Chris gained his first professional experience with Dudu Pukwana's Zila aged 17, at the suggestion of Harry Beckett. He subsequently became a founder member,composer and soloist with Loose Tubes, contributing many pieces to the repertoire of the band from 1984-1990. He was also very active at this time as a member of legendary world music trailblazers 3 Mustaphas 3, as well as enjoying a varied diet of gigs with Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, Congolese soukous band Taxi Pata Pata and Ashley Slater's Microgroove.

As a sideman, Chris has appeared alongside many international stars, such as Michael Brecker, Sam Rivers, Hermeto Pascoal, Uri Caine, John Taylor and the Jazz Passengers with Deborah Harry. He has enjoyed a long term playing partnership with altoist Steve Buckley in their bands Orchestra Rafiki, Buckley /Batchelor Quartet and most recently with their award winning international collaboration Big Air,featuring New York based Myra Melford and Jim Black.

The music that Buckley and Batchelor wrote for the Jazz on 3 commission that brought Big Air together subsequently won them a BBC Jazz Award for Best New Work in 2001. Their 2009 release entitled Big Air was described by Brian Morton in Jazz Journal as "the best British jazz record for 20 years". In November 2009 Chris was selected to receive the prestigious Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Composers.

“Batchelor, a fine trumpeter who intriguingly blends Miles Davis's shrewd pacing and evocative long-note sounds with something of Harry Beckett's bubbly phrasing" John Fordham The Guardian

Chris Biscoe has worked with such jazz legends as George Russell, Mike Westbrook, Hermeto Pascoal and Harry Beckett, as well as recording with top contemporary musicians (listen to ‘In the Meantime’ by Liam Noble) and playing free improvised music.

Recently he has been concentrating on leading a variety of small groups, producing acclaimed recordings in which he explores his jazz roots, looking at the music of Eric Dolphy and Charles Mingus. His next recording project will concentrate on his own compositions in a context giving plenty of space for improvisation.

"Dave’s writing is sophisticated and nuanced …. delicate yet powerful …..allowing the simple and great pleasure of just listening to a really great band.." - London Jazz Blog - Feb 2012

After graduating from Newcastle College of Arts and Technology Dave toured and recorded with Eurojazz, the European Community Youth Jazz Orchestra and then Dave's freelance playing has covered most aspects of performing and recording both in the jazz and pop fields to theatre and television.

Dave has performed with The Steve Waterman Quartet, John Etheridge, Carl Orr, Bobby Worth Quartet, Christian Garrick, Jacqui Hicks, Julian Stringle, Julian Siegal, Jim Mullen, Gilad Atzmon, Alison Bentley, Ingrid Laubrock, Janette Mason, Phil Robson, Bill Bruford and Dave O'Higgins. He has performed with The Theo Travis Quartet and done many gigs with The B.B.C. Radio Big Band . He plays and records with The Mick Foster Group featuring Jaqui Dankworth, The Pete Callard Quartet and Alison Bentley.

He has also played with visiting American artists Harry Allen, Joe Temperley, Scott Hamilton, George Maseo, Peter Appleyard, Steve Hobbs, Marlene Verplank and hamonica virtuoso Howard Levy.

He has recorded three albums with The Pete Cater Big Band which won the big band category in the P.O. British jazz awards and now tours nationally 'A Tribute to Buddy Rich' including appearances at Cadogan Hall.

In 2008 and 2009 Dave toured in the UK and internationally with Juan Martin and also performed with Willard White and Jacqui Dankworth.

