Adrian Cox

Internationally acclaimed jazz clarinetist Adrian Cox, at age 41, is certainly performing at the top of his game. He is one of the leading exponents of the New Orleans clarinet style and possesses a wealth of knowledge about the music and players of the era. His unrivaled feel and virtuosity have led to performances with some of the biggest names in jazz, including two concerts with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in both London and New York. Adrian spends the majority of his life on tour and, at the time of writing, has performed in over 30 countries in the past 18 months.

British-born jazz clarinetist Adrian Cox first picked up the clarinet at the age of six and has never stopped since. Upon leaving school in 1999 at the age of fifteen, he embarked on life as a full-time musician, touring across Europe with the New Orleans revivalist band Richard Bennett’s New Orleans Jazz Band. With a schedule boasting over 300 concerts a year and a repertoire of more than 600 tunes, this early experience laid a solid foundation for his career. After five years, Adrian moved to London and became a member of the jazz and blues act TJ Johnson, continuing his life on the road. This allowed him to expand his reach to more countries and build a loyal fan base, which is evident today with his countless sold-out concerts across Europe.

In 2016, while living in London, Adrian joined the Kansas Smitty’s House Band, famed for their bar in London Fields, East London, and their extremely popular seven-piece band. They performed at numerous festivals and theaters across Europe and built a strong following in London with regular shows at Ronnie Scott’s, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, and appearances on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6 Music. As part of Kansas Smitty’s, Adrian contributed to writing original compositions, often collaborating with fellow clarinetist Giacomo Smith. It was alongside Giacomo that Adrian was invited to perform with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in 2018 at London’s Barbican Centre, celebrating the 80th anniversary of Benny Goodman’s Carnegie Hall concert. This was a huge honor, followed by another invitation from Wynton Marsalis to join the orchestra in New York for the JALC 30-Year Gala Concert, where Adrian performed to great acclaim.

During this period, Adrian was also leading his own project, “Profoundly Blue,” celebrating the life and music of his favourite clarinetist, Edmond Hall. Two accompanying albums received high praise, and later that year, Adrian was nominated for two Parliamentary Jazz Awards: Best Album and Instrumentalist of the Year. The project was incredibly popular throughout Europe and included two sold-out performances at Dizzy’s Club in New York, which were among the highlights of the tour. In 2019, Adrian collaborated with longtime pianist Joe Webb to write an original album, Now is Spring, inspired by Edmond Hall and the New Orleans tradition. The album was launched with a sold-out UK tour in January 2020, just before the pandemic.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Adrian maintained his connection with audiences through a highly successful weekly live stream, The Sunday Service. The informative and entertaining stream explored his favorite clarinetists, attracting a consistent audience of 250+ viewers and earning a nomination for an award in 2021. During this period, Adrian stumbled across an album featuring Barney Bigard with a string quartet, which inspired him to write Clarinet Fantasy, his most ambitious project to date. The album featured his quintet alongside a string quartet. Although recorded in 2021, it was not released until 2023. The debut concert in 2024 at Ronnie Scott’s sold out in three weeks, followed by his largest headline show to date at Buxton Opera House, another special sell-out event.

As of 2025, Adrian is touring worldwide with his new trio, performing a show titled Makin’ Runs, celebrating the great masters of New Orleans and the music that first inspired him to fall in love with the clarinet. Adrian says, “This project is my most exciting to date. I love and respect this music so much, and it is a total privilege to keep the spirit alive with my trio. The music is timeless, accessible, and full of emotion.” The accompanying EP was released in late 2024, and Adrian is heading back to the studio to record more material from the show. His tour schedule is as busy as ever, with performances in the UK, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and France, with new shows being announced daily at theaters, clubs, festivals, and on radio broadcasts. Adrian now resides in Sweden and continues to inspire audiences around the globe. Adrian plays a Buffet Crampon RC Prestige Greenline, BCXXI.