CONCERT JAZZ Events -
Chiltern Hundreds Area

UK / Ireland Jazz Guitar Scene

Martin Taylor MBE
"Martin Taylor is one of the most awesome solo guitar players
in the history of the instrument. He's unbelievable" - Pat Metheny

Jim Mullen
Born in Glasgow, 1945, Jim began his musical life aged 8 playing "Tea-chest bass" in the neighbourhood skiffle group. He got his first guitar the same year, and when an older friend introduced him to jazz, he was hooked. After leaving school he trained as a journalist while playing on the local music scene. He formed a group with Malcolm Duncan and Roger Ball (later of the Average White Band) and they worked throughout Scotland playing Coltrane tunes and originals.  It was in this group that he started attracting attention and in 1969 he moved to London, going on to work in the groups of Pete Brown (2 albums) Brian Auger (3 albums) Vinegar Joe (1 album) and Kokomo (1 album). In 1975 he met sax player Dick Morrissey and began a 15 - year association which produced 7 albums and became one of Britain's top club bands. After the demise of Morrissey Mullen he worked with jazz vocalist Claire Martin (3 albums) and formed a series of quartets (3 albums)
As a sideman he is in demand by visiting US stars like Gene Harris, Mose Allison, Jimmy Smith, Weldon Irvine, Percy Sledge, Teddy Edwards, Plas Johnson, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Terry Callier. He is winner of "Best Guitar" in the British Telecom jazz awards (1994 and 1996). More recently, Jim was voted "Best Guitar" in the BT Jazz Awards 2000.

Lee Jones was born in 1984 and started playing guitar age eight. Influences include: George Benson, Larry Carlton, John Scofield as well as Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter. Joined Shropshire Youth Jazz Ensemble in 2000 playing a mix of standards and original material by band leaders John Williams and Chris Bolton. Lee recorded five jazz/fusion tracks with WEA producer Simon Tittley in late 2001 which featured Tom Warrington, Steve Houghton and other top US session musicians.  Lee played at Cheltenham Jazz Festival Fringe 2003/04/06 and appeared in Jazzwise magazine in May 2004. Lee also featured in the 2005 Starbucks Birmingham International Jazz Festival and the 2007 Musicate project "The World as One". Winner of Jazz FM’s “Best New Instrumentalist" award, Lee is currently studying on the BMus Jazz (Hons) course at Birmingham Conservatoire (with guitarist Phil Robson from BBC big band) and recently completed his debut album "Swish".
http://www.leejones-guitarist.com/movs/clip1.mov
http://www.leejones-guitarist.com/movs/clip2.mov
 

Cameron Pierre  Born in London, Cameron was raised on the Caribbean island of Dominica. Like most of his peers, Cameron's early musical influences were Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Jimmy Cliff, and a host of artists from that era of popular Jamaican music, oh, and Stevie Wonder. At sixteen he taught himself to play the guitar, and it was within the reggae genre that he first established himself, working with Jamaican artists including Clint Eastwood & General Saint, Barrington, Levy, Dennis Brown and numerous others. Then came the slow discovery of George Benson and Charlie Christian, and through them, Wes Montgomery, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. His own musical taste direction veered towards jazz, and his taste and talent brought him to London where he became a regular on the jazz circuit. Touring the world playing with Courtney Pine’s award winning band Cameron’s guitar style has dazzled many a jazz fan, come summer 2006 and Cameron feels that the time is right to release his first straight ahead jazz record. The project needed the right players and to obtain that special sound he enlisted the efforts of Swedish Organist Anders Olinder (known for his work with Pee Wee Ellis) a big fish on the Bristol jazz scene and another newcomer to the British scene American Drummer Rod Youngs. Many of the compositions took root in Dominica so there are places on the album where his Caribbean roots shine through. The well chosen covers display Cameron’s sense of the past and the now. Pad Up ( get ready ) is Pierre’s debut release on Courtney Pine’s Destin-E Record label and when asked why he released a Guitarist first and not a Vocalist he replied “ Cameron Pierre is one of the finest musicians that I have meet , he has that elusive quality of being able to play the past, present and future styles of jazz – without a doubt he is one of the finest jazz Guitarist to be produced by Great Britain”. High praise indeed from a musician who has worked with just about everybody on the world jazz scene. This is Cameron’s 5th record release and he hopes that it will reach not only the die hard jazz fans but people who like to be moved by music . The internet revolution has already seen him receive glowing reviews from people all over the world that are moved by his warm, dexterous sound the British jazz scene has found a new champion.