Dave is now a part of the jazz musicians collective 'Way Out West' and often performs here with his group ‘Dave Jones’ Affinity’ which is a vehicle for his original compositions. The current line-up for this group is:
Dave Jones – basses and compositions
Tony Woods - saxes
Meredith White – piano
Pete Callard - guitar
Simon Pearson – drums


Review of Feb WOW gig on LondonJazzBlog

After studying classical piano as a child Eddie Harvey played the trombone as a teenager and became a pioneer of the Traditional Jazz revival in the 1940’s. He later became part of the modern jazz movement with Ronnie Scott and John Dankworth, eventually becoming a member of the John Dankworth Seven and various big bands in the 1950s as a trombonist and pianist. He also arranged and composed music for the British bands of Humphrey Lyttelton, John Dankworth and Jack Parnell (at Associated TV and "Sunday Night at the London Palladium").

As one of Great Britain’s foremost jazz instrumentalists, he toured opposite the famous Gerry Mulligan and Modern Jazz Quartets. Eventually he went on to play with American bands including Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson, and to write music for the Benny Goodman Orchestra.

During the 1960’s he qualified as a teacher and was appointed as assistant master (music) at Haileybury College, Hertford. During this period he also directed Summer Schools for the Jazz Centre Society and conducted an Arts Council tour performing Tony Coe’s major composition "Zeitgeist". During his time at Haileybury he developed the distinct but related ideas for teaching jazz in education and education in jazz. He left the school in 1984 to concentrate on putting these ideas into practice.

Eddie subsequently worked for the Arts Council of Great Britain and many County Music Authorities providing INSET training for teachers, working in colleges and schools and eventually sitting as a member of the Music Panel of the Arts Council for a number of years. From 1985 to 2003 he was Head of Jazz Studies at the London College of Music and Director of the London College Big Band. In 2004 he taught at the Royal College of Music and directed their big band.

From 1990, Eddie played a significant part in designing the Royal Schools of Music Jazz Piano examinations and syllabus as well as providing piano, ensemble and trombone pieces for the curriculum. He is also an external examiner for the Trinity College of Music.

Over the years he has written music for many singers including Cleo Laine with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in the US, Christmas music for the St George’s Chapel choir and orchestra at Windsor Castle, and compositions for the Dankworth Generation Band. 2003 saw the completion of commissions for a large classical ensemble, the Kew Wind Band. 2004 witnessed the success of the Ealing Comedies Suite as a finale of the Ealing Jazz festival. This was a multi-media event blending the music played by three bands with the projection of excerpts from five of the famous English films.

Eddie’s latest project for 2005 is a new jazz quintet featuring drummer and composer Tony Kinsey, and two great saxophonists Phil Day and Vasili Xenopoulos. It performs regularly at the West London musicians’ co-operative venture "Way out West" of which Eddie is a founder member. Further concert dates are fixed for 2005 and 2006.

In 1998 he was presented with a BT British Jazz Award (Soloist) and in March 2005 received an award for services to jazz education (Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education) from the Parliamentary Jazz Society. This was presented by Dr Kim Howells MP, Minister of State, at the House of Commons.

Eddie Harvey has written two books: Teach Yourself Jazz Piano, published by English Universities Press Jazz in the Classroom, published by Boosey & Hawkes

He also edited Jazz with the Greats: an analysis of great jazz solos, by Chris Goddard, published by Faber & Faber.

“Emily Saunders is a very classy improvisational act on 21st century Latin-jazz – Peyroux meets Parlato, with a lot of personal quirks thrown in." John Fordham.  

Widely commented as one of the most unique, unusual yet refreshing voices in jazz today, reflecting her passion for Brazilian rhythms and some of the great composers that have inspired her, she uses her voice to create a distinctive, instrumental approach to the music. Yet it is not only Saunders' masterful voice, but her talent as a songwriter and arranger that sets her above the rest.

The coolness of her poetic, alluring, compositions and dreamy lyrics are balanced with an outstanding selection of fiery arrangements by composers Hermeto Pascoal, Egberto Gismonti and Airto Moreira. Saunders' dark, sultry ballads are offset by exuberant, hip swaying grooves. She combines and arranges for voice, horns and rhythm creating a fascinating and unusual sound.

