Hitchcock, Scandroglio & Manzanza

A saxophone, double bass and drums trio led by Alex Hitchcock, Michelangelo Scandroglio and Myele Manzanza, presenting contemporary jazz built on improvisation at the Copper Bar, Band on the Wall.

Alex Hitchcock is a saxophonist from the UK, an Ivor Novello-nominated composer and an improviser. Michelangelo Scandroglio, from Italy, plays double bass and is an award-winning bassist whose work moves between contemporary jazz, groove and experimental music. Myele Manzanza is a drummer and composer born in New Zealand and based in London, whose rhythmic approach draws on New Zealand roots and on work across jazz, electronic and African-influenced music. All three lead projects of their own.

The three have worked together within lvdf (La Via Del Ferro), an international project they formed with pianist and synth player Maria Chiara Argirò. It has played festivals and venues in the UK and Europe, including the London Jazz Festival, Bergamo Jazz Festival and Ronnie Scott's, and released a self-titled debut EP in 2025. In this trio there is no piano or other harmonic instrument, so the saxophone, double bass and drums continually reshape the music around one another, moving between composed passages, groove and spontaneous exchange.

The evening takes place at the Copper Bar, part of Band on the Wall, a concert and performance venue in Manchester's Northern Quarter. It is a contemporary jazz programme built around connection, spontaneity and collective exploration.