I'm a Singer, Multi-instrumentalist, Composer and Teacher.
Born in Wimbledon, London 1972.
My first musical memory was tapping inanely on my desk at school, probably encouraged by my dad, who used to be a drummer and taught me a 'Paradiddle' before I had the urge to speak.
A plastic polyphonic trumpet was then shoved in my face and a brass equivalent would become my weapon of choice until I was around fifteen. We moved to Cornwall when I was eleven, changed schools and was consequently thrown in to the local brass band on cornet.
Not sure what turned me on to jazz; possibly the Cagney and Lacey theme tune or Mike Hammer Detective theme "Harlem Nocturne", however every Saturday morning I went religiously to rehearse with the Cornwall Youth Jazz Orchestra, and within that 7 year period, I swapped from trumpet to saxophone.
"No Picnic" would be my first introduction to life on the country lanes. They were a rock covers band in which I could squawk quite comfortably over Floyd renditions.
Playing and recording with a lot more bands and with older and more experienced musicians, helped me to develop an overall versatility and a sense of harmony. After a stint in London playing jazz in restaurants and studying Sound Engineering at the Gateway School, I moved back to Cornwall to teach saxophone and music technology.
Over the next few years I played a lot of jazz gigs, but predominantly with an original line-up called Naked Sushi, which were signed to Roger Taylor's (Queen) record label Smashing Records.
Being a self taught saxophonist, I decided that it was about time that I took my jazz a little more seriously and moved back to London and studied at Trinity College of Music.
I was fortunate to study with Iain Ballamy, Mark Lockhart and Bobby Lamb (ex Woody Herman) who runs the Trinity Big Band. It was after this period of swing pleasure that I decided to form my own big band.
Since Graduating from College in 2004, I have performed and recorded with many fabulous musicians including:
The Commitments, The Pasadena Roof Orchestra, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, and Tom Jones.As a freelance musician I regularly do TV commercials and have recently recorded and written for Carlsberg, Bupa, Aardman and Moben Kitchens.
With my own band, the Jazz Cannons I perform at venues and festivals all over the world.