School jazzers such as Warne Marsh’. Robert Shore, Jazzwise, **** Full Jazzwise Review

Order the album: amazon.co.uk/Anatta-Alex-Merritt-Quartet/dp/B016RBRJSQ

Read Alex's full biography...