A Bit About Me

My relationship with the saxophone and the blues started some twenty five years ago on a night at a students union bar “up north”, whilst studying on an Engineering degree. I was a little worst for ware at the time, to say the least , and also a little disillusioned with the prospects of a future life immersed in Engineering when I announced to my mates that I was going to draw all my grant money out and buy a Sax. That I did. I was lucky back then to have a good friend who heard of my acquisition and called with a big pile of LP’s, ranging from Albert Ailey and Coltrane to King Curtis and the Memphis Horns. Within two weeks I was playing in a local blues band and this was when my love for playing the blues was born.

After my studies finished I went traveling through South America and ended up living in Bolivia, I stayed there for over nine years exploring different Latin American rhythms and playing all the time with local and visiting musicians. Whilst in Bolivia, I had the opportunity and good fortune to get involved in many varied projects that included recording with the well known band Bolivian Jazz, fusing Andean rhythms and instruments with a more traditional jazz line up. I met Martin Joseph, a British jazz pianist who introduced me to the wonderful world of spontaneous improvisation and together with other Bolivian musicians we recorded  the album “Mystery Box”.

One of my most cherished musical experiences was the creation of the band Caravan Jazz; a quartet with whom I recorded and played together for many years.  I also became involved in education working at the National Conservatory of La Paz teaching saxophone and improvisation. This inspired me to come back to the UK and  study music formally at Middlesex University where I got a 1st class Hons degree in Jazz Studies.

I met the members of Red River Blues Band a few years ago and this rekindled my passion for the blues. Full circle. (Is this a title for a song?)