"Keith Tippett (born Keith Graham Tippetts; 25 August 1947) is a British jazz pianist and composer.

Tippett was born in Southmead, Bristol. The son of an English father who was a policeman and an Irish mother name of Kitty. Keith wrote music dedicated to her after she died. Keith was the oldest of three siblings and had Clive and Thomas as brothers. Tippett went to Greenway Secondary Modern school in Southmead, Bristol. He formed his first band when he was fourteen with school friends, such as Richard Murch, Mike Milton, Terry Pratt and Bob Chard. They were called the KT Trad Lads performing Traditional jazz. Later Keith formed a modern jazz trio in Bristol and played regularly at the Dugout Club in Park Row, Bristol. He studied Piano and Church Organ, was a chorister and played with the school and Bristol youth brass bands. He moved to London in 1967, to pursue a musical life.

In the late 1960s, Tippett led a sextet featuring Elton Dean on saxophone, Mark Charig on trumpet and Nick Evans on trombone. Tippett married singer Julie Driscoll and wrote scores for TV.

In the early 1970s, his big band Centipede brought together much of a generation of young British jazz and rock musicians. As well as performing some concerts (limited economically by the size of the band), they recorded one double-album, Septober Energy.

He formed, with Harry Miller and Louis Moholo a formidable rhythm section at the centre of some the most exciting combinations in the country, including the Elton Dean quartet, and Elton Dean's Ninesense. Around the same time, he was also in the vicinity of King Crimson, contributing piano to several of their records including "Cat Food" (and even appearing with them on Top of the Pops). His own groups, such as Ovary Lodge tended towards a more contemplative form of European free improvisation. He continues to perform with the improvising ensemble Mujician and more recently (2006) Work in Progress.

Tippett has appeared and recorded in a wide variety of settings, including a duet with Stan Tracey, duets with his wife Julie Tippetts, solo performances, and appeared on three King Crimson albums."

"Julie Tippetts (born Julie Driscoll, 8 June 1947) is an English singer and actress, known for her 1960s versions of Bob Dylan and Rick Danko's "This Wheel's on Fire", and Donovan's "Season of the Witch", both with Brian Auger and The Trinity. Along with The Trinity, she was featured prominently in the 1969 television special 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee, singing "I'm a Believer" in a soul style with Micky Dolenz. She and Auger had previously worked in Steampacket, with Long John Baldry and Rod Stewart.

"This Wheel's on Fire" reached number five in the United Kingdom in June 1968. With distortion, the imagery of the title and the group's dress and performance, this version came to represent the psychedelic era in British rock music. Driscoll recorded the song again in the early 1990s with Adrian Edmondson as the theme to the BBC comedy series Absolutely Fabulous, the main characters of which are throwbacks to that era.

Since the 1970s, Driscoll has concentrated on experimental vocal music. She married jazz musician Keith Tippett and collaborated with him and now uses the name Julie Tippetts, adopting the original spelling of her husband's surname. She took in Keith Tippett's big band Centipede and in 1974 sang in Robert Wyatt's Theatre Royal Drury Lane concert. She released a solo album, Sunset Glow in 1975; and was lead vocalist on Carla Bley's album Tropic Appetites and also in John Wolf Brennan's "HeXtet".

Later in the 1970s, she toured with her own band and recorded and performed as one of the vocal quartet Voice, with Maggie Nichols, Phil Minton, and Brian Eley.

In the early 1980s, Julie Tippetts was a guest vocalist on an early single by pop-jazz band Working Week, on the song "Storm of Light", which brought them to the attention of a wider audience."

"Paul Dunmall was born 1953, Welling, Kent; saxophones, clarinets, bagpipes, miscellaneous wind instruments.

As told to Watson (1989), Paul Dunmall was a working class lad from Welling who left school at 15 and spent two years repairing instruments at Bill Lewington's shop in Shaftesbury Avenue, London. He turned professional at 17 and, following two years touring Europe with a progressive rock band (Marsupilami), joined the Divine Light Mission, a spiritual movement led by Guru Maharaj Ji and moved from London to an ashram in America. He told Isham (1997), 'I moved to an ashram full of musicians - a music ashram - but it was still spiritual practice. That gave me a spiritual understanding through meditation, Coltrane's music, and all the rest of it, led me to that, and that's been a fundament in my life ever since - that I can actually sit down and meditate and forget my body. I realise how important meditation is in my life... but I don't do it so much these days.' During the three years he lived in America, Dunmall played with Alice Coltrane (in a big band with the Divine Light Mission) and toured for twelve months with Johnny 'Guitar' Watson.

