Deirdre Cartwright’s Picnic

Deirdre Cartwright’s Picnic featuring Annie Whitehead create expressive and life affirming music reflecting a love of jazz mixed with funk, reggae and South African influences. Guitar and trombone blend in an exciting front sound with great grooves and inspiring melodic tunes.Deirdre Cartwright’s Picnic featuring Annie Whitehead create expressive, life affirming music reflecting a love of jazz mixed with funk, reggae and South African influences. Guitar and trombone blend in an exciting sound with great grooves and melodic tunes.
Deirdre Cartwright is an award-winning guitarist and composer who became well known presenting BBC TV’s ground-breaking series 'Rockschool'. She also played with Afro Latin Jazz group The Guest Stars, recording three albums and touring in 17 countries.
In 1991 she formed the Deirdre Cartwright Group, recording five albums and playing international festivals. More recently she toured and recorded four albums with ARQ, winners of Best UK jazz group at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards in 2018. She won Best Guitarist at the 2019 British Jazz Awards. In 2026 her album with organ trio ORGANIK garnered 4-star reviews.
'Deirdre Cartwright is a deeply expressive guitarist who produces finely wrought, bluesy, soulful melodic lines.' Kevin Le Gendre, Jazzwise
Annie Whitehead is a trombone virtuoso known for her mix of African grooves, blues, ska and Ellingtonian expressionism. She has played on over 50 albums.
"The Sly and Robbie of British brass, the woman everyone turns to when they want a class trombone player" Time Out
She has worked with Dudu Pukwana, Evan Parker, The Charlie Watts Big Band and Jazz Jamaica Big Band, and internationally with McCoy Tyner, Carla Bley and Abdullah Ibrahim. With the Penguin Cafe Orchestra she toured worldwide and appeared on three albums.
Alison Rayner leads award-winning quintet ARQ, winners of best ensemble at the 2018 Parliamentary Jazz Awards, and won the 2019 Ivor Novello Composer Award for best small group composition.
Award-winning Winston Clifford has been a first call drummer on the UK jazz scene for over 30 years, playing with Carleen Anderson, Stanley Turrentine, Benny Golson, John Abercrombie and Norma Winstone. He won the British Jazz Award for Best Drummer.