AB Workshops
Music Workshops – 07711 998058
Groove & Blend: The Art of Saxophone Ensemble Playing with Anna Brooks28th - 29th March 2026
St Leonards Hotel, Ringwood, BH24 2NR.
Groove & Blend: The Art of Saxophone Ensemble Playing with Anna Brooks28th - 29th March 2026
St Leonards Hotel, Ringwood, BH24 2NR.
On 28th / 29th March 2026 AB Workshops welcome Anna Brooks, who will be running a two day workshop titled “Groove & Blend: The Art of Saxophone Ensemble Playing“.
Anna Brooks is an internationally acclaimed saxophonist, vocalist, musical director, music arranger, and recording artist, who has established herself as one of the leading female musicians in the UK’s jazz, funk, and pop scenes. As well as being a successful solo artist, she is a member of Jools Holland’s ‘Rhythm And Blues Orchestra’, (alto saxophone / vocals) and a former member the Brooklyn Funk Essentials (tenor saxophone / vocals).
Playing level: As a guide, you’ll need an instrumental ability of Grade 5 standard or above.
With Jools’ 24-piece Rhythm And Blues Orchestra, Anna tours regularly and appears annually on BBC 2’s Hootenanny show (highlights include performing solos with Gregory Porter and Ruby Turner). With the band she has recorded 3 albums, including one with Sir Rod Stewart. With Jools’ four-piece band, Anna has toured Europe on tenor / soprano saxes and vocals alongside special guest KT Tunstall. With the Brooklyn Funk Essentials Anna toured worldwide, recording live shows for television and two studio albums – ‘Funk Ain’t Ova’ and ’Stay Good’. Anna has also featured in a solo spot on the BBC DJ and TV presenter Sarah Cox‘s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough ‘80s’ live show.
Anna’s impressive musical career includes serving as the musical director and saxophonist for both George Treadwell’s legendary group ‘The Drifters’ and Roy G. Hemmings’ ‘Dictionary Of Soul’. She also toured with ‘70s glam-rocker Roy Wood and Indian composer /violinist John Mayer’s ‘Indo-Jazz Fusions’. As lead alto saxophonist she performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival with the Walsall Jazz Orchestra and recorded two albums of their original music. Classically trained, she has also played on numerous occasions with The City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. As a session musician, Anna has recorded saxophone and backing vocals for many artists, including most recently a track for Incognito’s forthcoming album.
Anna is endorsed by P.Mauriat Saxophones, and plays on a beautiful PMXA-67RBX 20th Anniversary 2023 Limited Edition tenor sax.
Anna’s skills as a music arranger and composer are highly regarded. She has arranged and prepared music for numerous BBC shows, including Dr. Who, Torchwood and Jools Holland’s Annual Hootenanny. For the latter, she has arranged music for artists including Self Esteem, Melanie C, and Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves). Anna has worked for notable clients including Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush and Katie Melua, as well as film producers Ridley Scott, Gurinder Chadhar and Kanbar Animation. She has composed original music for TV and independent film and arranged music for numerous theatre shows and bands. Additionally, she is the in-house transcriber for smoothjazzbackingtracks.com.
Overall, Anna Brooks’ illustrious career as a saxophonist, vocalist, musical director, and music arranger, along with her passion for music education, make her an esteemed and respected figure in the music industry.
On 28th / 29th March 2026 AB Workshops welcome Anna Brooks, who will be running a two day workshop titled “Groove & Blend: The Art of Saxophone Ensemble Playing“.
Anna Brooks is an internationally acclaimed saxophonist, vocalist, musical director, music arranger, and recording artist, who has established herself as one of the leading female musicians in the UK’s jazz, funk, and pop scenes. As well as being a successful solo artist, she is a member of Jools Holland’s ‘Rhythm And Blues Orchestra’, (alto saxophone / vocals) and a former member the Brooklyn Funk Essentials (tenor saxophone / vocals).
With Jools’ 24-piece Rhythm And Blues Orchestra, Anna tours regularly and appears annually on BBC 2’s Hootenanny show (highlights include performing solos with Gregory Porter and Ruby Turner). With the band she has recorded 3 albums, including one with Sir Rod Stewart. With Jools’ four-piece band, Anna has toured Europe on tenor / soprano saxes and vocals alongside special guest KT Tunstall. With the Brooklyn Funk Essentials Anna toured worldwide, recording live shows for television and two studio albums – ‘Funk Ain’t Ova’ and ’Stay Good’. Anna has also featured in a solo spot on the BBC DJ and TV presenter Sarah Cox‘s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough ‘80s’ live show.
Playing level: As a guide, you’ll need an instrumental ability of Grade 5 standard or above.
Anna is endorsed by P.Mauriat Saxophones, and plays on a beautiful PMXA-67RBX 20th Anniversary 2023 Limited Edition tenor sax.
