Which tenor saxophone players are you influenced by? “My biggest influences are probably Lester Young and Ben Webster. Other favourites of mine include Al Cohn and Zoot Sims as well as the more bebop orientated tenor players such as Wardell Gray, early Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt.” Are there any saxophone players around […]
Maisha (meaning ‘Life’) are a London-based ensemble led by drummer Jake Long. The band also features Nubya Garcia on saxophone/flute, Shirley Tetteh on guitar, Amane Suganami on keyboard, Twm Dylan on double bass and Tim Doyle on percussion. Tell us about Maisha. “The group play original music inspired by artists such as Alice […]
You play in the Small’s house band. How’s that going? “It’s now at The Verdict. It’s finding its feet at the new venue. I think it’s going to be fine. We were worried because the place before, The Caxton Arms, had a really special vibe to it and a special sound to it. But […]
Tell us about your record label, Symbol Records. How did it all start? “It was 1999. I’d known Geoff Simkins for a few years so we got together in a pub by the Dome, we were chatting. I’d decided not to go to music college because I couldn’t afford it, basically. I could get […]
SJM: You’ve played a wide range of jazz styles, from the Chris Barber Band to Terence Blanchard’s The Inner City Ensemble. What’s your favourite style of jazz? Amy Roberts: I’m really open minded when it comes to styles of jazz, and in fact music full stop. My journey into jazz started with big band jazz […]
Did the piano happen first or did you get into jazz first? “No. It was originally piano lessons with a guy called Mr. Payne, who everybody in the local area went to. And that was like £2 for half an hour. So that was in a kind of straight-laced way and then he passed […]
You’ve played with a long list of jazz legends, who have been your favourites? “As a teenager I was privileged to play with some great British players: George Chisholm, Martin Drew, Tony Lee, Acker Bilk, Bruce Turner etc. Later, I worked with Kenny Baker, Kenny Ball, Jim Mullen, Sir John Dankworth & Cleo Laine. I […]
The first thing that strikes you about pianist Dave Drake is his sheer enthusiasm, and not just for music, but for life. This optimism shines through when he discusses his biggest passion. “Jazz is such an expression of hope. It’s an expression of triumph over suffering. When I hear Louis Armstrong I […]
What have you learnt from your time performing with Maceo Parker? “It was an honour to have spent 8 year working with Maceo ‘the funkiest saxophone player in the world!’ There, I learnt the nuances of instrumental funk performance. The slurs between notes that give a musical phrase a ‘greasy’ feel, learning about the […]
What do jazz writers contribute to the music? I can only speak for myself, of course, but my role is to discuss the music as insightfully as possible. Whether reviewing albums or gigs or interviewing artists the golden rule is to treat the music with respect, and that means expressing negative as well as positive […]