Richard Leach's 7 Stars of Jazz |
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After touring Europe and the UK as Pete Allen's trombonist for six years, the 7 Stars of Jazz was a new venture for Richard Leach and joining him are some of the most experienced jazz musicians around. The front line is completed by Chris Pearce who shows his versatility on the reed instruments and, for many years, was a fixture on the Bristol jazz scene with The Blue Note Jazzband, and the versatile trumpeter Gordon Whitworth, a stalwart of the Midlands jazz scene, who was a member of Monty Sunshine's band for some time. The rhythm section or ‘engine room’ comprises Rod Kelly, an accomplished pianist, the versatile and understated Ian Parry on banjo as well as guitar and double bassist Roger Davis who has toured with the Pete Allen band, amongst others, in recent years. Stylish drummer Graham Smith, ex leader of The Jazz Allsorts, provides the drive at the back and completes the line up. |
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| The Band | ||
 Gordon Whitworth started playing trumpet during the early 1960s in the Birmingham area. His driving Louis Armstrong influenced trumpet style was soon a star feature of such leading Midland’s bands as The Second City Jazzmen and The George Huxley Jazz Band. His professional career has included long stints with Monty Sunshine’s Jazz Band and TommyBurton’s Sporting House Quartet. He now leads his own band on cornet with a 'Tribute to Bix Beiderbecke'.
Gordon first played with Richard Leach’s 7 Stars of Jazz in 2005 when he and Allen Beechey, the young trumpet leader of Allen Beechey’s Bright Stars of Jazz, both stepped in to help the band through a difficult period after the sudden passing away of John Burnett, the band’s original trumpeter. Gordon has since featured on three CDs by the band. |
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| Chris Pearce first studied music at Liverpool Cathedral where he was a member of the choir for 5 years. After moving to Welwyn Garden City with his family he heard his first jazz at the local jazz club, where he was lucky enough to see Ken Colyer, Sandy Brown, the Christie Bros. and Mick Mulligan with George Melly. He took up the clarinet at this time and after moving to Gloucestershire teamed up with a few local boys to form a band. Soon afterwards he was asked to join the Riverside Jazzmen in Bath with whom he remained for 15 years. During this time he played alongside many legends of jazz including Earl Hines, Buck Clayton, Willie “The Lion” Smith and Joe Harriot, not forgetting an all night drinking and blowing session with the Alex Welsh band. In 1976 he became a member of the Bluenote Jazz band, based in Bristol, and over the next 28 years enjoyed playing with visiting musicians such as Bud Freeman, Buddy Tate, Wild Bill Davison, Ruby Braff and Peanuts Hucko. Following the sad death of his close friend and leader of the Bluenotes, Roger Bennet, Chris decided to seek pastures new, joining the Antique Six in the autumn of 2006 and the 7 Stars of Jazz early in 2007 |
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 Rod Kelly played trumpet in Traditional bands briefly in the Midlands before moving to London in the 60s and forming a Mainstream sextet which featured BBC Jazz Club producers Robin Sedgely on trombone and Roger Eames on bass. This inside access to the corridors of power led instantly to absolutely nowhere.In the 70s he started Brighton Jazz Club with bassist Adrian Kendon. Played for a year with Bobby Wellins and pianist Lional Grigson plus two years with Spike Wells and New York pianist Errol Clarke which became the nucleus of American Down Beat poll winning vocalist Joe Lee Wilson's touring band, playing many major modern jazz clubs and festivals culminating in two weeks at Ronnie Scotts in 1978. Rod moved to the South West and formed a sextet undertaking a Jazz Services tour and supporting a rare British concert by George Shearing. He then headlined at Brecon in 1987 with tenorist Nathan Davis (Art Blakey) and the Brian Spring Trio. Rod swapped from trumpet to piano in the early 90s, formed a trio and toured with Danny Moss, Spike Robinson, Duncan Lamont, Don Rendell and many more. Rod is also a published novelist and playwright (BBC Radio). He joined Richard Leach's 7 Stars of Jazz in November 2012. |
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 Ian Parry's musical education began at school, where he studied violin. Later he taught himself guitar and played in skiffle bands and folk groups whilst adding banjo to his list of instruments.
At University he first encountered Jazz music, that being the popular music there at the time. However there were many very good guitar players available but only a small number of bands. A friend then offered a lesson on a double bass, on the basis that the strings were tuned the same as the bottom four strings of a guitar...so that should be easy then! The very next evening Ian played his first gig on double bass, learning as he went. Ian has since played in many bands of differing styles, on bass, guitar and banjo, firstly in his 'native' Middlesex and more recently in his 'adopted' Midlands, where, incidently, he was born. Ian joined the 7 Stars of Jazz in August 2010 initially helping out on double bass. |
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Roger Davis
formed his first band at school, the Downbeat Jazzmen, in which he played trombone. They played support for all the big names that came to Reading and Oxford. After a while, noticing a surfeit of young capable trombonists, he ‘strategically’ moved to double bass on which he freelanced with several of the bands in the area. Moving to Cheltenham in the sixties he joined the Quay Street Jazzmen. After three years Roger moved back to Reading where he played with several modern/mainstream bands. He gave up his music for nearly twenty years in order to pursue other activities until he was tempted out of retirement to join Graeme Hewitt’s High Society Jazzband. During that time he played with Dave Moorwood and Richard Leach who joined the band to play at the Breda Jazz Festival. All went a bit quiet when he moved to the Cotswolds but soon he was approached by Pete Allen whose band he joined and where he was reunited with Dave and Richard. When Richard formed the 7 Stars, Roger soon followed. His current favourite of his four bases is a modern Upton Professor flat back. He uses various amplifiers in his search for the perfect sound. Which is why he lists his hobby as ‘buying things’.
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 Graham Smith a Brummie by birth, started playing drums at the age of 14 in his father’s dance band until his early 20’s when he ceased playing to pursue a career in banking. Two decades later he bought his young son Russell, also now a very competent drummer, a drum kit and found himself responding to the need for a drummer with the Warwickshire based Pete Harris Jazz Band and borrowing his son’s kit! In 1993, together with his pianist father, he formed the popular Jazz Allsorts. Early retirement from the bank in 1999 gave Graham the opportunity to pursue his musical ambitions and to join The Antique Six Jazzband. He became a full member of The 7 Stars Of Jazz in early 2006. In pursuit of expanding his style and interest in jazz genres he also performs with Kevin Grenfell & Richard Leach Slide by Slide, Amy Roberts Gentlemen of Jazz and Chris Pearces' Frenchmen Street Jazz Band as well as deputising with an increasing number of bands around the country and performing with a growing list of jazz stars from home and abroad. |
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Enquiries: Richard Leach - 01905 771528 |
or email enquiries@richardleach.eu |