Back in England, he played with Danny Thompson and John Stevens as well as folk musicians Kevin Dempsey, Martin Jenkins and Polly Bolton and then, in 1979 he became a founder member of Spirit Level (Tim Richards, piano; Paul Anstey, bass; Tony Orrell, drums), staying with the group until 1989. During his time with Spirit Level, Dunmall joined the two-tenor front line group Tenor Tonic with Alan Skidmore (1985), played and broadcast with Dave Alexander and Tony Moore in the DAM trio (1986) and formed the Paul Dunmall Quartet with Alex Maguire, Tony Moore and Steve Noble (1986).

In 1987 Paul Dunmall joined the London Jazz Composers Orchestra, being a constant member and appearing on all their recorded output from that date onward. The following year the improvising collective quartet Mujician was formed by Keith Tippett, Dunmall, Paul Rogers and Tony Levin and has continued to be a regular performing, touring and recording group, sometimes augmented by other musicians. Dunmall has also played in a trio with Keith and Julie Tippetts and in Keith Tippett's big band Tapestry. Two other duos have also sprung out of Mujician: Dunmall with Tony Levin (two CD releases) and Dunmall in folk-influenced outings with Paul Rogers. Another regular playing partner throughout this period and up until the present includes Elton Dean.

In 1995, two trios were formed, the first with Oren Marshall, tuba and Steve Noble, percussion, the second with John Adams, guitar and Mark Sanders, percussion, these sometimes coming together as a quintet. More recently, Dunmall has played in another reeds/guitar/drums trio with Philip Gibbs and Tony Marsh and there appears to be regular crossover between all these players. The Paul Dunmall Octet was founded in 1997."

Dunmall also has released a large number of albums and a box set on the UK FMR label, in various configurations and instrumentation.

"Kevin Figes is a distinctive voice both as a player (Saxophones and flute) and composer on the UK jazz scene. Never standing still, his ethos is to strive to produce new music which is challenging, well-crafted and from the soul.

Kevin began studying saxophone with Elton Dean and later attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama studying with Tim Garland. He composes for his own quartet which has released three CDs: "Circular Motion" (Edition), "Hometime" and "Tables and Chairs" (Pig) which all received much critical acclaim. The Quartet tours the UK regularly, with help from Jazz Services, and has been broadcast several times on Radio 3. He also wrote for the 15 piece big band 'Resonation' which features some of the finest musicians from the west and beyond, a live recording to be released in 2016 on Figes' Pig Records. He has a notable connection with Keith Tippett, performing in his big band "Tapestry" in Portugal and Canada and in his Octet including broadcasts on Radio 3 and a CD release on Ogun. Kevin has also performed with Dave Stapleton and recorded an album for his label (Edition). In 2011 he formed the band "4 Sided Triangle" which included guitarist Mike Outram , and their first CD was realeased on Pig records in July 2012 to excellent reviews and widespread radio play. In 2013 the Quartet undertook a very successful 17 date jazz services tour of the UK to support the release of "Tables and Chairs". Two new recordings, 'Weather Warning' by the quartet and 'Time being' by the Octet were both released on Pig in 2016. On 12th June 2020 the new quartet CD 'Changing Times' will be released."

"Ben Waghorn started playing in local jazz bands in his home town of Bristol at the age of fourteen, before joining London based hard bop drummer Tommy Chase in 1989. Ben was also a member of NYJO between 1991 and 1995, touring and recording a number of albums during this period. Ben has a busy recording career playing for TV, Film and radio, and has recorded or performed with musicians and bands such as Kasabian, Portishead, Goldfrapp, Kasabian, John Matthius, Sonia, Sinita and Luke Goss. Theatre Work in London's West End includes 'West Side Story', 'Fosse' and 'Chicago'.

Ben is an Edition Records artist and is featured heavily with the Dave Stapleton Quartet on the album 'The House always wins', which was released to critical acclaim in 2007. A new album has just been recorded for release in early 2010. Ben's Quartet album is also due for release in the same year.

He has been involved in a range of projects with pianist and composer Keith Tippett, including the ensemble 'Tapestry', a piece written by Keith for two saxophone quartets and the BBC singers, the Quartet 'Work in Progress' and The Keith Tippett Octet. Ben has toured and recorded with latin jazz group 'Sirius B' and been involved in many productions at Bristol's Old Vic Theatre. He is also currently performing with the Dave Stapleton Trio and Duo, Andy Hague Quintet and Big Band, Resonation Big Band, Jim Blomfield's band Septimbre, and Pedalmania with Hammond Organist John Paul Gard -a new album to be released very soon. He has played alongside John Critchenson, John Etheridge, Damon Brown, Andy Sheppard, Gilad Atzmon and Steve Waterman and has played at many Jazz Festivals nationally and Internationally."

