The Jazz Club at Witney presents Ben Holder’s Tribute to Porter & Gershwin

Night and Day on a violin bow

Cole Porter and George Gershwin wrote from different instincts, Porter reaching for chromatic sophistication and urbanity ("Night and Day", "I've Got You Under My Skin") while Gershwin stayed closer to the blues-inflected American vernacular ("Summertime", "The Man I Love"). The violin has always handled both well. Stephane Grappelli proved that for decades, and Ben Holder is the UK musician currently making the most persuasive case for that lineage.

Classically trained at the Birmingham Conservatoire from the age of six, Holder came to jazz through Grappelli, Joe Venuti and Stuff Smith, and what sets him apart from classically-trained players who venture into jazz is an innate sense of swing rhythm, the thing that tends to elude players coming from the conservatoire side. He also sings and plays piano, and his sets move between lyrical ballads and upbeat swingers with equal conviction.

Witney Jazz runs on the first Friday of every month at the Corn Exchange, combining cabaret tables with tiered seating and a full bar for a proper club atmosphere.

Friday 7 August 2026 · The Corn Exchange, Market Square, Witney, Oxfordshire OX28 6AB · 7:30pm