Anna’s impressive musical career includes serving as the musical director and saxophonist for both George Treadwell’s legendary group ‘The Drifters’ and Roy G. Hemmings’ ‘Dictionary Of Soul’. She also toured with ‘70s glam-rocker Roy Wood and Indian composer /violinist John Mayer’s ‘Indo-Jazz Fusions’. As lead alto saxophonist she performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival with the Walsall Jazz Orchestra and recorded two albums of their original music. Classically trained, she has also played on numerous occasions with The City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. As a session musician, Anna has recorded saxophone and backing vocals for many artists, including most recently a track for Incognito’s forthcoming album.
Anna’s skills as a music arranger and composer are highly regarded. She has arranged and prepared music for numerous BBC shows, including Dr. Who, Torchwood and Jools Holland’s Annual Hootenanny. For the latter, she has arranged music for artists including Self Esteem, Melanie C, and Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves). Anna has worked for notable clients including Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush and Katie Melua, as well as film producers Ridley Scott, Gurinder Chadhar and Kanbar Animation. She has composed original music for TV and independent film and arranged music for numerous theatre shows and bands. Additionally, she is the in-house transcriber for smoothjazzbackingtracks.com.
Overall, Anna Brooks’ illustrious career as a saxophonist, vocalist, musical director, and music arranger, along with her passion for music education, make her an esteemed and respected figure in the music industry.
Do you want to feel more confident playing as part of a saxophone section? Have you ever wondered how professional sax sections achieve such a tight, powerful blend?
This two-day course, led by acclaimed saxophonist, arranger, and educator Anna Brooks, is designed for saxophonists of intermediate level and above who want to elevate their ensemble playing.
With two full ensemble pieces each day covering Swing, Latin, Funk, and Pop styles, you’ll explore:
- The Art of Listening: Improve ensemble awareness to lock in with others and respond in real time.
- Intonation: Learn how to hear and adjust pitch for a tight, in-tune sound across the section.
- Time Feel & Groove: Explore how groove changes across styles and how it affects your role in the ensemble.
- Section Playing: Learn how to blend tone, match articulation, and phrase as one unified sound.
- Tone & Dynamics: Discover how to shape your sound according to the style, create effective dynamic variation, and stand out when needed.
- Articulation & Expressive Devices: Unlock the stylistic details, including articulation, accents, scoops, falls, and section vibrato, that bring written parts to life and elevate them beyond the notes on the page.
- Performance Confidence: Build performance readiness through structured rehearsal with Anna’s custom ensemble arrangements.
Whether you’ve played in saxophone ensembles before or want to experience the buzz of playing in a tight-knit section, this weekend offers a powerful opportunity to sharpen your skills and deepen your musical connection with others.
“Agility, clarity and a beguiling vocalised quality. Her playing is as assured as it is polished”
— Chris Parker – Jazz Review
“An admirable technique and a musical elegance that’s evident in both her playing and her writing”
— Ken Cheetham – Jazz Views
- Based at St Leonards Hotel in beautiful Dorset, with excellent facilities
- Two full days of tutor lead sessions, four sessions per day
- Suitable for the following instruments: Saxophone
- Workshop runs from 10am – 4.30pm each day, with two 30 minute breaks and a 1 hour lunch break
- Optional: A Hot lunch (including requirements such as vegetarian, gluten intolerance etc)
- Refreshments; Tea, coffee (including freshly made filter coffee), juices, a variety of biscuits, fresh pastries
- Prices range from £135-£165 for two days
- FREE parking
- On-site accommodation (subject to availability). Not included in the price, please book direct with the hotel
- Safe, simple, secure. We have now set it up for you to be able to book easier than ever before, simply BOOK ONLINE
- Payment plan scheme now available; pay £25 upfront and then pay monthly by direct debit for the balance
Alternatively if you have any questions on the suitability of this course for you we will be happy to help. Contact us at hello@abworkshops.com or by calling 07711 998058 and we will be happy to discuss your needs further.
Regardless of your current level, we here at AB Workshops are committed to providing tuition and support at a pace that allows you to absorb salient points while good progress and motivation is maintained.
What do we mean by “grades” as a measuring tool? We use the ABRSM/Trinity “classical” syllabus, but in most respects this applies to the Jazz grades as well. If you haven’t taken any grades then please contact us to discuss suitability.
A hot lunch is included if you choose that option when making the booking (including requirements such as vegetarian, gluten intolerance etc).
Arrive: 9.30am onwards
Session one: 10am – 11.15am
Morning break: 11.15am – 11.45am
Session two: 11.45am – 1pm
Lunch: 1pm – 2pm
Session three: 2pm – 3pm
Afternoon break: 3pm – 3.30pm
Session four: 3.30pm – 4.30pm
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