"Born in 1947, Chris Biscoe was drawn to jazz by hearing Fats Waller, Erroll Garner and Benny Goodman on the radio. Early listening to Lester Young and Stan Getz (Jazz Samba) and Charlie Parker led to him starting to learn alto sax in 1963. Chris is self-taught on sax and clarinet. Turning to tenor sax in 1965, Chris's major influences were Sonny Rollins, Charlie Rouse and Dexter Gordon, but after his tenor was stolen he returned to alto.

While studying at Sussex University Chris met pianist Ben Sidran and made his first recording with Ben in 1970. After graduating in 1968 Chris played gigs in London but soon realised that not reading music was a serious barrier, so under the influence of educator and composer Ken Gibson began to attend rehearsal bands and joined NYJO, with which he made two LPs. He became a professional player in 1973.In 1975 Chris joined Red Brass with Pete Hurt and led by Tony Haynes. The association with Tony continues to this day, including numerous concerts and recordings. In 1979 Chris joined the Mike Westbrook Brass Band, and since then has played in many of Mike's bands, from trio to big band. Mike asked Chris to join 'The Cortege', and this led to him starting to play the baritone sax seriously, which he carried on into the Brass Band, the Westbrook Trio and several records.

In 1986 Chris Biscoe joined the George Russell Anglo American Orchestra for its first tour, staying with the band until the final 80th Birthday Concert in 2003 and making three CDs. Also in 1986 Chris augmented his regular quartet (with Peter Jacobsen) to make the first recording under his name: 'Chris Biscoe Sextet'. The quartet and quintet performed regularly in England in the 1980s and 1990s. He also broadcast and recorded with Pete Hurt ('Lost for Words') and the Brotherhood of Breath ('Country Cooking'). From the 1990s on Chris has been associated with French bassist/composer Didier Levallet in his quartet, tentet, The Orchestre National de Jazz and The Brotherhood Heritage, touring and making 4 CDs.BiographyChris started to learn clarinet in the early 1970s, picking up the rarely used alto clarinet in 1975. This instrument he featured in the improvising quartet Full Monte, in various Westbrook bands, with The Liam Noble Group ('In the Meantime'), with the long-running groups exploring the music of Charles Mingus ('Profiles of Mingus') and in The Profiles Quartet with Tony Kofi dedicated to Eric Dolphy ('Gone in the Air' and 'Live at Campus West'). Chris is now playing alto clarinet and baritone sax in Two of a Mind.

In most of these bands Chris has also played alto sax, and soprano sax, which he started to play around 1970. The baritone sax has often been a separate strand, in the John Williams Baritone Band, with the Hermeto Pascoal Big Band, The New York Composers Orchestra and The Dedication Orchestra. Chris Biscoe and Allison Neale joined forces in 2015 to bring to the fore the sense of collective improvisation on standard material so brilliantly demonstrated by Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan."

"Tim Redpath is highly respected as both clarinetist and saxophonist, and has been at the forefront of contemporary chamber music for over thirty years. He has performed and collaborated with some of the most exciting and eclectic musicians around. These include Apollo Saxophone Quartet, London Saxophonic (touring and recording extensively with Michael Nyman and Moondog (Louis Hardin)), Moondog Big Band, Andy Scott's Sax Assault & Bob Mintzer, Barbara Thompson, Joanna Macgregor, Django Bates and Iain Ballamy. He has broadcast extensively on BBC television, BBC Radio 2, 3 & 4, Classic FM and has featured on over twenty CD albums. He has been guest principal clarinet and saxophonist with many of the UK's leading orchestras including Opera North, BBC Philharmonic, Hallé, BBC Scottish, RTE, London Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra. As founder member and soprano saxophonist with the highly acclaimed Apollo Saxophone Quartet for 23 years (1985 - 2008), Tim has amassed a large collection of awards including winner of the Tokyo International Chamber Music Competition (plus the Lufthansa Outstanding Performance Award), Countess of Munster Trust, Royal Overseas League and Tunnell Trust.

As an educator and mentor he has held teaching posts at Liverpool University and the University of Huddersfield, and has given classes at the UKs leading conservatoires including the Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music."