“The word is out about Emily Saunders...musicality, poise and ingenuity... Saunders is the real deal... a jazz vocalist with a big future... (4 stars)" The Guardian, John Fordham

“Lovely.” Clive Anderson, BBC Radio4

emilysaunders.co.uk

The Quartet of Gary Willcox(drums), Stephen Main(saxes), Tim Lapthorn(piano) and Oli Hayhurst hass been playing together since 2008. Each member has developed strong individuality and profile through years of experience playing with many of the UK's leading jazz/folk artists (Iain Ballamy, Gilad Atzmon, Bobby Wellins, Brian Finnegan, Ian Shaw etc). They play a mixture of original material & material of some of the masters of the idiom (e.g. Charlie Parker / Wayne Shorter) , arranged for the bands' own purposes.

Chris Parker, Music Journalist ; A versatile band with a rich, emotive sound: three powerful yet thoughtful soloists propelled by a lively, rustling drummer, playing open, attractively airy music imbued with just the right mix of punch and wistfulness.

Born in 1972 and studying at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama,finishing in 1994. Gary Willcox has gained a wide range of playing experience,playing Jazz with Jim Mullen and Burnt Orange,Afrobeat with Dele Sosimi(Nig),Dance Music with Nuphonic Records as well as playing abroad at jazz festivals in Hungary,Turkey,Italy. He can be heard on albums by Russell Van Den Berg,Tony Woods,Burnt Orange and in collaboration with Hungarian musicians Zsolt Bende and Zana Zoltan and their quartet.

Having initially studied the piano, Jimmy took up the saxophone at the age of sixteen. It was then that he began to think seriously about a career as a professional musician.

His first move was to audition for the position of first tenor saxophone in Leslie Thorpe's band at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen. He didn't get the job. Soon after Jimmy left his native Scotland to try his luck "down south".

Eventually he heard Humphrey Lyttelton was holding auditions for a saxophone player so he went along to have a go. This venture ended in failure as well. It then became obvious that Jimmy's talents (such as they were at the time) lay in other musical directions, to which end he set off on a ship to enjoy several world tours as a ship's musician.

After returning home to England Jimmy took up residence in London and joined the Ken Mackintosh band on first tenor saxophone. Two years later he left Ken's band to join the BBC Radio Orchestra, taking over from Art Ellefson on first tenor saxophone. During this time the BBC renamed the dance band section of the Orchestra the "BBC Big Band".

It was during his time with the BBC that Jimmy made his first appearance on the London jazz scene with gigs at the Bull's Head in Barnes with the late Tony Lee and Bill Le Sage respectively. At Bill Le Sage's suggestion, Jimmy teamed up with Dave Horler for Saturday night gigs at the Bull's Head with the Bill Le Sage trio and so the Jimmy Hastings/Dave Horler quintet was born. Dave Horler went to Germany to join the Cologne Radio Orchestra so Jimmy then teamed up with Dave's younger brother John and initially formed the Jimmy Hastings/John Horler duo. This, in turn became a trio, quartet and quintet with the addition of guitarist Phil Lee but has now settled into a quartet with John on piano or Phil on guitar. After four years Jimmy left the BBC to begin a new career as a freelance musician. This meant that, as well as radio, Jimmy was now also playing solos on records for pop artists, recording for TV, films and commercials.

Then came the West End Musicals, which began with "Treasure Island" at the Mermaid Theatre. The most recent one was the long running Gershwin musical "Crazy For You", and there were others, including Marvyn Hamlisch's "A Chorus Line", Richard Rodney Bennett's "Jazz Calendar", Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jeeves", Cole Porter's "High Society", Kurt Weill's "Happy End" and Wayne Sleep's "Dash", which enjoyed a long run at the Apollo Victoria following a highly acclaimed national tour. Jimmy has deputised in a wide variety of other shows - "Cats", "Starlight Express", "West Side Story", "Anything Goes", "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", "Singing In The Rain", "City Of Angels", "Blues in the Night", "Aspects of Love", "The Pirates of Penzance" and "The Mikado".