PETE CALLARD - guitar

Pete graduated " outstanding musician of his Year " from the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles in 1991 . After returning to England he became an important member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra for a number of years , worked with Portugese artist Fernando Tordo as musical director and formed his own quartet . A widely respected educator , Pete now teaches at the Academy of Contemporary Music and contributes monthly to Total Guitar magazine . He has become a very busy freelance player from jazz to theatre to studio work . He taught this year at the Bath International Guitar Festival where his group The Pete Callard Quartet, also performed

Nigel Price is a well established member of the London jazz community and is an in demand sideman as well as leading his own groups, preferring the organ, drums guitar combo but versatile enough to feel comfortable in a variety of musical scenarios. Nigel performed with the legendary David Axelrod at the Royal Festival Hall in 2004 and also spent more than two years as the regular guitarist with the Sheena Davis group.  He is a member of The Filthy Six and has recently returned to his jazzfunk roots in joining the uk's leading jazzfunk band the James Taylor Quartet.- Visit for more info.

Pete Downes is one of those incredible talents that only surfaces once in a blue moon. Completely self taught, he is rapidly becoming one of Europe’s leading guitarists in the modern jazz fusion genre. Already established on the jazz scene in the UK and Italy with a string of regular appearances culminating with a packed audience at Glastonbury Festival where they played the Jazz Lounge.

With influences that cover such a wide spectrum as Pat Metheny to Jimi Hendrix their first album “Street Scene” caught the attention of Jazzwise, Jazz FM and critic praise from The Guardian, The Observer and many other Radio Stations and newspapers. The eagerly awaited follow up album “Into The Blue.” is a further step on the road to a wider audience. On this album PD3 blend their infectious original compositions with totally fresh and inspired versions of popular songs from the 70s to present day in a way that simply underlines the incredible versatility of the trio and the ease in which they can provide assessable jazz routed music to a much wider audience.

Jo Caleb - Outstanding young seven-string guitarist leads his own trio - intellectual, inspired and refreshingly creative. "This studious-looking and reticent young guitarist is clearly about to snap at the heels of the UK jazz-guitar generation before him, which includes Mike Walker, Phil Robson and Mike Outram." John Fordham, The Guardian  Jo Caleb is one of the few professional 7-string guitarists in the UK. He is an experienced solo guitarist with a huge solo repertoire. Because of this, he has become a fine accompanist for vocalists, saxophonists and other solo instruments - due in part to the extra bass string which allows him to add a warm depth to his music, but undoubtedly the result of his attentive ear, creative chordal playing and considerate accompanying.  As a band leader, Jo performs typically with a trio or quartet, preferring the expressive environment frequently associated with smaller jazz bands.  Jo is married to Lisa a fine jazz Singer with a great future - catch em at the 'Good Yarn' in Uxbridge on Tuesdays evenings for a feast of Jazz, food and beer.  Or the excellent George IV Jam he organises in Chiswick Last Monday in the Month
Jazz Eddie - watching Jo is fascinating,  he continually searches and strains for the perfect chord to blend in with the lead soloist's direction as they explore the harmonics of a Number.  He moves effortlessly between finger and pick styles and can soar during his solos.   Don't be fooled by his youthful appearance - he has a wealth of experience to impart to his audience.

