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GIG-12 @ The Players Theatre
Quartet
Jazz
Pianist &
Session Keyboard Player
Bandleader, Composer, Jazz Educator, Arranger.
Took Place on Wed 14th June 2006 - 37
Stalwart Fans sacrificed the beautiful game for the ephemeral art of Jazz .
 Dan
Banks Dan began
learning piano at the age of 12. For many years he was self taught and took part
in various local music festivals and concerts. Then, at the age of 15 he started
studying with Les Whitefield. He
studied classical piano to an advanced level
with world renowned tutor and performer, Tim Carey. Dan soon
developed a strong interest in Jazz and at the age of 19 started training at
London College of Music under Eddie Harvey. Shortly after leaving LCM Dan began
playing/studying with experienced Jazz educator and performer Brian Everington
and since has had lessons with Simon Purcell and Steve Melling.
Dan has
worked with many established and up and coming professionals including Phil
Snack, Roger Curphey, Graeme Culham, Brian Everington, Alan Morgan, Geoff
Lardner, the Mervyn Wright Big Band, Zac Barrett, Glen Child, Alex Hearn, Elinor
Munien, Dan Earley, and James Eager.
Dan continues to play with numerous professionals around the London jazz scene.
Based
in Essex he runs a trio/quartet playing at local venues around Essex and on the
London scene (Jazz Cafe London, The Dorchester, The Landmark Hotel, and The
Hilton)
Dan Banks Website
He
teaches at numerous institutes across Essex including Southend High School for
Boys, Shenfield High School, and The Billericay Music Academy. Dan also runs
successful jazz summer schools through the music academy. Dan believes strongly
that learning to improvise doesn't have to be as complicated as quantum
physics! Clear and concise is Dan's method.
Zak
Barrett - Zak started playing
the clarinet at the age of eight. Initially he mainly taught himself and found
that he could play by ear songs from popular records, which were played at
home. Zak soon began having lessons at school and within four years had
obtained grade eight with distinction on the clarinet. He began playing the
saxophone when at the age of ten. While studying for his advanced clarinet
grades, the saxophone was mainly played for fun. At the age of 15, he decided
to pursue music as a career. Zak started having lessons with Colin Lawson and
obtained his advanced certificate a year later.
In 1995 Zak took residence at The Royal
Northern College of Music in Manchester studying a four year degree course in
Classical Music Performance. During this time, he attended Jazz Master Classes
led by Ed Thigpen, Victor Mendoza, Jean Toussaint, and had regular instrumental
tuition from John Reynolds and Paul Dintinger.
After obtaining his Honours degree in 1999, Zak
moved to Chelmsford in Essex as he felt this would be a good location for
working in and around London. Soon after relocating, Zak met the guitarist,
Guthrie Govan, and the drummer, Pete Riley. They formed a jazz quintet called
“The Fellowship” and began playing as the resident band at The Basement club in
Chelmsford. Most recently he has been appointed to play at the Ronnie
Scott’s Jazz Club with the “Lol Williams band” and has also played with the
“Real Thing”.
He
is also Musical Director of Thurrock Youth Jazz Orchestra
  James
Eager - Bass
James originally started playing classical and electric guitar at the age
of 11 and double bass a couple of years later. After finishing school he went to
study at Trinity College of Music, London specialising in Jazz. There, he
studied with Paul Westwood, Steve Watts, Geoff Gascoyne, Simon Wolfe and
classical double bass with Corin Long. Whilst studying he was also privileged to
spend four years in the Trinity Big Band under the direction of legendary
trombonist Bobby Lamb. This gave him a great opportunity to play and work with
established professionals and also to gain a great musical grounding.
James is now a freelance bassist and travels the UK and Europe playing clubs,
jazz venues, festivals, functions, shows and even the odd classical gig.
His influences are numerous: on double bass include Ray Brown, Ron Carter and
Christian McBride and electric bass James Jamerson, Rocco Prestia and Anthony
Jackson.As a musical
director James also rehearses and fronts ‘Jazz 3000’ a 17 piece big band as well
as co-leading Metropolis, a busy corporate party band.