Over the years Jimmy has been a member of orchestras accompanying Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jnr., Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, and many other singers, and has also worked for Nelson Riddle, Robert Farnon, Henry Mancini and Benny Carter. On the jazz scene he has enjoyed spells with Red Rodney, Art Farmer, Bill Berry, Lanny Morgan, Billy Mitchell and Al Grey.

Jimmy also appeared on the rock scene, alongside brother Pye, as the fifth member of "Caravan", appearing on all their early albums and occasionally on stage and at radio and TV sessions. The third record "In the Land Of Grey and Pink " gathered a gold disc for the band. They have recently enjoyed great success at several revival concerts.

About thirty years after his ill-fated audition with Humphrey Lyttelton, Humphrey telephoned to offer him the job. Jimmy is still with Humphrey's band, and enjoying every minute of it. Although (until then) primarily a tenor player, Jimmy joined Humphrey's band on alto saxophone, clarinet and flute in 1993. He has toured extensively with the band and featured in all of their recordings to date. During 2001 the Band joined Radiohead on their album "Amnesiac", which featured Jimmy on clarinet. Jimmy is also a member of the John Dankworth Generation Band on baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet and flute.

Jimmy is Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the London College of Music and was also Professor of Saxophone at the Royal Marines School of Music in Portsmouth from 1998 to 2004. Always aware of his own modest beginnings, he is keen to encourage aspiring young musicians whenever he can.

These days Jimmy is much in demand at all national jazz venues, either as a solo performer or with his own quartet. He deputises regularly with many of the big bands of today, including the Don Lusher Big Band, Paul Lacey's Back to Basie Band, the Syd Lawrence Band, the Echoes of Ellington Band and others.

Pianist/composer Kate Williams leads her own trio, quartet, quintet, and septet. After the release of her CD 'Made Up' late in 2011, the septet was nominated for ensemble of the year at the 2012 Parliamentary Jazz Awards.

Kate's most recent release is 'Smoke And Mirrors', a live duo CD with tenor legend Bobby Wellins.

She is a member of Chris Biscoe’s “Mingus Moves”, has recorded with vocalists Georgia Mancio (for whom she has also composed and arranged) and Juliet Kelly, as well as performing with many other leading UK artists including Stan Sulzmann, Nikki Iles, John Etheridge, Karen Sharp, and Anita Wardell.

“A worthy addition to the ranks of British jazz composer-pianists, Kate Williams has the knack of making a simple trio or quartet sound much bigger. She does this not by creating sound or fury, but through a wonderful ever-changing variety of harmony and texture.” The Observer

"A superbly lucid and inventive pianist and composer." Humphrey Lyttleton, BBC Radio 2

"I think we're going to hear far more from Kate Williams in the future." Claire Martin, BBC Radio 3

“Made Up is a striking summation and reflection of Kate Williams' singular gifts... she stretches to a seven-piece for her fourth album and the expanded palette of sounds is a thrilling vehicle for her evolving and unusual musical imagination. The playing is first-class throughout with drummer Tristan Mailliot particularly in tune with every nuance of Williams' tumbling invention.”Chris Ingham, Mojo, Sept 2011

www.kate-williams-quartet.com

This six piece band has been together for something approaching twenty years and has made ten albums (one of them a double) in a contemporary west coast style, featuring original compositions by the leader as well as arrangements of standards

BIOG

Nette began a musical collaboration with the legendary Michael Garrick MBE in 2009 until his untimely death in November 2011. Nette performed and recorded his songs - many of which he wrote specifically for her - at Ronnie Scott’s, Pizza Express Jazz Club amongst others. Their first album, Remembered Time (2010), received great response including a 4 star review in MOJO Magazine. Nette was the vocalist/narrator for the BBC Radio 3’s live broadcast of Michael Garrick’s Peter Pan Suite which was aired on Christmas day 2011. Nette also taught on Michael’s renowned Jazz Academy courses. Nette has a growing reputation as a creative arranger. She has performed her big band charts with various bands including the NYJO. She also writes for her own group The Little Big Band which celebrates the music of big band legends.