Phil Robson is a guitarist/composer based in London , UK . He is internationally regarded as a highly versatile and creative musician who appears in many diverse settings. Born in Derby in 1970 Phil had already enjoyed from the age of 14 onwards rapidly became part of the house rhythm section in the local club with such visiting musicians as John Etheridge and Bheki Mseleku as well as with his clarinettist father, Trevor Robson. Moving to London at the age of 18, he attended the Guildhall School of Music being one of the youngest students ever to do the jazz course. Awards include the prestigious BT 'Best soloist of the Year' award presented by John Dankworth, the Perrier Young Jazz award for the best instrumentalist in 1998  Much of the focus of Phil's work until now has been either as co-leader of the contemporary jazz-rock group Partisans with whom he has recorded two albums Sourpuss and 2005's Max and other bands in which he is as much composer as guitarist such as with his octet or with vocalist Christine Tobin. He started working with his trio in 2001 to present his writing and playing skills in a more intimate context.   Phil co-leads Partisans with Julian Siegel (sax, bass clarinet) featuring Gene Calderazzo - drums and Thad Kelly - bass. .Partisans was formed around gigs in London's Vortex jazz club in 1996 and are considered one of the most important bands in the new jazz scene in Europe. They have recorded 3 CDs including the second Sourpuss on Babel with the bands latest , Max nominated for the album of the year in the 2006 BBC Jazz awards.  Phil is also a member of the Liam Noble quartet with pianist Liam, drummer Tom Rainey, bassist Drew Gress. Alec Dankworth Trio with Alec - bass, Julian Arguelles - sax. Gerard Presencer Quartet and the BBC Big Band.  Has also worked with international names such as Big Jon Patton, Charles Earland, Wayne Krantz, Steve Lacy, Mark Turner, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Marc Copland, Vince Mendoza, Mike Gibbs, Peter Herbert, Tommy Smith, Django Bates, Michael McDonald, Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Bobby Wellins, Iain Ballamy, Jean Toussaint, Stan Sulzmann, Tim Garland, Gary Husband, Jiggs Whigam, Patti Austin, Julian & Steve Arguelles, Mike Figgis (film director), Giavanni Hidalgo, Rufus Reid, Vince Mendoza, Denys Baptiste among many others.
Press quotes: 'One of the crop of young UK guitarists who combine the technical expertise of classic beboppers such as Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell with the bite and muscle of a post-funk generation raised on Hendrix, Scofield and Metheny. He has a varied repertoire of multicultural materials far more deeply rooted in Britain than Philadelphia or New York. Robson's prospects as a composer are fast catching up with his improvisational skills.' (John Fordham, Guardian, 29 April 2002)

“Robson, one of the country's fast-track younger guitarists, constantly expands the soundscape with his equal eagerness for acoustic tonalities and abrasive electric ones, and the poised economy of his improvisations throughout the set amount to a big part of its energetic impact.” (The Guardian).

Chris Standring U.K. born Standring had plenty of time to study jazz when he became a professional musician, but he actually grew up playing classical guitar on a farm in Aylesbury, just northwest of London. He later studied at the London College of Music and wrote music for the BBC and for several theatrical orchestrations before moving to Los Angeles in February of 1991. That's where Standring first hooked up with Rodney Lee, as they both were playing with signer Lauren Christy, a U.K. singer who had also moved to Southern California. In 1996, Standring and Lee released an acid-jazz CD by their group Solar System on Sonic Groove Records. The CD, featuring vocal covers of "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Me & Mrs. Jones," introduced Standring's vibey instrumental tunes to the world  Chris plays a Benedetto custom archtop jazz guitar made especially for him by luthier Robert Benedetto.  Robert Benedetto made Chris his archtop jazz guitar in 1995. It is custom made to certain specifications. Chris needed a great sounding guitar that could stand  a little extra volume (most archtops are hollow bodies that can only take low levels without feeding back). To achieve this Bob placed a block down the centre of the guitar and modelled the style on a Gibson Birdland, whilst retaining all the classic elements of a Benedetto.
Here are the final specifications:
"Custom" Archtop, carved top and back, 16" body, width of neck at nut - 1 11/16" Body depth - 2  1/4" with bass wood center block. 25 1/2" fingerboard scale (22 frets), no fingerboard inlays.  Color-Cremona sunburst. Fret Wire size - #6110. Black Grover M6 mini tuning machines with ebony buttons. Black strap button on heel. 1 - Benedetto B-6 (built in) pickup. Chris_Standring Interview

Femi Temowo

Gibson ES335
Guitar/Vocals: Femi temowo Piano/Keys: Sam Best Upright Bass: Michael Olatuja Drums: Troy Miller Vocals: Anna Omak

Femi Temowo Video

Femi at Cheltenham Jazz Festival

James Chadwick  
Guitarist James Chadwick approaches his music in a distinctive and thoughtful way, blending ever evolving melodic lines with inventive and measured harmonic treatment. He is an excellent guitarist who eschews flashy technical runs for angular Monk-ish lines and an ethereal sound reminiscent of Bill Frisell. He makes standard tunes sound very fresh by leaving lots of space and creating unexpected textures. His superbly presented debut album "Undercurrent" displays his own inimitable style.  As well as his own group "James Chadwick's Undercurrent", he has also been involved in work with trumpet player, Ben Thomas with whom he forms the duo "Sema" and has also contributed to several tracks on Ben's "Moon Monkey" project recorded in 2004. James is a regular performer on the British jazz scene and has more recently played with Lee Goodall, Dave Hassell, Chris Batchelor and Thad Kelly , James also teaches on the CL Jazz Course and has been a tutor on the Jamie Abersold and Wavendon jazz courses.
E-mail James
 