James is a busy and experienced bass
teacher. His teaching career has taken him as far a field as America.
Currently, he is working for Berkhamsted Collegiate School teaching bass,
guitar, band coaching, music technology as well as teaching privately. He
caters for all age groups and abilities and has also conducted jazz workshops at
Stowe School.
James
Eager Website
 Graeme Culham -
Drums -Graeme
first played drums at the age of 11'. At 14 he won the title of “Junior
Genius” on Thames Television’s “Nationwide”, performing with a Youth Jazz
Orchestra.
‘Jazz is Graeme's real love of music’, and for some years could be found playing
with the Ray Ward Trio in his home town of Southend-On-Sea, during which time
he recorded and produced two
albums
with the Trio, and performed at the Edinburgh Festival. In 1983 he formed the
Graeme Culham Big Band,
playing the music of
Buddy Rich
and Count
Basie,
as well as original compositions. The band received rave review’s from
press and public, every concert selling out. The band recorded its first album
in 1986. Also during this time, Graeme was invited to talk about his drumming
and big band on
BBC and Local Radio.
Diversity is
the name of the game with Graeme - Jazz has not been an exception to the rule.
During 1991 Graeme was engaged to play in Switzerland for a period of four weeks
with Traditional Jazz Musicians, Mac White, Alan Bradley, Chez Chesterman,
for the Caza bar,
run by British trumpeter Bob Wallis. At the end of this stint he was asked to
guest with the “Original Hallelujah Stompers”
at the
‘Jazz House’ in Friberg West Germany. On
return to England, Graeme was engaged by “Pete Corrigon and his band of hope”
along with clarinetist Cy Laurie
at the Wexford Jazz Week in Ireland.
‘Apart from
working with who’s who of the Jazz world’,
such as the late Eddie Thompson, Slim Gaillard,
as well as Buddy Tate, Kenny Ball, Don
Rendell,
and Ronnie Scott,
( who was quoted as saying; that “Graeme
was one of the best jazz drummers he has worked with”
).
Graeme can be found on many recordings with Jazz artists such as Dick Morrissey,
Pete King,
on Jackson Sloan’s
“Old Angel Midnight”
album, arrangements by the late Jimmy Deuchar,
and with Roy Williams, Maxine Daniels, on
Humphrey Lyttelton’s
“Calligraph Records” and also for “SNOWBOY” on
the
“Acid Jazz”
label, of which “Girl
Overboard” from the 3 Faces of Snowboy
went into the top six of the UK Soul chart, as well as drumming on the
Acid Jazz re-recording of the "Avengers TV
Theme"
He released his first CD with his quintet in
1996: "The Graeme Culham Jazz
Quintet", featuring original compositions by its members. The quintet
was featured on the meridian television program
`The Pier` during 1999. Graeme was also featured with the touring show
`Drum Crazy` and was musical director
for the `Southend Jazz Orchestra`.
Graeme is currently fronting his own
quintet, freelancing and performing
various drum clinics around the country and running his own teaching
studio at Mushroom studios, Rayleigh, Essex.
Graeme Culham Jazz
Quintet
Concert Programme
First Set
Friday Night @ The Cadillac Club - Bob
Berg
Talk With God -
Stevie Wonder
Phase Dance - Pat Metheny
Who's Blues - Dank banks Original
Untitled - Dank banks Original
Seven Days Away - Calypso
original by Dan Banks reminiscent of St Thomas
I'm Gonna Go Fishing - Duke Ellington-Anatomy of a Murder - Peggy Lee
later wrote the Lyric
Second Set
Love Filled Life - Banks original,
Killer Joe - Benny Golson
My Funny Valentine -
Rogers & Hart,
Splendid Saxophone and Arco bass solos
Englishman in New York - Sting
Oye Coma Va - Carlos Santana
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy- Cannonball Adderley
 
Hi Eddie, Very much enjoyed the last
gig – Dan Banks Quartet....great evening as usual! Very sorry to hear about
Noise Abatement probs. at The Players.....this is outrageous and a great shame
to boot. Julian
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