"a very fine singer, very accurate, very emotional." (BBC Radio 3, Jazz Library)

"a singer of real promise" (Jazzwise)

"When she sings she swings, with velvety voice and impeccable jazz timing" (Jazz Journal)

www.netterobinson.com

Pete Hurt has quietly been part of the London jazz scene for almost four decades and has developed one of the most uniquely distinguishable sounds and styles. Apart from his great saxophone playing he has also been recognised for his compositional and arranging skills. Pete's unique musical contribution is featured on Chris Biscoe's new album Profiles Of Mingus.

Pete Hurt was born in Nottingham in 1950. In the early seventies Pete moved to London and joined the Graham Collier band, and later joined “Redbrass” whose members included Dick Pearce, Chris Biscoe, and Annie Lennox. He formed a quartet with pianist Pete Saberton called “Lighthouse” which went on to win the Greater London Arts Association’s Young Jazz Musician of the Year award for 1976 and which became very active on the London scene. He started recording GIGSs for the BBC (Jazz Club, Jazz in Britain etc) with various size bands ranging from a quartet to a small big band, which featured Pete’s composing. In 1984 saw the release of “Lost For Words” on the Spotlite label with a twelve-piece line-up including Henry Lowther, Chris Biscoe and Chris Pyne. He also wrote many arrangements for the BBC big band In the mid 80’s Pete was invited to join the Anglo-American Living Time Orchestra, under the direction of George Russell on a Contemporary Music Network tour of Britain. Other members of the band included Palle Mikkelbourg, Kenny Wheeler and Courtney Pine. Since then the band has made many subsequent tours of Britain, Europe and in 1999 a short tour of the USA. In 1989 he toured and recorded with the first Andy Sheppard big band and went on to become a member of Andy’s Big Commotion. In 1990 he joined the Carla Bley Very Big Band, which toured extensively throughout Britain and Europe and recorded two albums. Around the same time Pete played with the British big band Loose Tubes, deputising for regular members of the saxophone section on many occasions. In 1994 Pete recorded his first quartet album “Umbrellas” on the ASC label. The band featured long time musical partner pianist Pete Saberton along with bassist Tim Wells and drummer Tristan Maillot. Pete is a regular member of the London Jazz Orchestra and has contributed many compositions and arrangements to the band’s pad. The band recorded its only album “Dance For Human Folk” in 1994. In 1999 the band recorded an album with the legendary drummer Billy Cobham and the next year embarked upon a European tour. (The album has not been released yet). Amongst other musicians that Pete has performed with are Kenny Wheeler, Mike Westbrook, Don Rendell, John Taylor, Mick Pyne, Bryan Spring, The Prague Television Orchestra, Abdullah Ibrahim, Stan Sulzmann and is a member of Henry Lowther’s quintet, “Still Waters”. Pete also played in the hit West End musical “Blues In The Night” and wrote most of the arrangements for another hit show, “Five Guys Named Moe”.

“One of the most distinctive tenor players in the UK”. Chris Parker, The Vortex.

“Pete Hurt is a powerful presence”. John Fordham, The Guardian

"Whitehead has a highly personal, always gorgeous sound on tenor and an infinite vocabulary - in a country of fine saxophonists he is one of the finest.” Peter Bacon, Jazz CD of the Week, Birmingham Post *****

“Whitehead's music always stands on its own feet.” John Fordham -The Guardian

Tim's recent work includes “Colour Beginnings”, music inspired by the Colour Beginnings work of the painter JMW Turner, written while he was (musician) artist in residence at Tate Britain in 2009.The music earned him a shortlisting for The British Composer Of The Year Awards in 2010 and Best Jazz Album 2011.