Carl Orr From 1996-2000 Carl was drum legend Billy Cobham's guitarist of choice.
Since then he has been concentrating on Dangerfunk.
He is also currently working with Juliet Kelly and Caroline Loftus. Carl has 6 cds to his credit and has a vast range of experience including stints with Dale Barlow and Nathan Haines.
He has played at every type of venue from the Montreux Jazz festival to Five Dock RSL club.
Carl is currently working on an instructional DVD and a new Dangerfunk album will be released in 2007, including some innovative new material co-written with Dave de Rose.
Carl teaches guitar at Middlesex University.
1996-98 Brunel University
1995-96 Guitar Institute, London
1992-95 Australian Institute of Music, Sydney
 

http://www.rolyveitch.20m.com/home.html

Ade Holland with his 1963 Gibson - see Gypsy Jazz Page

Pete Oxley Website  with Luis D'Agostino - Head to Head in Headington
 

John Etheridge John Etheridge has been at the top of the jazz and contemporary guitar world for 25 years.  He was first touted by the music press in the early 70s while playing with a number of progressive rock and early fusion units (most notably Darryl Way’s Wolf – producing three albums for Decca). In 1975 he was offered the chance to replace Allan Holdsworth in the legendary jazz-fusion group Soft Machine. International touring and recording followed until the band’s demise at the end of the 70s. More or less simultaneously (starting in 1976) Etheridge joined the touring group of the celebrated jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli. For a number of years these two commitments ran parallel – revealing the broad range of his abilities. Etheridge left Grappelli’s quartet in 1981. For the last twenty years he has pursued a career involving associations with many of the great players of the jazz world. Either in single concerts, touring or recording he has appeared with – Barney Kessel, Didier Lockwood, Nils Pedersen, Gordon Beck, Herb Ellis, Mundell Lowe, Vic Juris, Miroslav Vitous, Birelli Lagrene, Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Williams, Yehudi Menuhin, Pat Metheny, Andy Summers, Nigel Kennedy (an association now in its seventh year), and is currently rehearsing a new group formed by the great classical guitarist, John Williams. In the late 80s, Etheridge started to lead his own bands and is currently fronting a quartet dedicated to Stephane Grappelli, as well as an 8 piece group Zappatistas (performing the music of Frank Zappa) and also leads a trio with the legendary drummer John Marshall.
John Etheridge

Mike Outram  - guitarist - Mike was born in Manchester (now based in London) and first became involved with music at age 5 playing the violin. At 14 he started playing the guitar and initially took lessons from classical guitarist Martin Roberts and guitarist Pete Bocking. After school he studied at Leigh College Music Centre with Steve Willingham, Steve Berry, Gary Boyle and Mike Walker. He also gained experience playing with many groups on the Manchester music scene.  In 1998 Mike moved to London. Since then he has worked with Herbie Mann, Carleen Anderson, Dave O'Higgins, Cinematic Orchestra, Rebecca Hollweg, Martin Speake, M.J. Cole, Nikki Iles, Jacqui Dankworth, Stan Sulzmann, Photek and has played with guitarists Martin Taylor, Jim Mullen and John Etheridge.  Mike is also Guitar Professor at Trinity College of Music, The Royal Academy of Music, Middlesex University, Thames Valley University, The Royal Welsh college of Music and Drama and has also taught for the Glamorgan and Wavendon summer schools, 'Live Music Now', The Purcell School, The Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has given numerous workshops, clinics and summer schools internationally.

Also performed with John Ellis Big Bang, Rare Birds, Pocket Central, Rebecca Hollweg, Tony Woods, Dr.Seus, Ana, S.A.O.L.E., Rob Statham Group, The Inner Noise, Hig/Mayne Quartet and Nick Holmes. 'Mike Outram's electric guitar work was always fluid and interesting.' James Griffiths, Guardian. 'An impeccable guitarist' Jazz UK.

Dave Cliff David John “Dave” Cliff was born in Hexham, Northumberland in 25th June 1944. Dave began his career playing rhythm and blues in the Newcastle area. In 1967, he moved to Leeds and gained a diploma in jazz studies from Leeds College of Music while studying with bassist Peter Ind and Bernie Cash. In 1971, after moving to London Dave became established on the local scene. During 1976-1977 he toured Holland , Denmark, Italy and the UK with the Lee Konitz - Warne Marsh Quintet. The following year Dave toured the UK with Soprano Summit (Kenny Davern and Bob Wilber). He worked increasingly as a freelance from the 1980s. Dave is involved in Jazz education, teaching jazz guitar at London Trinity College of Music & Birmingham Conservatoire. Dave also teaches at the Glamorgan Summer jazz school, the Jamie Aebersold Summer School in London and at the Christiansand jazz course in Norway

