Nick Hempton Quartet

“What makes Nick Hempton’s music and persona so innately compelling that one can’t turn away? Perhaps it’s that he’s a character, in the sincerest of ways.” (NYC Jazz Record)

Nick Hempton is an alto and tenor saxophonist, playing swinging jazz music for the people. A veteran of the New York scene, he fills rooms big and small throughout the city, as well as concerthalls and festivals around the world. Influenced by the greats of the instrument– Dexter Gordon,Sonny Stitt, Cannonball Adderley– and informed by a misspent youth playing Rhythm & Blues and Ska in his native Australia, Hempton's jazz is “gritty, entertaining, and thoroughly modern.” (Flophouse Magazine)

Nick has built a strong reputation in NYC and abroad as an entertaining and energetic front man, whether in the organ band format, or leading conventional hard bop quartets and quintets. His itinerant lifestyle has taken him to stages throughout the US, Europe, and Australia, as well as regular visits to China and South East Asia. He has made numerous television and radio appearances and has also developed an excellent reputation as a music educator, holding private lessons, clinics, and masterclasses for school- and mature-aged students.

On stage, in the studio, and on the road, Hempton continues to bring his “big fat grooves, a real sense of swing, strong melodies and even stronger rhythms” (AAJ) to audiences everywhere.