"Rob Buckland is internationally acclaimed as one of the most distinctive and versatile Saxophonists of his generation. Appearing as concerto and recital soloist, with his Equivox Trio (with pianist Peter Lawson and percussionist Simone Rebello), and with the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, Rob performs throughout the UK, Europe and Japan. Recent highlights include the British Premiere of Jacob TV's Saxophone Concerto in May 2009, a solo performance of John Williams' Concerto "Escapades" with the RLPO in Feb 09, and CBSO in Oct 09, a performance of Sir Harrison Birtwistle's "Panic" Concerto at the Royal Festival Hall in London, at the invitation of the composer, a gala concerto performance by invitation at the 14th World Saxophone Congress in Slovenia, a performance with the Macau Chamber Orchestra and three performances with the Chinese National Symphony Orchestra in Beijing in the orchestra's prestigious new-year concerts in Beijing, televised and broadcast to 1.5 million people. Forthcoming Concerto performances include the premiere of the orchestral version of Andy Scott's Dark Rain (a double concerto written for him and John Harle) in the spring of 2010, and a performance of John William's escapades with the Orchestra of Opera North in Feb 2010.

He has commissioned and recorded music from many of today's leading composers, featuring on his own solo CD (Towards the Light 1998), with the Equivox Trio (The Time is Now 2006), eight CDs with the Apollo Saxophone Quartet (of which he is a founder member), and a recording of commissioned concertos with the RNCM Wind Orchestra is planned for 2009/10. He regularly performs and records with such diverse ensembles such as the Michael Nyman Band, (Rob recorded with the MNB on the new CD with David McAlmont - tipped for the Mercury Prize 2009) Halle Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, Opera North and Northern Sinfonia, and recently performed on TV as part of the band for ITV's "Soapstar Superstar", and as part of the stellar Royal Variety Performance Orchestra (2007 and 2009) backing artists such as Jon Bon Jovi, Kiri Te Kanawa, Chaka Khan, Lulu & Anastacia, Michael Buble, Bette Midler and the casts of Sister Act and Hairspray. Uniquely in demand as both classical soloist and jazz artist, Rob also regularly works with Sax Assault (Andy Scott's 12 piece Saxophone jazz funk group), the John Wilson Orchestra, Keith Nichol's various early jazz projects, the Apitos Latin Big Band and his own jazz group, and can regularly be heard performing on Film and TV soundtracks. In recent years, Rob has been heard performing in concert with artists as diverse as Wayne Shorter, Ringo Starr, Kiri Te Kanawa, the BBC Big Band, and the Wombats, and was recently featured saxophone soloist with Elvis Costello's new orchestral project, which will hopefully tour the USA and Europe in 2010.

Rob has spent a significant proportion of his time over the last 25 years performing with the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, a world class ensemble that is widely acknowledged as one of the UK's finest contemporary chamber ensembles. Following early successes in the Royal Overseas League, Park Lane Group, Tunnell Trust, Countess of Munster and Tillett Trust competitions in the UK, and successes overseas in the Erasmus Competition in Rotterdam and the Tokyo International Chamber Music Competition, the quartet established an unrivalled reputation throughout the UK, Europe and Japan at Festivals and concert venues, and now records and tours extensively both in the UK and abroad. The ensemble has commissioned over 100 new works from some of today's finest composers, such as Michael Nyman, Michael Torke, Richard Rodney Bennett, Graham Fitkin and Django Bates, creating the new core repertoire for the medium.

As a composer, Rob writes and arranges for film, tv and media, with several of his works featured on recent adverts, he has written a highly successful and popular ongoing series of original compositions for young players (solos, duets, quartets and pieces for Saxophone and Piano), many of which are now part of the Associated Board, Trinity and Guildhall syllabuses (published by astute-music.com). Rob has recently also composed works for the RNCM Saxophone Orchestra, Sax Assault, the Equivox Trio, a new CD's worth of original jazz charts for his new jazz ensemble, and is currently writing a new saxophone study/method book.

Alongside his busy performing schedule, Rob is Professor of Saxophone at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where, since 1997, along with Andy Scott, he has established the UK's largest and most active Saxophone programme. He was awarded Fellowship of the RNCM in 2008, in recognition of his work with the RNCM saxophone Department, the saxophone in general, and pioneering new music performance. In addition to his teaching commitments, he has conducted the RNCM Saxophone Orchestra in concerts in Berlin, (at the first European Saxophone Orchestras Convention), British Saxophone Congress in Cardiff, and at venues throughout the UK. He runs his own International Saxophone Summer School, and the Harrogate Saxophone Summer Course, is frequently asked to present saxophone weekends and days throughtout the UK for saxophonists of all levels, and regularly appears as guest coach on summer schools and course throughout the UK. He is co-Artistic Director (with Andy Scott) of the RNCM Saxophone Day, now the UK's largest annual saxophone event. Rob is a Henri Selmer Paris artist, and endorsee for Vandoren Reeds."

