I began playing drums at the age of nine, inspired by my uncle Steve, himself a drummer. That early spark quickly became a lifelong pursuit.
I was fortunate to study for many years under the guidance of Malcolm Garrett, one of the finest drummers I have ever encountered. Malcolm has mentored generations of outstanding young musicians and continues to teach at Birmingham Conservatoire, one of the UK’s leading music institutions.
My formative musical years were spent with the Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra (MYJO) under the direction of Dr John Ruddick MBE. MYJO has produced an extraordinary lineage of musicians, including drummers Pete Cater, Neil Bullock, Dave Tandy and the late Chris Dagley, as well as Mark Nightingale, the Arguelles brothers and Martin Williams.
With MYJO I performed internationally, including appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the International Association of Jazz Educators’ Conference in Toronto, and a concert at Disneyland, Orlando. The orchestra were multiple winners of the BBC Big Band Competition, and during my time with the band I was honoured to receive both the Kenny Clare Award and the Musicians’ Union Young Musician of the Year Award.
In the early 1990s I formed a contemporary jazz quintet with Guy Barker, Dave O’Higgins, David Newton and Alec Dankworth. The group performed widely across the UK and recorded live at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London.
During this period I travelled to New York to study with the late Joe Morello, whose technical mastery and musical integrity remain a profound influence on my playing to this day.
Back in the UK, I developed a varied career as a sideman, performing and recording with a wide range of artists including Ray Russell, Martin Taylor, Dean Parks, Randy Brecker, Mark Egan, Gary Husband, George Fenton, Johnny Thirkell, Mike Clark, Bobby Shew, Rob McConnell, Georgie Fame, Alan Price, Leo Sayer, Roy Wood, Nigel Kennedy, The Climax Blues Band, Jane McDonald and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, among many others.
I was a long-standing member of saxophonist Alan Skidmore’s group, appearing on three ITM Records releases including Live at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall (with Georgie Fame), Impressions of Coltrane, and the double album Naima, which featured my recording on one disc and the legendary British drummer Tony Levin on the other — Tony’s final recording.
My musical interests have always crossed genres. I was a founding member of the chart-hit band The Ghosts alongside singer-songwriter Alex Starling.
In 2007, together with my late friend Jon Brookes of The Charlatans, I co-founded The World’s Greatest Drummer — a concert series celebrating the legacy of Buddy Rich. These shows have featured internationally renowned drummers including Steve Gadd, Steve Smith, Keith Carlock and Benny Greb.
I have performed extensively with guitarist Ray Russell and was a headline artist at The London Drum Show 2017 at Olympia, appearing alongside Mike Clark.
My work has also included projects in Los Angeles with arranger Richard Niles, contributing to his Bandzilla recordings, as well as sessions featuring Randy Brecker, Leo Sayer and Nigel Hitchcock. More recently I performed on an album arranged and produced by Niles for guitarist Eric Henderson and bassist Mark Egan.
In 2019 I was a featured soloist on the soundtrack for Tomb Raider – The Dark Angel, recorded with an 85-piece orchestra and distinguished soloists including Tina Guo, Nigel Hitchcock and Johnny Thirkell — a career highlight.
During the COVID-19 pandemic I continued to record where possible, including sessions with composer George Fenton and for the Lion Television documentary Walk Into Fear, composed by Glenn Keiles and broadcast on the Smithsonian Channel.
You can hear examples of my work in the music and video sections of this site.
I am based near Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire.
Alongside music, I have two other enduring passions: aviation — where I fly the Airbus A330 & A350 aircraft for Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow — and running.