My professional career as a musician, entertainer, composer and recording artiste began when at the age of six my mother bought a piano for me on which to learn. This was due both to my showing an early aptitude for music and also to save a her degree of embarrassment because I was constantly invading neighbors homes to get at their piano's.
From those days I learned the Classics from a wonderful teacher called Mary Markham Lee LRAM and progressed through several grades until at the age of 13 I became interested by Pop, Jazz, and Country music and started to play the tunes of the day.
I started to play with other youngsters and quickly formed a dance/jazz/'play anything' outfit playing at any function that would employ us. I was 15 and playing piano in the group but later having heard Lionel Hampton and Milt Jackson play the vibraphone I begged my parents to loan me the money to purchase a similar instrument. . They agreed and I bought a battered vibraphone and began to practice. I took to the instrument like a duck to water and within weeks I was playing with well known bands and groups as well as my own. I had begun composing but because of the bands success, this activity was confined to mostly jazz based material both instrumental and songs.
However I was never hung up on one kind of music to the exclusion of others. I always enjoyed listening to, and playing a wide selection of music in differing styles. This enabled me to play with and accompanying many high profile and name artistes of the day and fit in with any genre band or group. This also gave rise to unexpected and sometimes hilarious situations but which in retrospect helped me to learn my trade for my later diversified activities.
Since those formative years and for several decades I have played at just about every type of venue and function imaginable.
From clubs, pubs and dance halls to Hotels, theatres, TV and Radio including the famous Ronnie Scott club and later as an 'all rounder' Cabaret artist in various parts of the world. This is when I excelled as a comedy impressionist impersonating all and sundry and I still enjoy this aspect of entertaining as will be found by my various recordings.
In more recent years I have spent much time composing and recording both my own and others material. I also now play guitar as well as piano and vibraphone and have subsequently formed my own record label and publishing companies namely Spider Records and Money Spider Music and am constantly on the look out for artists and singers to write for and record.
A cross section of my varied music styles have been compiled on my new Blue Planet Blues album which is due for release in April 2011. For further information on me and the CD content go to the 'Blue Planet Blues' page. The lyrics of the 'Blue Planet Blues' songs may also be found here .
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