Tom Millar is a London-based jazz pianist and composer. He holds a Masters’ degree in Jazz with Distinction from the Royal Academy of Music, funded by awards from the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund and the Craxton Memorial Trust. This has given him access to some great teaching with Liam Noble, Nikki Iles, Tom Cawley, Jeff Williams, Pete Churchill and Gwilym Simcock, as well as visiting artists from abroad. It has also given him ample opportunity to compose, having had several pieces for Octet/Nonet performed. As part of the Academy Big Band he has played in the London Jazz Festival and with artists such as Dave Douglas, Julian Arguelles, Norma Winstone and Julian Siegel. He is already an active performer on the London jazz scene in his own right, playing at venues such as the Wigmore Hall, QEH Foyer, King’s Place, Pizza Express Jazz Club, 606 Club, Jazz Cafe and Bull’s Head.

As well as gigging regularly with his peers, he has shared the stage with many high-profile musicians over the past few years, including Tim Whitehead, Mornington Lockett, Tony Woods, Dave O’Higgins, Ian Thomas, Clark Tracey, Ian Shaw, Kathleen Willison, Oren Marshall, Mike Gibbs and many others. As a composer-in-residence on the National Youth Orchestra for three years he had his compositions performed at major venues around the country, including the Barbican, Tate Modern, Symphony Hall Birmingham and as part of a video instillation at the RCA.

At the beginning of 2011 he formed a quartet with guitarist Alex Roth, bassist James Opstad and drummer Mike Clowes for which he writes much of the music. They are currently performing regularly around London, see tommillar.com/gigs for details.

Tom is active in the London jazz community and shortly after graduating was asked to join Richmond-based collective, Way Out West, in which he performs regularly. He has also been promoting a gig and jam session at the Green Note, Camden since May, which takes place on the first Tuesday of every month and features both young names and established stars of UK jazz.

Born in Sydney, Australia but brought up in London, Tom’s previous education included Junior Guildhall, where he won several prizes for composition and was selected to have his string quartet performed at the Purcell Room by Endymion, and King’s College, Cambridge University, where he graduated with a First Class degree in music.

Long regarded as one of Britain's finest jazz drummers and composers, Tony Kinsey's multi-faceted musical career extends from jazz player to composer of music in many genres, including works for full symphony orchestra and chamber groups.

He was a founder member of the John Dankworth Seven, working with the band for a period of two years, leaving only so that he could concentrate more on playing in London's leading jazz clubs. He went on to lead various Quartets and Quintets which were most successful, winning many awards and topping polls held in all the musical journals. His groups have performed in many of Europe's leading concert halls, and worked countless times at Ronnie Scott's Club in London. In his playing career he has worked with many of the world's jazz greats, including Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, Annie Ross, Oscar Peterson, Ben Webster, Clark Terry, Sweets Eddison and many more.

Whenever possible he enjoys working and writing for his Quartet or Big Band, and in particular derives much satisfaction from the latter which, in the past,on occasion, was joined by his long time friend and colleague the late Sir John Dankworth, forming the ‘Kinsey Dankworth Orchestra’. In a review by the magazine ‘Jazz Wise” of Tony’s most recent Big Band concert the Mag’ gave the band a ‘best rating’ and described the orchestra as ‘world class’.

He has written music for a great many library production albums, and in this capacity his music has been used in the movies “The Body Guard’, “ My Best Friends Wedding”, “Killing Jessica Stein” and television productions like “The Oprah Winfrey show”, “Friends” , “Agatha Christie’s Poirot” and “Absolutely Fabulous”. He has also composed for musical theatre. In the later medium he has just finished writing a score {music & lyrics] to a book by Ray Galton and Roger Smith, called Duckin’and Divin’: [a comedy fhat swings].

