Jazz Guitarist
Lee Jones :
'Swish'
Tour Oct/Dec 08

Promotional Information for
Jazz Festivals, Jazz Clubs, Music Clubs & Theatres

Catch Lee @ Stratford Jazz - July 13th 2008 

Swish (Lee Jones)
On the strength of a few recent impressive appearances at festivals, this young guitarist's name is beginning to get around. Musicians in their early twenties regularly astonish the world with their technique and Lee Jones has plenty of that, but it is far less common to find a fully developed personal style at such an early stage. Given the fact that he is broadly in the jazz-fusion idiom, there are inevitably hints of George Benson, John Scofield and the like in his playing, but far more of Lee Jones than anyone else, and a veritable flood of original ideas. Listen out, too, for the immaculate drumming of Chris Dagley.
Dave Gelly

Tracks

Swish
Majik
One Little Blue Note
Cookin' on Gas
Retrospective
Halfway House
Dorian Diversion
Out of the Day
Swish - (Jam Mix)

For Booking Enquiries for Lee Jones Quintet for Jazz Festivals, Theatre or Club Events, Corporate Events and Jazz Workshops
Contact - E-mail or Phone 01844 353117

Established Venue Dates are as follows:-
TBC
Interest has been shown by :-
Spice of Life - London
http://www.spiceoflifesoho.com/music.htm
Birmingham Jazz - Rush Hour Blues  - CBSO 
http://www.birminghamjazz.co.uk/
The Cinnamon Club, Cheshire
http://www.thecinnamonclub.net/index.htm
Scarborough Jazz
http://www.scarboroughjazz.co.uk/
South Hill Arts _ Bracknell -
http://www.southhillpark.org.uk/index.jsp
Wakefield Jazz
www.wakefieldjazz.org.uk
Mill Hill Jazz Club
www.millhilljazzclub.co.uk
 

Lee Jones

was born in 1984 and started playing guitar age eight. Influences include: George Benson, Larry Carlton, John Scofield as well as Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter. Joined Shropshire Youth Jazz Ensemble in 2000 playing a mix of standards and original material by band leaders John Williams and Chris Bolton.
Lee recorded five jazz/fusion tracks with WEA producer Simon Tittley in late 2001 which featured Tom Warrington, Steve Houghton and other top US session musicians. 
Lee played at Cheltenham Jazz Festival Fringe 2003/04/06 and appeared in Jazzwise magazine in May 2004. Lee also featured in the 2005 Starbucks Birmingham International Jazz Festival and the 2007 Musicate project "The World as One". Winner of Jazz FM’s “Best New Instrumentalist" award,
Lee is currently studying on the BMus Jazz (Hons) course at Birmingham Conservatoire (with guitarist Phil Robson from BBC big band) and recently completed his debut album "Swish".
http://www.myspace.com/leejonesguitarist 
 

Top UK session drummer Chris Dagley (here Aged 12) has performed with NYJO, Ella Fitzgerald, Chaka Khan Fame Academy and BBC Big Band.
Comments on one of his drum clinics......
Topics included practicing efficiently, developing the internal clock, the importance of different styles, recommended reading and the business side of the music business, with Chris being remarkably frank about the highs and lows of being a professional musician.   As Chris was keen to point out, “everything begins with your ability to consistently perform on your instrument”.  Heavy rock and jazz session work is demonstrated with alarming ease and at no time did he seem like a jazz player playing rock or visa versa, playing each tune with bags of taste and a real mastery of the feels and sounds associated with each style. As well as playing session tunes, Chris played a series of serious rudimentary exercises at varied tempos and demonstrated their practical application to the kit in a musical environment. At one point he performed a disappearing trick with the click track when demonstrating how to nail a beat to a metronome. It is obvious to see why he is a player that is held in such high regard. Rather refreshingly, each playing example was well considered, and presented on the premise that the audience wished to learn something as well as be entertained. However,  the highlight of the clinic was Chris’s one opportunity to really let loose on the kit, playing a funk/fusion track specially written by Richard Cottle. There’s plenty of Gadd and Weckl type licks on show and every lightning fill landed with uncanny precision on the beat. This was a well presented, extremely informative and thoroughly enjoyable clinic.  I am positive that anybody who was not very familiar with Chris Dagley’s playing,  will be actively seeking out his work in the future.  Chris Dagley is one of the most popular drummers on the jazz and session scenes because of his solid, powerhouse groove and boundless energy. He also has astonishing solo chops and is famous for being able to read any piece of music at sight.

Pete Parkinson (Sax, Flute)
Born into a musical family, Pete was steeped in music from an early age with his Father being a musical director; Pete was encouraged to sit in with his Father’s bands and told, "by the time we get to the third chorus I want to hear something coming from you!". Pete has been a professional musician for his entire career, working as MD and sax player for many artists world-wide through the last 40 years. He has continually sought to keep up with new concepts and contemporary sounds and this shows in his sax playing. At times lyrical and delicate, at times abrasive and aggressive, funky, perfectly in tune and always inspirational.

Ben Thomas - Trumpet
Originally from Tenby in Pembrokeshire,
Ben began playing the trumpet aged seven years old.
He studied jazz at the Welsh College Of Music And Drama where he received tuition from influential pianist and composer Keith Tippet as well as Julie Driscoll, Paul Dunmall, Tony Levin, Lee Goodall and Dylan Fowler plus top trumpeters such as Henry Lowther, Andy Everton and Terence Lax, to name but a few.

http://www.leejones-guitarist.com/movs/clip1.mov
http://www.leejones-guitarist.com/movs/clip2.mov

Jazz Workshops:
Lee is also keen to impart his skills to fellow Students of Jazz and can hold Workshop/Master Class projects in Colleges, Theatres, Studios and other suitable venues.  These can be linked up with daytime assemblies at any of the evening Concert Venues.