Jazz Notes

FREELANCE MUSICIAN, COMPOSER, ARRANGER
BASED IN KENT

INSTRUMENTS

Soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxes.
Flute, clarinet and keyboards.

BANDS

Dave Corsby Quartet
Dave Corsby Sextet
Cachondo

COMPOSITIONS

include:
Samuel Pepys Jazz Suite
Tale of Two Cities Jazz Suite (Arts Council commission)
Seven Deadly Sins (A jazz musical)
Cinque Ports Jazz Suite (Sandwich Festival commission)
Endeavour Enterprise (Film Music)
Time & Tide Suite (Canterbury Passing Tales Chaucer 600th Centenary)
The Medway Suite (Medway Council Commission)
Spirits by Night Suite

HISTORY

Learnt to play jazz at the Cave Club Ramsgate, the Louis Armstrong Dover and Pink Shell Club Deal. Studied saxophone with Cyril Reubens (Squadronnaires) and Bob Driscoll; clarinet with Malcolm MacMillan (Sadlers Wells Orchestra); flute with Jean Rumfield; harmony with Eric Gilder (Ivor Mairants School of Music) and Ian Cox (Prof. Royal Marines School of Music).

First professional band: Chianti Jazzmen, Coronation Ballroom Ramsgate playing opposite Ted Heath, John Dankworth, Chris Barber etc.
Bandleader various line ups including Dave Corsby Big Band, Brass Tacks (seven piece), Mission Impossible 16 Piece Big Band. Member John Burch Octet; Steve Parkin's Parkin Lot; Paul Booth's Harbour Jazz Orchestra.

Jazz soloing was developed by playing with the John Burch Octet , a baptism of fire taking choruses alongside Hank Shaw, Dick Morrissey, Matt Waites, Derek Nash, Martin Dale and Don Rendall.

MOTIVATION

Why do jazz players want to perform a music that is difficult to play, not properly understood, has little commercial value and is commonly treated with indifference? My own playing and motivation is influenced by the following: