Meet the Band

Book our jazz band – our function band is made up of top UK musicians who combine to provide the best atmospheric jazz for your occasion.  Do come and see us play live!

Jeanie Barton – Vocalist

Jazz singer songwriter Jeanie Barton was born in Nottingham, England. Having studied jazz harmony at Morley College in London and bebop improvisation with BBC Jazz award winner Anita Wardell, Jeanie gigs regularly around the UK to increasing acclaim with her quartet and other ensembles.

She has supported Georgie Fame, sung backing vocals for Luddy Samms (The Drifters), fronted Al Wynette’s band at the 606 Club and is singer and compere for bebop legend Laurie Morgan’s band. Credit’s include performances at The Jazz Cafe, Ronnie Scott’s and The National Theatre, as well as a cruise on the Seine in Paris. She is proud to work with some of the best musicians on the British Jazz scene today.  See www.jeaniebarton.com

CJ Berry – Guitar

Born in Boston in 1958 Chris was heavily influenced by his Mother and Uncle who performed as a vocal jazz duet.  After moving to the UK in 1973 he studied jazz at the Guildhall School of Music, guitar and keyboards at Middlesex University (BA) and earned his living as a session musician.  He has many high profile performance credits to his name including playing for Madness, Bilbo Berger (Heatwave), Toby Baker (Alexander O’Neil), Chaka Khan and Crispin Taylor (Galiano, O7).  Chris is part of the house band at London’s Jazz Cafe for the UK Soul Jam.  www.cjberry.co.uk

Paul Weinreb – Piano

Paul Weinreb began playing piano at the age of 10, by the late 1970s, inspired by Scott Joplin, Joe Sample and Herbie Hancock, he was writing music and playing in his own jazz-funk band.  Keyboards credits include 4hero’s ‘Two Pages’ album and remixes of Terry Callier’s ‘Theme from Spartacus’ and ‘Black Gold of the Sun’. He played gigs at venues such as the Jazz Café and Dingwalls with a range of musicians, from PP ‘The First Cut is the Deepest’ Arnold to rising sax star Gilad Atzmon.
Paul formed the band Tarantula, a six-piece band (keyboards, drums, bass, guitar, sax and percussion, with the frequent addition of Quentin Collins on trumpet) they recorded and toured Weinreb’s compositions and are hailed on Jazz FM by Helen Mayhew.
The World Jazz Trio (with bassist Jimmy Martinez and drummer Saleem Raman) showcased more of his compositions at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at a well-received gig headlined by Billy Cobham and played the Royal Festival Hall, May 26, 2006. Tarantula recently played the Fishgard Jazz festival in Wales in September 2006.  See www.paulweinreb.com

Lakis Econonou – Double Bass

Born in Athens Greece, Lakis is a versatile player who can switch from ethnic to Rock to Jazz or Latin or Funk on electric or the double bass.  In Greece, he formed a radical progressive band ‘Emminos Roi’ later ‘Apocalypsis’ (Y. Palamidas, V. Dertilis), playing some gigs in Athens including Kitaro club supporting Socrates.  In 1982 he met piano player composer C. Voutsinas and the collaboration lead to many live and recording sessions. He was also gigging regularly backing Greek pop artists E. Dimou, Pashalis, Opa and others.In 1986 Lakis moved to London and has appeared on live and session projects.  He has collaborated with many formidable musicians including; Nick Duckett  (Deep), Gilbert Gabriel (Dream Academy), Polly Styrene (X-rayspecs), John Mizzarolli, Steve Lambert, Jason Rebello, Antonio Forcione, Roberto Manzin, The Laurie Morgan Trio, Paul Weinreb’s Tarantula, Brian Abrahams, Claude Deppa, The Guy Turner trio, Bilbo Berger (Heatwave), Alex Maguire, Holly Roberts and Bukky Leo.  See www.ecobassics.com

Danny Bryan – Percussion

Specialising in congas and timbales, Danny’s previous work includes; Barry White’s UK Tour, The Imagination European Tour, The Drifters UK and European Tour, Concerts and videos with Womack and Womack in the UK, tours with Chyna Gordon, Innocence and Dominic Le Vack both in Europe and also recently in Singapore.  He plays live regularly in and around London and is in constant demand as a session artist; Danny also has an extensive background as a backing vocalist and songwriter.  He currently works within the world music fusion band ‘Peyoti for President‘.

Crispin Taylor – Drums

A founder member of legendary rare groove band PUSH. Crispin ‘The Pump’ drummed for Galliano for 6 years, other credits include Definition of Sound, Urban Species, Carleen Anderson, Seal, JTQ, Mather (with Paul Weller) Leon Ware, Rueben Wilson, Charles Earland and various recording sessions. He is currently drumming for Zero 7 and Brainstorm Jazz Quintet.  www.myspace.com/crispinthepump

Olly Blanchflower – Double Bass

Currently with ‘Acoustica’, a trio with Chris Haigh (fiddle) and Paul Kerr (vocal & guitar), Kit Packham’s One Jump Ahead, and singer songwriter Roger Askew. Olly plays with pianists Tom Pilling and Sean Hargreaves., he spent ten years working in a range of jazz styles with people such as Harry Beckett, Evan Parker, Steve Lodder, Jim Dvorak, Jan Ponsford, Brian Abrahams, Maggie Nichols, Geoff Warren and many others. In 1987 he entered the folk circuit with singer songwriter Melanie Harrold, an association which lasted for seven years and generated many tours and three albums. Since then Olly works within a range of musical genres, Irish with Ron Kavana, Balkan with Mukka, Blues with the Spikedrivers, Guy Tortora, Jazz with Theo Travis, Lol Coxhill, Russian with the Kremlinaires.  See www.myspace.com/ollyblanchflower

Guests and deps include; Selwyn Charles, Danny Manners and Tony Reeves – Double Bass,  Rob Taggart, Rob Barron, Joe Bickerstaff and John China  – Piano, Ed Benstead and Henry Armburg Jennings – Trumpet and Flugel Horn, Vasilis Xenopoulos – Tenor Sax, Mick Parker and Paul Downes – Drums, plus many more exceptional London based musicians…

We also play with a superb Midland’s based ensemble;  Geoff Pearson – Double Bass, Ian Beestin – Drums and Neil Hunter or Bob Husdon – Piano.