Music from ’91-’94 acquiring a 1st in the Jazz, Popular and Contemporary Music Course, plus the College’s Jazz Guitar Prize.  As well as being Senior Guitar Lecturer at Leeds College of Music and visiting Guitar Examiner at Trinity College of Music in London and the Welsh College of Music and Drama, he leads a Jazz quartet and trio.  He also plays with a number of jazz ensembles and has worked with a variety of names in jazz and pop including Julian Arguelles, Henry Lowther, Laurence Cottle, Herbie Flowers and Rick Astley

Stuart McCallum is simply the most talented and original guitarist that I have ever heard' (Brian Bicat JATP)

Max Brittain
Studied guitar at Leeds College of Music. He has appeared all the major UK concert venues and has toured extensively throughout Europe, Scandinavia and the Middlde East, Australia and New Zealand. He has worked with Georgie Fame, Marian Montgomery, Cleo Laine, Ronnie Scott, Humphrey Lyttelton, Terry Lightfoot and visiting American stars Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd

John Coverdale
Great Chord finder and all round jazz guitarist and can be found playing in the Oxon/Bucks area often with Ian Cruickshank's Gypsy Jazz.  John is a tutor at Eton Collage, and played the guitar in the Tango sequence in the film "Evita" 

Dave Warren

Hugh Buckley
Dublin based guitarist Hugh Buckley began playing guitar at the relatively late age of seventeen. His initial interests lay in rock, soul and rhythm and blues but a family interest in jazz led him in this direction. (his cousins Richie and Michael are both world class saxophonists in their own right). Hugh leads his own group, works as a sideman with many artists, teaches and conducts guitar and improvisation workshops. He has performed in Argentina, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Britain and the United States. 
He has released two cds under his own name ,"Yes Indeed" and "Spirit Level", both recorded in New York and featuring such artists as James Williams, Peter Washington, Darren Beckett, Richie Buckley, John Wadham, Dave Fleming and Fintan O'Neill. His own group is a vehicle for his passionate playing and his numerous and diverse original compositions. A sensitive and versatile approach to harmony and melody has enabled him the opportunity to play as a sideman and accompanist to many internationally renowned artists. Including  James Williams, Jon Faddis , Peter Washington, Peter Bernstein, Bobby Watson , Scott Hamilton, Javon Jackson, Brad Mehldau, Guy Barker, Bruce Adams, Alan Barnes, Roy Williams ,Georgie Fame, Bobby Wellins, Mike Carr, Spike Robinson, Louis Stewart, Joe Temperley, Brian Kelloch, Peter Appleyard, George Masso, Harry Allen, Van Morrison, Stacey Kent and Lisa Stansfield.

Louis Stewart began his musical career in the sixties as a member of the Dublin jazz scene. In 1968 he received an invitation to the Montreux Jazz Festival together with the Jim Doherty Quartet. He came away with the press award for "Outstanding European Soloist of the Festival". The following year - again in Montreux - he won the "Grand Prix de la Radio Suisse Romande". He turned down a scholarship from the Berklee School of Music, Boston, because at the time he was with Tubby Hayes' Quartet and Big Band and had been engaged by Benny Goodman for three European tours.  In the 70s Louis Stewart was a member of the "Ronnie Scott Quartet" in London. During this period he also cut albums with Sam Jones and Billy Higgins as well as other musicians from the London scene. His excellent guitar playing with Scott’s quartet, on his solo and duo albums in the 1970 and 1980s, and on recordings with George Shearing, Clark Terry, Martin Taylor, Heiner Franz and others in recent years has earned him a well-deserved reputation as one of the world’s foremost jazz guitarists.  In July 1998 Louis Stewart was conferred with a doctorate in music from Trinity College Dublin.

Graeme Stephens - Edinburgh based guitarist

Guitar Festivals

Bath International Guitar Festival
City of Derry Guitar Festival 24-26th Aug 07
Gower Guitar Festival
Lewes Guitar Festival July 30th - 5th August 2007
Walton's Guitar festival - Classic & Jazz - Dublin
Wirral International Guitar Festival
International Guitar Festival & Bath Classical Guitar Festival
North Wales Guitar Festival
Kirkmichael International Guitar Festival  - Ayreshire - not during 2007
Ullapool Guitar Festival
Dundee Guitar Festival
11-13 July 08

Limerick Guitar Festival - August 07

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Last modified: 18/02/2012