I am an English guitarist and banjo player. I play blues, gospel and traditional old time mountain music. Rather than reproducing any style of playing, instead I try to re-imagine the music to create my own arrangements. I also write my own compositions in the country blues genre.
I started playing guitar when I was sixteen years old and I took some informal lessons from a local teacher Alan Francis. He introduced me to a wide variety of music from Stockhausen to the modern jazz quartet. By the time I was nineteen I was studying and playing jazz and I studied briefly in London with Australian jazz guitarist Ken Foote. At this time I also taught guitar for the ILEA (Inner London Educational Authority).
When I was twenty nine I retired from music to read computer science at university. After university I worked in the computer industry and returned to guitar playing at the age of forty four after seeing the TV program about Eric Clapton and the Mr Johnson record. Since then I have listened and played the music of Mance Lipscomb, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Furry Lewis, Robert Wilkins, blind Lemon Jefferson and Mississippi John Hurt. A few years ago I started playing the banjo and listening to the music of Roscoe Holcomb, Frank Proffitt and Dock Boggs.
I play Huss and Dalton guitars and banjos exclusively.
I’m currently working on my first CD.