British pianist Kit Downes, formerly of Empirical, is beginning to get the kind of enthusiastic attention Gwilym Simcock did on his emergence a few years before. Downes is more of a choosy, patient storyteller, and if one of his distinctive original themes only requires a handful of notes and a lot of spaces, he leaves it like that.”

- John Fordham, The Gaurdian ****

“Downes seems to have become everyone's favourite young pianist. These eight, slightly impressionistic originals are unpretentiously brilliant and full of subtle touches. Downes, bassist Calum Gourlay and drummer James Maddren are all players to watch.”

- Dave Gelly, Observer

“Golden is striking not only for his playing, but also for his compositions.. a brilliantly interactive trio. He’s a remarkably distinctive player. Inside or outside, his lines are full of the original and unexpected, with a logic of their own; and his stunning technique is matched by a rhythmic flexibility given full scope by his rapport with Gourlay and, especially, Maddren.”

-  Ray Comiskey, Irish Times ****

"Pianist Kit Downes's slender frame and shy demeanor hide a lightening musical intelligence and an engagingly slow-burn energy. "

- Ivan Hewitt, Sunday Telegraph

"Downes offers a cultivated musical intelligence allied to

a determination to find bracing things to say"

- Peter Vacher, Jazz UK

'A very skilled and fluid pianist, Downes is not only bursting with fresh ideas but has that rare ability to carry them off."

- Selwyn Harris, Jazzwise

"I urge you to buy this disc – it really is not only the bee’s knees but the bee’s ankles, hips and all the other bee-like joints, too."

- Peter Bacon, The Jazz Breakfast

“His development as a technician is nothing short of astonishing, and the originals from new album ‘Golden displayed an ability to build complex musical ideas from simple themes. This young man is a rising star no more - he has made it.”

- David Wakefield, Eastern Daily Press

"a breathtaking improviser, and weaver of magical piano soundscapes, Kit Downes is world class" - Helen Mayhew, Jazz FM