"Andy Scott - Performer biography

Saxophonist Andy Scott is respected as a creative contemporary musician with a proactive approach to initiating projects, ensembles and collaborations. As a performer, Andy has made regular appearances on the international stage, both as a soloist and with his various ensembles. In a successful career spanning a quarter of a century, Andy and his ensembles have released a number of highly acclaimed CDs and have been featured on BBC Radio and TV.

Andy is the Tenor Saxophonist and a founder member of the internationally acclaimed and multi prizewinning Apollo Saxophone Quartet, touring internationally, recording for Decca/Argo, Black Box, BMG and Quartz, and broadcasting regularly for BBC Radio. The ensemble has made a highly significant contribution to the contemporary saxophone quartet repertoire by commissioning and premiering over 100 works from established composers. Formed at the Royal Northern College of Music in 1985, the quartet recently released its latest CD of commissioned works, Perspectives.

Andy also performs in his own large ensemble Sax Assault, which has recorded two CDs, with guests Bob Mintzer and Gwilym Simcock, and been featured on BBC Radio 3 Jazz Notes, and releases its first studio recorded CD in June 2016. Andy and percussionist Dave Hassell have worked as an experimental Duo since 1996, performing internationally, including an appearance in New York City as part of the 33rd IAJE Conference, and releasing two albums. He plays with Apitos, the latin/jazz ensemble of Dave Hassell. Andy is involved in many collaborative projects with other artists, most recently Caliente, a new trio with flautist Clare Southworth and harpist Lauren Scott.

As a performer, Andy has been proactive in raising the profile of the tenor saxophone as a contemporary classical instrument over the last 20 years. He formed the World Tenor Saxophone Consortium in 2003, co-commissioning a work from Graham Fitkin for simultaneous premiere worldwide, and released a solo CD My Mountain Top, featuring a number of world premiere recordings. As a solo artist Andy performed the Richard Rodney Bennett Concerto for Stan Getz with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, broadcast live by Radio 3.

Andy Scott was Vice President of the International Saxophone Committee and director of a Tenor Saxophone strand in the World Saxophone Congress XVI. He initiated and performed with the international ensemble The Tenor Saxophone Collective at the World Saxophone Congress in Strasbourg, France in July 2015. Andy was a recipient of a teaching award from the RNCM to develop an online tenor saxophone repertoire resource, The Tenor Saxophone Index, an invaluable resource for students and teachers alike.

Earlier in his performing career Andy undertook regular freelance work with the Halle Orchestra, Psappha, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra & many other professional orchestras, and nowadays he occasionally undertakes orchestral dates, privileged to work in recent years with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra with Clean Bandit, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with the Wayne Shorter Quartet, and in 2016 with Manchester Camerata's Hacienda Classical project (with sold out performances at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, and Royal Albert Hall, London) and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (performing Bernstein & Prokofiev at Symphony Hall, Birmingham).

Andy Scott is an endorsee of Henri Selmer Saxophones and Vandoren. Andy is extremely grateful for the continued support of Selmer Saxophones for his creative projects, and is privileged to play on the new saxophones of such a historical and respected company. He plays Selmer Series III tenor and soprano saxophones, and a Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophone. As with Selmer Saxophones, for over thirty years Andy has played using Vandoren reeds and products, and is very grateful for the continued support from Vandoren."

"David Roach (born 1955, Darlington, Co. Durham, England) is a British saxophonist who released a solo single, "Emotional Jungle" in 1984. His album, I Love Sax reached #73 in the UK Albums Chart in April that year. As a Coda-Landscape recording artist in the 1980s David made 2 albums 'Running with the River ' and 'The Talking City'. He has played soprano and alto saxophone for the Michael Nyman Band since 1985, making his debut on The Kiss and Other Movements and appearing on nearly every album since. Prior to that he was musical director for Billy Ocean and a founding member of the Myrha Saxophone Quartet. David played oboe and saxophone for Frank Sinatra in his European tours of the early 1990s.He was a member of the Apollo Saxophone Quartet and producer of the London Saxophonic. He also co-produced Nyman's albums, After Extra Time, The Suit and The Photograph and Sangam. His soprano and alto saxophone playing has featured in many Film and Television scores. David has played with most of the major London Orchestras including 25 years for the Philharmonia Orchestra and he has been a visiting professor of chamber music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester."