I grew up on the coast of North Wales which was a very quiet place to live. I don’t feel like I saw that much live music, but I watched my older siblings take piano lessons and I always wanted to join in. When I was finally old enough to start learning it just became my obsession. My various teachers only fed this obsession: my cousin, who first showed me how to play a blues, Mandy Pemberton who introduced me to Rag Time and Gershwin, Mark Dunnington who helped me recognise the elegance in music, and Pete Williams whose openess and knowledge of all kinds of music shaped the way I’ve thought about music ever since.
Ah, there are so so many. Duke Ellington is the big one. He plays with such power and writes with such sophistication. He makes the perfect music to me. Phineus Newborn Junior and Art Tatum were big influences to the heights of techinical command to which I should forever aim towards. Fergus Quill whose music and personal guidance forever changed the way I create.
I moved in April 2022 from Leeds. Leeds is the best city in the world, full of some of the most interesting and creative people. I’d been there 7 years though and fancied a change, so I came to London to see what everyone had been talking about.
It’s a tough time for independent venues. There are so many huge global factors out of their control that are forcing venues to close down or reduce their live music. Soho thankfully seems to be a place that has managed to stay bustling. There’s music all the time there. With such an amazingly rich cultural history, I’m just so grateful to be a small part of it.
Every time I create something I’m genuinely proud of. There are some records that are in the process of being released, and those feel so genuine to what I want to put out into the world. I also once played on stage with Adrian Dunbar from Line of Duty.
It’s a culmination of all the music that inspires me the most. It’s a lot of swing and old style music from 20s Harlem mixed with an angular avant garde feel. I just wanted to write music that I’d like to hear and to work through some of the difficulties of existing at the same time. We usually just play as trio but for Soho Jazz Festival we’re joined by Albert Hills-Wright on alto. He’s such a playful player, I’m really excited to have him on stage with us.
You’ll just have to come along to find out.