One of the projects he particularly enjoyed was writing the score for Geoff Reeve’s film “Souvenir”

In television he worked on the series ‘That's Life”, composing music for this show for three years, one of his tasks being to write a song for each show, which had to be completed within a day, working with such lyricists as Herbie Kretzmer and Sir Tim Rice.He has also written the music for several TV series including “Willo the Wisp”, “Wimpole Village”,and “Castle of Adventure”, and a great many television commercials.

A recent project completed, a work for Harmonica and Strng Quartet, will have a London premier at St Johns Smith Square on the 1st of june 2012

Tony studied percussion in New York with Cozy Cole and Bill West, and composition and orchestration with Bill Russo

Born in Southampton, Tony Woods grew up in Chilworth Old Village and began playing folk music with his father at the age of five. A graduate of Keele University, Leeds College of Music and The Guildhall School of Music Tony received awards for saxophone, outstanding performance and the soloist’s prize at the Dunkirk International Jazz Festival. In the mid 90’s, Tony Woods Project was formed. It has recorded three highly acclaimed albums of original, folk inspired compositions: "High Seas" (1997), "Lowlands" (2004), and "Wind Shadows" (2009). The band has attracted airplay on BBC Radio 3, Jazz FM, UK Jazz Radio, has toured the UK extensively and performed at festivals across the country including Manchester, London, Swanage, Ealing, Ascot and Teignmouth. To explore the possibilities of improvising on English classical music Tony formed the Avalon Trio with Pete Churchill and the debut album “Forlana” was released in 2011 to great critical acclaim resulting in interviews on BBC Radio 3 and Jazz FM. Tony has also performed at the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room, Pizza Express Jazz Club and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. He has worked as a session musician in many of London’s studios including Lansdown Studios, Angel Studio, Abbey Road and Maidavale Studios. He has frequently performed with Michael Garrick, both live and on disc, in large and small ensembles, often with his wife: singer Nette Robinson. In 2010 Nette’s Little Big Band released its debut CD “The Little Big Band Plays” and in 2012 Michael Garrick’s Lyric Ensemble, which features Nette and Tony, will release “Home Thoughts”- Michael Garrick’s final album. 2012 will also see the release of "Seventh Daze" the debut album from Kwartet-Tony's collaboration with long time musical associate Tim Whitehead. www.tonywoods.org

Saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos was born in Athens and started playing clarinet and piano at 9 years of age. He started on the saxophone at 13, and continued his music studies at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory in Athens. He showed great potential from the very early stages of his student years and gained a great deal of experience by playing with some of the top names in the Greek jazz scene.

In 1999 Vasilis was awarded a jazz scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston MA. There he studied under Billy Pierce, George Garzone and Andy McGhee.

In the same year he represented Greece in the European Jazz Youth Orchestra and toured with them in many European countries.

By 2002 Vasilis had moved to London and continued his studies under the guidance of Eddie Harvey, Stan Sulzmann, Jimmy Hastings and Pete Cook.

Vasilis formed his first Quartet in 2005 and gradually established himself as one of London’s up and coming jazz saxophonists. As a jazz musician he has worked with some of the best musicians in the British jazz scene, such as Jim Mullen, Steve Waterman, Alan Barnes, Derek Nash, Bruce Adams, Martin Shaw, Nigel Price, Ray Gelato and many others. On an international level, he has appeared with a variety of top performers such as sensational pianists Hiromi, and Jason Lindner.

In 2009 he formed his current ensemble “The Xtet” and their debut album “Loud City” containing 8 original compositions was released on 33Jazz Records in 2011 to much critical acclaim.

Vasilis has appeared in many guises, as guest soloist, as band leader or as saxophone section leader in jazz venues and jazz festivals throughout the UK. He is currently lead tenor in the Steve Taylor Big Band, and in the Ealing based Sound of 17 Big Band.

His explosive style means he is in great demand as a saxophone player for popular music and as a session musician.

“One of the most fiery young saxophonists around blazes a path through the hard bop repertoire” (The Times)

…”A bright newcomer on alto and tenor saxist Vasilis Xenopoulos”… (Evening Standard)