Colin Oxley kicks off our guitar festival with Barry Green and the Vortex Jazz Trio (Jeremy Brown, Tristan Maillot).
A graduate of Leeds College of Music he moved to London in the early eighties quickly teaming up with jazz guitarist Martin Taylor, and saxophonists Don Weller and Alan Barnes, and touring with Buddy De Franco. A winner of the British Jazz Awards no less than eleven times, recent collaborations have seen him featured in Guy Barker’s orchestra, with James Pearson at Ronnie Scotts Club, and in duet with Jason Rebello and violinists Aaron Weinstein and Tim Kliphuis. As well as an accomplished pianist David Newton is also a distinctive composer with the same keen melodic sense he displays in his piano playing. Examples of his compositions are featured on the many recordings under his own name as well as writing specifically for Martin Taylor, Alan Barnes, Tina May and Claire Martin. Newton’s music can also be heard on many television productions, especially in the United States where over twenty TV movies benefit from Newton’s haunting themes. Three of his compositions are included on this release.
Colin Oxley is undoubtedly a class leading guitar talent. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne he studied at Newcastle School of Music before attending the Guildhall School in London. Whilst at the Guildhall he won the Best Soloist award in the National Big Band competition and upon leaving he went on to work with some of the top performers in London including recording six albums with vocalist Stacey Kent and appearing at such festivals as Montreux, North Sea and Marciac. In 2001 Colin was voted Jazz Musician of the Year by the Worshipful Company of Musicians. Colin has also worked extensively in Japan with his wife Eriko Ishihara and produced two of her albums for a Japanese record label. Currently he can be seen leading his own groups, in duet with Martin Speake and as part of the increasingly popular hand-picked John Wilson Orchestra with which he has all ready made a couple of appearances at the BBC Proms. He is currently a professor at Guildhall School of Music in London where he teaches jazz guitar and is admired by his peers as an exceptional musician.