Associated Musicians

Robert Rickenberg - A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music Robert is now firmly established as one of the country's leading jazz double bass players. He came to prominance on the scene for his work with the Sheena Davis Group to which he also contributed his "imaginative arrangements" (Oxford Times) and his tenure with the great American saxophonist Spike Robinson.

Jazz Review described him as "a real gem of a player, with a rich dark sound, spot on the beat and lays down a really solid framework." With his "stalwart support and top-notch solos" (Allaboutjazz-US) Robert has played alongside numerous British & American jazz greats including John Dankworth, Herb Geller, Danny Gottlieb, Jim Mullen, Will Gaines & Mark Murphy.

He has also played and recorded for a wide range of projects outside the jazz field including Kylie & Dannii Minogue, Westlife, the Fun Lovin' Criminals, opera singers Kim Criswell & Ruti Halvani, klezmer band K-Groove and classical composer Howard Blake (MySpace.com).

Les Cirkel - If you saw Stanley Kubrick's film "Eyes Wide Shut", then you probably saw drummer
Les Cirkel playing in the Sonata Club scene with Tom Cruise!

His diverse and versatile drumming and helpful teaching methods cover all genres from pop to jazz. At 15 he was chosen out of 20+ auditionees to be first-call drummer with NYJO. Since then he has gone on to be drumming with 60's pop icons Sandie Shaw, Dana, Cilla Black, John Walker (Walker Bros), soul singers Three Degrees, Brooke Benton, The Drifters, The Platters, crooners Matt Monroe, Des O'Connor & Val Doonican.

He's played opposite Buddy Rich at Ronnie Scott's, as well as working there with Liza Minelli, Jon Hendricks, Jackie Cain & Roy Kral as well as the great drummer Steve Gadd. He even played for Princess Anne's wedding at Buckingham Palace. Les has recorded albums with Nat King Cole's brother Freddie Cole, Marian Montgomery, Val Doonican, reggae star Dillinger, jazz saxophonist Matt Wates and singer Frank Holder. Les has played the West End theatre shows Cats, Me & My Girl, Rocky Horror Show & Little Shop of Horrors and co-ran Salsa band Pa Gozar.

Les toured and recorded in the USA and Europe with trip-hop star Tricky and during this time also working in concert with Goldfrapp, Martina Topley Bird, Bjork and Paul Weller. He backed Blur's Damon Albarn, Kath Koffee & Alison Moyet on Tricky's second album Nearly God and has kicked ass with rock bands Magna Carta and Crazy Mabel, backed Boyband Westlife, played Glastonbury and other major festivals with Tricky, Sony-signed Helen Sheppard and also played MTV's Most Wanted as well as Jools Holland's show 'Later'.

Alex Hutton began the piano at the age of 5, although there were early musical experiences on mandolin and guitar. During his teenage years, he played in local Rock, Latin and Salsa bands in Sheffield.

A half year spent in New York on a music course gave Alex the spirit and determination to play Jazz (Meanwhile he completed a BA Hons degree in History/Philosophy.)

In 1995 he spent 7 months touring the USA and Canada with the soul band ‘Boy on a Dolphin’ (Atlantic Records). The following year, now back home and firmly back in the jazz world, he reached the finals of a televised Jazz competition winning the accolade: “Great British Talent...a wonderfully natural pianist” from the late Ronnie Scott.

He relocated to London in 1996 and winning a full Scholarship, he attended the Guildhall School of music (post grad) in 1997. (www.alexhutton.info)

Jim Hart originally form Cornwall began playing piano and drums aged four and soon extended this to include tuned and orchestral percussion. He started playing jazz and working on modern harmony aged ten. In 1994 he went to Manchester to do his A levels at Chetham’s School of Music. Whilst there he was a percussion finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year and won the John Dankworth ‘Most Promising Musician’ award in the BBC Big Band of the Year competition.

He then moved to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he began to focus mainly on playing jazz, both on drums and piano. On leaving the Guildhall, Jim became the drummer for NYJO and stayed with them for three years. During this time Jim also developed as a vibraphone player and became in demand as a drummer and percussionist.

In 2002 Jim formed his own group Gemini with saxophonist Ivo Neame and began writing all the music for it. With this group he went on to be a founder member of London’s innovative LOOP Collective. Gemini’s first album ‘Emergence’ was received to critical acclaim and a successful UK tour followed. Jim used ‘Emergence’ to set up the collective’s label LOOP Records. He is currently working on the second Gemini album. Jim also fronts a second group called the Jim Hart Quartet with Ivo on piano. With this group he recently recorded for Woodville records.

He is now the regular drummer for Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine and his other major projects at present include Neon, with Stan Sulzmann and Gwilym Simcock, The Liquorice Allsorts with Alan Barnes and Paul Clarvis, The Ivo Neame Quartet, The New Jazz Couriers, Tom Richards Jazz Orchestra and many more.

Jim was the winner of a 2007 British Jazz award, the 2006 British Jazz award for 'Rising star' and the 2006 Worshipful Company of Musicians Jazz medal. He has worked with a host of international stars including Phil Woods, Joel Frahm, Richie Barshay, Franco Ambrosetti, Julien Arguelles Shaun Escoffery, The Herbaliser, The Heritage Orchestra and Airto Moreira. (www.jimhart.co.uk)